So I have been to Atlanta between Nov 26 and Dec 12. I think the weather is a bit cold for me since it’s usually drop below 0 C at night and morning is around 10 C. But overall I believe it’s quite comfortable, it’s not like crazy cold but it’s like OK with jacket on and especially with heater. Car and the hotel suite must always have the heater to be turned on. I rent a car from Enterprise and I think the service is quite good, its only problem is the tire pressure happening twice in a row so I believe there was a leak somewhere. The food is not bad, I think American food is so diverse, it has cuisine from anywhere on the planet but to be frank, the only thing I can think of when coming to USA is to visit any fast food chains. But of course, fast food is fast food, it’s usually low in quality, I mean it fast and cheap so it’s usually frozen foods that being put on the griller or fryer or microwave. I tried Chick Fil A, Mc Donald, Domino Pizza, The Cheese Cake Factory, and many other local restaurants. Overall, I think some pizza chains are great, especially the local one, it has more contents than the fast food chains like Domino Pizza. Pricing wise, an average meal I have in America cost around 20 dollars. So I think I’m spending on higher end than normal, in Vietnam my meal in restaurant usually around 20 dollars as well but I think I get a higher return (like has more foods overall and foods are more fresh), but if I have the same salary as average American then I think spending 20 dollars probably worth it (if my salary is like above 80K). Overall, living in the states could be costly if we are not managing our expenses very well, like spending tons of money in dining out probably not a wise idea. I visited many super markets in the town, like Target, Best Buy’s, Walmart, Costco Publix, Kroger, etc. The supermarkets here are huge and plentiful, I mean it is so colorful to walk into supermarket and look at all the goods. Americans are so blessed with the natural too, I like the clean atmosphere, non population, the streets are generally clean and well-maintained.
What I like most about is the people. People here are very nice I would say, sometimes they are mind their own stuff but when I face anyone in the hotel, like the staff or guests, they always yield the way or greeting politely. So are the people I met in the office, from security guards to my manager, they are all very very polite. Overall, I think people here in Atlanta are gems.
The driving experience, I would say, it has much faster pace, like the average driving speed here in the city is around 40 to 50 miles (averaging at 45 miles), I often drive around 30 to 40 miles, if no one around I usually drive around 40-50 miles. On highway, generally I drive from 60 miles and up to 90 miles. Changing lane are comfortable enough after first few time but getting used to the highway exit is quite a challenge, since I don’t know the map or at least not used to look at the google map. I missed the exit couple of times on highway and even in the city roads I also miss couple of turn, make me do the U turn by going an extra miles. Driving here is a fun, thrilling experience, but I would say it requires some nerve and balls to drive.
About the city overall, I think it has everything for people to comfortable living in, it has all the goods and products you need, and of course there are neighbor cities (like Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, etc) so you have plenty of places to visit and get things.
Overall, I love the people here and everybody I met along the way. I give Atlanta and overall business trip experience a 8 out of 10 (food need to be improve, so is the traffic)