I love showing friends my city.
Especially these two long-distance ladies.
Lucie, Meghan, and I have been meeting up all across the country for 3 years. In fact, on this day 4 years ago, I celebrated Lucie’s birthday in her home country of Switzerland! That trip was the first time I’d ever met her in “real life.”
We’ve been close ever since I crashed her place! So close that she’s also the only person who could get me to try CrossFit.
(How brave was Lucie, letting me stay with her without really knowing me?)
It had been two years since Meghan and I had seen Lucie (and she was, of course, jet-lagged), so we stayed in the night they arrived.
That didn’t stop a celebration. We shared one of our mutual favorite dinners: a homemade charcuterie and cheese board with bubbles. As with all girls nights, as the night progressed, the conversation digressed. 😉
This #WIAW is a brief overview of our weekend together. A whole 3 days of laughter, tattoos, booze, and tasty ATL eats would take 5 posts.
Be sure to link up to Jenn’s WIAW baby at the bottom!
Breakfast:
Lucie and I made morning cocktails. Meghan started with her day with hot water a lemon.
I’m not much of a breakfast eater… I think Meghan had eggs. Then we headed out for a run. I knew we’d be walking the Beltline (very cool path around ATL), so I took them through Georgia Tech (my alma mater) and Piedmont Park. We stopped for a photo opp, of course.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiXCyUclkik/?taken-by=sprint2thetable
Post-run, Lucie and Megan ate my balls. They loved them. 😉 ICYMI, these Bourbon-Salted Pecan Protein Balls were on the blog Monday.
They also practiced handstands. There’s a great pic of them both in a handstand, but this boomerang is more fun.
I stuck to being the photographer. #safetyfirst
Lunch:
We showered and headed down the Beltline to find lunch. If you’re ever in Atlanta, get on the Beltine at Piedmont Park and walk it all the way to Krog Street. There is so much to look at and eat along the way!
I was so starving by the time we got to Ponce City Market (one of the many stops along the Beltline) that I forgot to take a pic of my chicken salad, but I did get a pic of the focaccia and Aperol spritz we started with.
The next day we had brunch rather than lunch and followed it up with another nice, long walk… to get tattoos.
Meghan and I had some liquid courage at The Porter, my favorite beer bar, while Lucie was responsible scratched her photography itch. The liquid courage came with a side of salt & vinegar popcorn and entertainment by an Irish bachelor party.
Side note: when Irish people get toasty, they are VERY hard to understand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiaJxyNHOjA/?taken-by=cleaneatsfastfeets
We decided to get stars. I think mostly because Lucie’s whole arm is tattooed in stars… but I also have a thing for stars. This is tattoo number 6 for me, 3 for Meghan, and… I have no idea for Lucie.
Fun [star] facts about me:
- I always wear a star necklace.
- I have an antique star I refinished hanging in our house.
- I have a red bird tattoo as a tribute to my dad that’s surrounded by stars.
After the tattoo adventure, we headed home to toast to our new ink and get dressed for dinner.
Getting this boomerang took no less than 57 takes. This is only a slight exaggeration.
Dinner:
We had a few great dinners, but I think the crowd favorite was from an Italian spot, Campagnolo, down the street. I had a salad and meatballs over polenta, and the table shared those brussels in the background. Plus rosé.
Dessert:
We really didn’t eat dessert. The last night’s live piano karaoke that ensued after dinner was the icing on the cake. After 9:30 pm on Fridays and Saturday, Campagnolo turns into a (mostly) gay piano bar. It’s everything. The guys that sing are shockingly good!
It’s so much fun that my cousin and my mom showed up! My mom is literally the most popular person in this place.
Literally the portrait of trouble
My mom slept at my house that night. Meghan almost missed her flight the next morning. Soooo… I’m going to let you guess the exact amount of fun that night was. Happens…
3 tattoos, 36.8K steps, and 348672 drinks later, we’ve reached the end of our story. Or at least the end of all the info I’m at liberty to divulge. 😉
[Tweet “Don’t miss this girls’ weekend adventure in Atlanta and the #WIAW link up!”]
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A VERY happy 40th birthday TODAY to my Swiss sister, Lucie!
Do you have any tattoos? Bonus points for matching friend/spouse tattoos! Vegas and I have one.
When was your last friend’s weekend?
WOW, that looks like one heck of a weekend! Fun seems like an understatement. I do not have any tattoos, my parents have adorable matching ones , My mom has a key and my dad has a heart on there feet and they connect when they put there feet together (you hold the key to my heart idea)
The belt line sounds like a cool walk, living in such a tiny little town, I do not have anything like that.
That’s so sweet that they have matching tatts!!! I love the idea of couples tattoos. It’s a risk… one I’m clearly willing to take! 😉
Love it!!! You know how to have fun…and eat and drink…best combo ever! And now I want another tattoo…:-)
Dooooooo it! I might have to get another next weekend when my BFF comes in town. She’s getting her nose pierced and Vegas put a hard NO on that. Lame…
Sounds like such a fun weekend! Haha and you are totally making me rethink my “just one tattoo is enough” thing.
Oh man… I got my first one at 17. There was never going to be a “just one.” LOL!
Looks like you three had a great weekend. I went to Atlanta for the first time last week. Was really impressed with the city and hope to come back soon. Hope you settling into the new place!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s a great city!
You guys are likely dream charlie’s angels. Can I be you guys when I grow up?
Just come next time!!! (You’re 21, right?)
What a fun weekend! love the Boomerang too
Ha! What a fun time to meet up with blog friends and then have a crazy day together! Love it, Laura! 🙂 Thanks for hosting the food party too, it’s been a while!
Welcome back to WIAW! It was great to have them in town. I love how bloggers can become BFFs – so crazy!
The eating and drinking I’m totally up for. The tattoos? Terrifying.
It’s really not bad at all! Arms are super easy. Ankles and fingers… a bit scary. 😉
Wow, that sounds like a fantastic weekend. You should host “how to do Atlanta Tours.” Your guests will never forget (the tattoos might encourage the memories!)
Also, are you growing your hair out? It looks pretty!
HA! That’s not a bad idea. Want to book a trip? 😉
I can’t believe it had been two years… so happy the 3 of you had such a great reunion. I have no doubt that would need you to show me my city again. I never got to see Ponce City Market completed, ps…
COME VISIT!!!!!!
OMG what a blast! Those kinds of weekends are truly unforgettable 🙂 Congrats on the new ink!
I follow all three of you so I get so excited when you get together LOL! Looks like a great weekend <3
That’s so cool! We know how to have fun, that’s for sure! 😉
I miss you and Lucie so much already. Why can’t be just all live in the same place…then again, this way we get to travel and get more ink.
I wonder where 2019 will take us…..
By the way, you’re an amazing host, but you knew that already.
I miss you too! What’s the next tattoo? You know I’m game!
2019 is the year of Switzerland, I think.
I am so happy that you all had such a wonderful time! I really need to get back to Atlanta, it’s almost 10 years since we went as part of our honeymoon. I known the trip we would do now would be so different, so much more to see!
I agree – you should get back to ATL. I volunteer as a tour guide!!!
Loved reading about your girls’ weekend. Sounds like you girls know how to have fun! I used to travel more with girlfriends. We went to races all over the country. The most fun was when 5 of us traveled to SD to do a marathon. We all stayed in 1 small hotel room, and laughed for most of the trip. Good times! Thanks for jogging my memory.
Thank you! Girls’ trips are always a blast. We don’t do them enough as we get older. I bet the SD marathon trip was amazing!!!