The Low Down № 73 – Barely Survivin' in Georgia
I can't believe it but I M'THR F'IN hated Georgia. The only country out of 75 that I'll never recommend or make a return ‘cause no country should make you beg for a good time. It was full of so much crazy wrong that I thought I was goin’ mental! Didn't lose it, but everything I felt and experienced was the exact opposite of why I love to travel.
In Tbilisi, we drove by Agro Facility. Was it a sign? ‘Cause everybody seemed mad at the world. Like they're exasperated by life, maddened to be alive. Their resting faces be permanent scowls, weathered with deep-set lines that mark their anger. Everywhere people were yelling – at each other, at the sky, into their cell phones. Drivers honk preemptively – they assume you're gonna piss them off.
I'm not picky about food when I travel. I can get down with basic street food or a fancyass Michelin-stared restaurant. But this trip made me feel like I was asking for the impossible. 10 days and only one meal without a mistake?! Ordered an iced Americano. Got a hot cappuccino. Ordered a mixed vegetable sautée. Got a chicken breast in mushroom sauce with fries... I got kicked out of a table because the restaurant didn’t allow two different parties to sit together. Seriously?!
The Georgian hospitality may be real but I didn't experience it. What I got? Static. I interacted with so many people but couldn't get anyone to crack a smile or laugh. It was like forcing people to come alive – even shop owners! I hunt down mom-and-pop shops ‘cause they’re the people I wanna support, share their stories with RAHstrs. Yes, I scored dope goods for the STMT x Georgia Kit and RAH RAP Pack, but it feels like I failed – I returned home without stories behind 'em.
When naturally connecting with locals isn’t happening, I'll join a walking tour, swing through a hostel, or hire a driver. All three failed me. There was no gettin’ down with locals no matter how hard I tried. No instant BFF connections that led to impromptu hang outs, road trips, or talking anything and everything. It wasn't because we didn't share the same language. I've met plenty of people who didn't speak English and had a fantastic time. The common thread was our desire to communicate. We used hand gestures, drawings, laughs, smiles, beers, and shared food.
It's hard to accept that I didn't fall in love with Georgia. I was expecting so much because of what I heard from friends, read in articles. How can I have an awesome time despite being drenched to the core for three days in Morocco and survive 17 flight changes in 48 hrs but return without one positive thing to say about Georgia? ‘Cause survivin’ bad trips be all about the people who make your experiences and in Georgia, the people were the biggest letdown. No turning lemons into lemonade. It just rained lemons.
oxxo, Hen
