Savanna, Georgia - Part 2

Playing the Big Buck Hunter game, a woman came over and she asked if she could join me in a dual play. I obliged, and I began to get schooled in this game. After she (Elizabeth) takes me for a sheep hunting lesson, she introduces me to her husband (Dave). Both Liz and Dave were from Portland, OR and were in Savanna for work. Dave worked out of his home, so he was mobile. They began to basically tell me how I should really go to Portland, and that if I did, I had a place to stay.

After that, I went back to Sweet Melissa's, the burger joint from the previous day, to tell them of how my first night went. They told me that the bar next door was having some big party later on and apparently the theme was neon. So I went next door, but nothing had really started to build up yet. I talked to two girls, one of who was from Athens, GA. She said that she was going to be in Athens on Monday, and that she would take me out when I was there. After talking to the two girls for a while, the bar started to get pretty packed, and things began to glow. Neon glasses, glow bracelets, etc. It started to get packed, I was tired, so I went home.

The next day, I packed up my things and headed for Athens. The drive from Savanna to Athens was all back country roads. This was the first time that I had found myself in the true heart of country towns. It was actually a really enjoyable ride. My big complaint about the drive so far, and being on big highways, all I get to see is large roads, and built up corporate rest stops. These corporate rest stops are filled with McDonalds, Starbucks, Waffle Houses, Hotels, and all things that are manufactured. These places lack genuity. The colors of the walls, the uniforms their employees wear, even that fact that you will always see one worker cleaning something to give the appearance of caring about cleanliness, are all manufactured for my viewing pleasure. They stem from marketing research and focus groups that calculate the perfect experience for the most customers. But they can't control the lack of life that all of the employees seem to carry with them - a sad desperation over their situation. They're depressing and artificial, so I avoid them at all costs. If I need gas, I get gas, but I don't stay any longer than I need to.


But this drive was different. It felt real. It was gritty, and genuine, and a truly honest display of country life. My cell phone lost signal, the roads became filled with overly aggressive pickup trucks with bumper stickers (see picture), pre-manufactured housing, crumbling old structures, and the churches were packed to the brim. These were really one-horse towns (but many, many cows). While I could never find myself consciously living in these towns, I have to say, I found them quite enjoyable to drive through - it was a much needed break from large highways and corporate rest stops.

But alas, within a few hours, I had arrived in Athens.