Well we have officially been dubbed the coolest town in the United States, at least for the moment. The President and Michelle are here in our town. Asheville, North Carolina. The “spiritual mecca of the the western world”. People come here to live life in a quiet way. A loving way. We are good to each other. We recognize street people and Presidents alike. We have theatre groups such as Immediate Theatre Project to bring us productions such as the most recent “Dead Man’s Cell Phone”. Lauren Fortuna is our resident star of theatre here. She is brilliant and perfect for stage. And apparently screen too. As well as billboards. Our restaurants are hip and cool, each in their own way. I am partial to Scully’s as my daughter and son-in-law are the proprietors. I know how much they care about serving people well and providing a workplace home for the servers and bartenders and management. And it is good food made with care, prepared as for a comfortable guest. Then there is Beans and Berries, their smoothie, coffee café on North Merrimon. I created the look, logo and graphics from their intention to “build a place where people come and feel happy”. The intention is to offer healthy and tasty food quickly rather than fast, whether driving through or eating inside or on the patio…now that it is spring.

This town is a place where you can reinvent yourself to be who you have been all along and afraid to live it. We are a town of misfits and out of the boxers. We lead the way for so many to follow.

So what’s our life like from an outside viewpoint? ?Google Obama’s and Asheville and read the stories. If I didn’t live here, I’d at the very least visit here. And of course, once here I would have to move here. We are a cozy town. We are an arts town. We are the Paris of the South. We are a town that recognizes each other. Those of us who have been here a while are home easily. The family shows up in friendship and taking courageous steps together. This weekend was “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” in downtown Asheville. Men walking a mile in pumps to raise money and awareness for a women’s shelter.