"Home" is where the heart is.

Okay, so I have mentioned I have given up my gypsy ways in trade of growing roots. I have been in this house for 3 years now, the longest I have dwelled in one place since I left my parents house when I was 16. Although 3 years may not be long for most it is eternity for me, I still have to fight the urge to get rid of all my stuff and pack the jeep and hit the road. Of course I am probably getting to "old" for this and have to curb the urges by planning road trips and camping trips. And as I look around to what would go, more and more of the things I own become important to me. I just can't fit all my treasures in a backpack anymore. Now technically my backpack has been "retired" now for 10 years to the month, but have been still moving every year until this house. I do want roots and stability but just haven't found the place to plant them yet. The only place I feel "home" is the mountains of Western North Carolina. My Grandparents live in Black Mountain and I grew up spending alot of time there and on Lake James. Now when I am driving there for a visit I get goose bumps and a burst of energy when I see the first glimpse of the mountain peaks. The same ol' familiar feelings of when I was a youngster filled with excitement and anticipation to get there, to pull up the old dirt road to my Grandparents house. Heaven on Earth!! Of all the places I have been this spot is one of my favorites.

Some things have changed, the sleepy little town of Black Mountain has most definatly woke up and the same goes for Asheville as well. It just makes me think, it seems all the little out of the way small towns are being exploited and overpopulated. Can the towns like these keep up with traffic and the demand for jobs? Is the way of life being altered from "old fashioned family values" to the "keep up with the jones attitude"? All the old family run general stores being replaced by Wal-marts, Local cafe's for Starbuck's. Black Mountain is indead more crowded and the cost of living extreamly high but I am glad to see the shops in town are locally owned and Artisan supported. It has a nice vibe there and although there has been change I still love it dearly and concider it my "home". Now affording to live there is another thing!!

Now the town I live in, just outside of Charleston used to be a small quaint town but has fallen victim to the "keep up with the Jone's" syndrome. We have a Starbucks,Lowes and Home Depot (of course across the street from each other) and a Wal-Mart, Target, Pet Smart, Khols, Peir-One, World Market and the list goes on and on and on.........Gone are the family run stores, with the exception of the historic part of town (thank god for historic preservation!) New vinyl villages are popping up everywhere, the streets cannot hold all the traffic and the schools are busting at the seams. So the town continues to build, build, build. The once charming little town has turned into "any town USA".

So I continue my search of an unspoiled little sleepy town where there is a sense of community, wide open spaces, rush hour means having 3 cars in front of you and knowing your neighbors. When I find this town I am going to settle my Roots as far down as I can, build a workshop, plant a garden and not leave the property for days at a time for this

I will call "HOME"!!