Disclosure: The Arthritis Foundation provided my airfare, hotel accommodations, and training expenses for this trip to Atlanta for the 2026 Facilitator Training. I am not being paid to write this post. As always, the experiences and opinions I share are my own.
Atlanta Bound: Arthritis Foundation Facilitator Training 2026
First off, I want to say a BIG thank you to the Arthritis Foundation for taking care of my airfare, hotel accommodations, and training expenses for this trip.
I am incredibly proud to have been a volunteer with the Arthritis Foundation for the past eight years. Not only have I had the opportunity to volunteer for a cause that means so much to me, but along the way, I have met some of the most amazing people.
And now, this journey has brought me to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Arthritis Foundation Facilitator Training 2026!
Hello, Atlanta!
I arrived at the Atlanta airport on September 22, and WOW — what a busy, busy airport!
I definitely was not expecting all that walking.
Sometimes, when you live with arthritis, pride can get in the way of asking for the help you need. Looking back, I call the airlines two weeks ago and was told I had assistance scheduled. I guess I should have maybe confirmed a day or two before my flight that there really was going to be someone there to assist me, but I don’t use it often because I don’t usually fly out of large airports or into larger airports. Usually, I use the Sanford airport in Florida and I fly into either the Pittsburgh Airport, which is large but not overly large or the Akron Canton airport in Ohio, which is a very nice but not super large hub either so it’s more manageable walking than say MCO in Orlando and definitely not manageable walking in Atlanta .
When I got to MCO, there was no assistance they apologized and I said OK just make sure it’s there when I land in Atlanta because it’s too large of an airport for somebody with the bone and joint issues. I have to navigate a suitcase a duffel bag well backpack and walk in 1000s of steps.
Well, when I got to Atlanta, there was no assistance there either so I had to navigate everything by myself, which was extremely difficult
Lesson learned.
On my way home, I confirmed and I’m going to also call the day before I fly back home to reconfirm
I had already hit 11300 steps before 11:30 a.m.!
For someone living with arthritis, that’s a whole lot of steps before lunchtime.
A Little Atlanta Adventure
After finally getting settled into my room at the Residence Inn, right next door to the Arthritis Foundation, I decided I wasn’t quite finished exploring.
I did take a break, but I certainly wasn’t coming to Atlanta and sitting in my room the first day tired or not so I gave myself a break , then hit the town. 
My next stop was the High Museum of Art. To check out the
Amy Sherald: American Sublime
. It was absolutely beautiful, and I loved having the opportunity to walk around, take everything in, and enjoy some art while I was in Atlanta.
Then suddenly it hit me:
I hadn’t eaten since 5:00 a.m that morning!
Between traveling, walking through airports, getting to the hotel, and visiting the museum, food somehow got pushed way down the list.
At that point, exhausted and very hungry, I headed to Taffer’s Tavern, a beautiful restaurant and bar. It is almost across the street from the hotel. It’s beautiful inside and has a great outdoor patio vibe as well. I decided to get my order to go so I could head back to my room and finally relax.
And that brings me to something else that has really stood out during this trip.
Atlanta, Your Hospitality Is Showing
The people here have been so incredibly friendly.
Day one and I have already met true Southern hospitality just walking around Midtown. I’ve had more people say hello as they pass by. They say thank you they hold the door open for you and if you hold the door open for them, they come back with a thank you very much. I just find it’s so refreshing it Atlanta made me feel at home.
And then there’s Midtown Atlanta.
I’m staying near Peachtree Street NE, and I absolutely love this area. There is something so beautiful about seeing the old and new buildings mixed together, surrounded by greenery and gorgeous flowers.
And when I say flowers, I mean flowers everywhere!
The floral scenery is spectacular, and there are butterflies everywhere. It’s such a beautiful contrast against the buildings and busy streets of Midtown.
Stay tuned …..
there’s much more to come from Atlanta!
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