3,000 Miles from Home: North Carolina to Oregon, and Back Again

If you've kept up with us over the years (thanks Moms, for reading) you'll know we moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to Gresham, Oregon in April 2018. 

Therefore, deciding to move back to North Carolina this summer definitely raised some eyebrows. 

What can I say? When you know, you know. That female intuition is some powerful stuff. 

It was harder for Scott to leave the Pacific Northwest. Have you seen that man around tall evergreen trees and all the IPAs one can drink? Yet my insistence that one more winter in dreary, dark rain would end me, coupled with the high cost of living and the diminished shine of his PNW college days, were the reality checks to help make this giant U-turn of life. This was no '90s free-wheeling Oregon. 2019 was all too real. 

To quote Marc Maron, we don't know how much time we have left. Rather than harp on what Oregon didn't provide, I'd rather think about what our return to Asheville, North Carolina can. I'm optimistic that spending time with friends - the kind that knew you way back when - and family will be gratifying. The familiar Blue Ridge mountains, though not as grand as the Cascades back west, will heal us. Reuniting with places we loved in our college years here and learning about new spots will welcome us. 

Thankfully our 2000-era mainstay Loretta's is still cranking out pimento cheese sandwiches in 2019

There's an ease to life in Western North Carolina that feels comforting after 18 months away. Such comforts include:      

Talking with strangers. The other day - an October afternoon with a temperature reading an unseasonably hellish 89 degrees - I waited for an appointment and a delivery man came up to the counter next to me and grinned. "How y'all doing today? Is it hot enough for ya?" I'd forgotten how charming it can be, how nice it is to establish a brief rapport with someone, and to take a chance on a pleasant encounter. Could get weird, could be wonderful. 

Random kindness. Per usual, Scott picked up more litter than he could carry this morning on our walk. Noticing his overflowing plastic grocery bag of trash, a neighbor called out, "Do you need another bag?" and ran into her house to grab one for him. Litter isn't great, but more goodwill in times like these? Yes, please. 

Community. When we lived in Nashville, Tennessee, a friend advised us to never talk about a person in public and use their last name. Asheville's also a "Little Big Town." With both of us in job search mode, it's heartening to know we can draw from a network of friends and former coworkers to hopefully land gainful employment and make new friends. In the meantime, we're enjoying attending events in the area and going to parties to "mingle" (I hate small talk, but if we can discuss music, gardening, food, or anything else that doesn't involve the weather or sports, you have my attention).  

BBQ, bourbon, and biscuits. Somehow I've managed to stay away from Bojangles in the three weeks we've lived here, but it's so sweet to be back in the land of lard (and tempeh - Asheville's still crunchy like that). There's a food and drink celebration nearly every weekend here - today's was the WNC Garlic Fest, where we sampled Garlic Caramel Swirl ice cream. Local food is a huge draw, and we are hungry to try it all. I'm working to get more involved in the food scene, and we're presently seeking a community garden to join.    

Like all U-turns, nothing will be perfect. Adjustments will be necessary. Here's to banishing whatever baggage is in the rear view, and putting ourselves into high gear. It's good to be back, y'all.