ATL {Our Travel Journal}

Experiences are a big thing for us. Our kids deserve to experience the world and we work hard to provide as many adventures as we can. In 2023, we took our first Wanda J trip to Washington DC, promising our teens to do a trip every other year from then on. As a team, we were determined to make this happen and through fundraising and amazing donors, we went to Atlanta this Summer!

Our Atlanta trip featured Krog Street Tunnel, World of Coca-Cola, The Georgia Aquarium, Museum of Illusions, National Civil Rights Museum and other small adventures along the way. We’ve got a group chat with hundreds of texts and more than hundreds of photos to prove that this trip was memorable. We won’t share the many photos of car sleeping, silly faces and funny moments, but we have them and cherish the time our kids get to be kids and we get to witness it.

Here’s a few highlights…

National Civil Rights Museum

Through immersive exhibitions, dynamic events, and community-driven programs, the Center connects history to the present, helping individuals and institutions move from reflection to action.

We all enjoyed this museum, with several of our teens marking it as their favorite experience. Shown here, we participated in a lunch counter sit-in simulation to place ourselves in the shoes of non-violent protestors in 1960. It was an incredibly powerful exhibit.

Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the US and the sixth largest globally. It holds over 11 million gallons of water and houses thousands of animals, including whale sharks, manta rays, and beluga whales.

We spent hours exploring the Aquarium. It was amazing and we didn’t want to miss any of it.

Krog Street Tunnel

Built in 1913, The Krog Street Tunnel is a pedestrian and vehicle tunnel in Atlanta known for its street art.

We left our mark inside the tunnel and enjoyed the beautiful street art that surrounded us.

World of Coca-Cola

The World of Coca-Cola is a museum that showcases the history of The Coca-Cola Company. 

We tasted, smelled and explored Coca-Cola… then we shopped! This stop was a light hearted, fun addition to our schedule.

Museum of Illusions

A fascinating world of illusions where nothing is ever quite as it seems.

This museum was an interactive experience before we headed home. It was fun, filled with laughs and tons of photos.

Our group was small for this trip- four teens, four chaperones and Magnolia (our honorary one year old tag along). In order to attend, teens had to meet acceptable grades and attendance, complete an application and sit through an interview with WJ board members. Our trips are designed to be fun, but something our kids have to work towards and plan for.

We know…

• that positive childhood experiences combat negative ones
• that our teens (and chaperones) had fun
• that trips like this are how relationships are built AND how they get stronger
• that our kids are loved (and Magnolia is their favorite)
• that our kids deserve experiences outside of our community
• that new experiences can ignite hope and create motivation for teens
• that traveling can boost confidence and independence
• that gaining a bigger perspective of the world and people around us is a win
• that core memories were created

As an organization, this year has been tough for us. Our staff is funded by grants that are ending and shifting. Money for this trip did not come out of that bucket. Fundraisers such as Elf on the Shelf Kits, Egg My Yard, Car Washes and selling Texas Roadhouse Rolls went directly to paying for this trip. We also had individual donations from community members.

Thank you…Harrod and Associates, Karen Harrod and Marcey Broderson for your generous donations to make this trip possible. Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraisers. Thank you to Melody Stephenson for sending ice cream money via venmo. Thank you to our staff and chaperones for taking our teens to Atlanta (during the World Cup) and keeping them safe- and for driving your personal vehicles to save money.

Where to next? We have a list of wishes and dreams for our high school program. These trips remind us of why we’re here. They give us memories and good feelings of why our programs matter. Of why it’s important for us to be here to support and love our teens and families. Of why we work so hard to make things happen. And that keeps us going.