He Asked Me Out and Took Me on a Day Date in Atlanta

Hey there! Hope all is well. Today we’re going to hang out for a spell in Atlanta. Towards the end of the week, Ejuan asked me if I had any plans for the weekend, Saturday specifically. I told him I was free, so he asked if I would go on a day date with him to Atlanta, Georgia.

I checked the weather to make sure I would be dressed comfortably. I added a layer of tights underneath my jeans because it was cold leaving Dallas and would be chilly in Atlanta for the first few hours there. I also decided to wear a long sleeve shirt that I could later take off, which is exactly what I did. We landed and hit the ground running and immediately took off those long sleeve tops! We caught the Marta train to head towards our first sight. In a short time, while waiting for the next train, the sun seemed to come out of nowhere. I said I was getting out of my extra layers in the first place that had a restroom!

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We arrived at Ebenezer Baptist Church, one of the most prominent churches in U.S. History. It felt so surreal seeing this place up close. All the emotions ran through my mind, from joy and happiness to sadness and anger. So much history had taken place here, and I was emotionally connected to it all at that moment.

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When Ejuan and I walked through the space, we were taking it all in. We sat at the back of the sanctuary among several other visitors. We listened to a short audio clip of a sermon from the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was in awe, looking around the space and picturing him standing at the podium, delivering one of his famous sermons/speeches. It felt like such a powerful moment, and I basked in it for a bit.

We left the church and walked to the memorial park where Dr. King and Coretta Scott King are buried. Their burial site is decorated with a marble gravestone sitting on top of a raised brick pedestal trimmed in concrete. The tomb rests in the middle of a reflection pool. Nearby is an arch covered walkway with blown-up pictures on the adjacent wall of different events that occurred in Dr. and Mrs. King’s lives.

After spending some time at the park, we then walked to the home of Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, it was closed for tours that day, but we still enjoyed viewing it from outside. Hey, it just gives us a reason to go back someday! (We did visit again with our sons, and was able to go inside).

After we left from touring, we made our way to Gladys Knight’s Chicken & Waffles. The jury was still out on this place because we’d heard both good and bad things. However, we wanted to have our own say about it, so we ordered lunch. Ejuan ordered their signature meal, you guessed it, chicken and waffles. Now, I’d just recently started on a meal plan to focus on healthier eating, but there’s no way I would be at a soul food restaurant and place an order for Salmon. (Pictured below, you can see the expression on my face when Ejuan suggested I do just that). Therefore, I had smothered chicken and rice with yams and black-eyed peas. Now, I’m not a fan of black-eyed peas, but I was more willing to eat that over some of the other side options. I’m not sure about the bad reviews we heard, but we OVERLY enjoyed ourselves. Fortunately, unfortunately, Ejuan had more plans for the afternoon, so we had to eat quickly and rush to our next event.

We caught the train again, and then I tried my best to keep up with Ejuan while running around the streets of Midtown. I had no clue where we were going, but he was adamant about us getting there ASAP. Listen! If we’re not running streets, climbing heels, or getting into some type of awkward situation, then it’s not really an Ejuan Bowman adventure. Anywho, we arrived at our destination, and I realized it’s a theater. When he showed our tickets, the hosts at the table advised that we could not take our food in with us. I was so hurt. I didn’t even get to finish my food because we had to rush. They said we could leave the plates under the check-in table and come back after the show to get them.

We made our way inside and rushed to use the restrooms before going into the theater area. Once we got in, I saw a poster, and my eyes lit up! Ejuan found a musical of my favorite cartoon movie, The Little Mermaid! Man, he just made our date even better! After we entered the theater, the usher gave us a program and escorted us to our seats. The actors were doing a great job portraying the movie characters, especially the guy playing Sebastian. They kept the crowd very entertained. Ejuan chose the only flight back home that night, but it wasn’t late enough, and unfortunately, we had to miss the end of the show. Thankfully, I’ve watched the movie over and over, so I was okay at least knowing how everything would turn out.

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We left the show, and as we headed outside, I was devastated. The table for check-in no longer had a tablecloth on it, and the hosts and our half-full to go plates were nowhere to be found. I don’t think you understand the pain I felt at that moment. I was convinced that I’d take that plate home and reheat it for dinner that night. That’s how much I enjoyed my food. It was so bad that I searched for nearby trash cans and heavily considered getting my plate out if I spotted it. Unfortunately, the boxes were long gone, and we had to hurry back to the airport. I’m grateful for the overall experience but sad to report that the restaurant later closed down. Maybe the bad reviews really did outweigh the good. However, I did hear something about the co-owners having a dispute, so I’m not sure what actual reason made them close. I am glad that I didn’t listen to my husband and order Salmon, though. It would’ve been an experience I’d never have the opportunity to relive again!

Until next time, I’ll leave you with this. Please don’t assume you lose the quality of a getaway because of the amount of time you’re gone. I can be honest and tell you when Ejuan first came with the idea of these one-day getaways, I was a little uncertain. I would think about how short of a time we’d have there. I wasn’t okay with getting back on the plane feeling nasty and smelly, and neither did I want to pack around a backpack with a change of clothes all day. However, I learned to get over my thoughts after a couple of these experiences. I packed some small necessities and made accommodations that made me feel better, and showed consideration to my neighbors on the flights. We have since taken several one-day trips and dated in other states. I’ll share those adventures another time. Have you ever considered hopping on a plane to go away for the day and come back that same night, or have you had this experience too? I’d love to hear about your adventure! Please drop it in the comments below.