Ride And Abide

This post will remain a work in progress... until it's not, I suppose.  For now... Live where you play... Options I am considering for my domicile Brevard - full time Pros :  Riding is absolutely upper-echelon.  It is almost ludicrous that I can leave my doorstep and in 2 miles be on an amazing trails. Culture is actually pretty cool.  Steve Martin has a house here.  No, seriously.  Somehow this place has managed to have it's cake and eat it too.  It's a mountain town, but it is also "uppity", progressive, and forward-looking.  I think this is a result of who actually lives in this "retirement community" - and this is a bit of a double-edged sword - people bring money here... and everything becomes more expensive :-(  meh. Airport - AVL is great.  No direct flights anywhere that I care to go to - but, 38 minutes to ATL and the entire world is at my finger tips. Cons : Job/dating.  If you move to WNC, bring a job an...

The point of me living in Brevard is to see if it can be "my place" (or one, of many, "my place(s)"). TL;DR - Brevard has legitimately not given me a single reason to say "no" to living here full time - and I find that surprising. I have a tendency to have a glass half-empty outlook on things.  I look at doing something, then figure out all the things that can (or may) go wrong.  And it's not because I am inherently negative, it's so I can identify risk and mitigate the risk.  It's what I have done for 2 decades at work and I enjoy it.  It now feels intrinsic - which... is unfortunate.  This trait has served me well at work (like being part of the team who design and implement the systems that keeps planes from "bumping in to each other in mid-air" - 1.73 million people / day probably appreciate my diligence).  Anyhow, I have digressed, but the points I have raised are important to this story. I have now lived in Brevard for 12 ...

MTBproject Bracken Mountain Trail OK... so, the only way I should start this review is by saying "Holy Shit that was a climb...". I had returned from a customer site the night before and got home around midnight... which means I don't get to bed until 1 or so.  Doubtful that was a factor in what I am about to explain. I had some customer calls that day and some other time-sensitive deliverables and once I finished all that (around 2:30) I figured I would go and get a "quick lap" at this trail that I had seen on MTBproject that was like 1.5 miles from my house and then get back to work and finish up the other stuff I had to do.  Riding through Brevard puts a smile on my face.  It's difficult to explain how amazing this little town is, but as I am riding towards the trail, the following image is what I see (minus the clouds and overall wetness - this picture was from a few days prior) I get turned around on the way to the trail, which was totally m...

After stopping at The Hub and talking to Mike, I took off for the parking area near the Pilot Cove trail. I would head east (and climb, ugh...) to the Laurel Mountain trail

Still "unpacking" the idea that I might be happiest living in a small town.  Hell, a *tiny* town, even.  Though it makes no sense that houses here are as expensive as they are in Minneapolis, I still would like to live here for a while.  But, Portland is also a draw.  I need to identify as many pros/cons about each place to assess what I should do.  I really think this time in Brevard is going to expand my perspective quite a bit.  I feel the conflict of "letting go".. but, as I attempt to deduce *exactly* what it is I think that I am letting go of, I come up short.  I don't *need* a Best Buy... or .. well, that's the only store I can think of at the moment. Vancouver, WA No state income tax Not *as* crazy as Portland Epic trails everywhere Portland, OR It's fucking Portland.  I've wanted to live there since the 90's. Still can access "winter" if/when I want to Amazing stuff nearby (ocean, crater lake, Seattle, etc...) Spea...

It would have been difficult for Minnesota to have provided me a more fitting send off as I departed to Transylvania County. 4 days prior - rain... just kind of a mess 3 days prior - ridiculous ice storm 2 days prior - snow.  not a ton, but still 1 day prior - light dusting of snow day of...  there was some sort of shitshow as I was heading towards Woodbury on 494.  What's another 45 minutes added to a 17 hour drive.  It was actually fairly cold too.  I was really glad to be leaving. The drive was actually not bad.  I learned that I have zero love for IL though.  People drive absolutely nuts (seemingly for no reason - but, hey, maybe EVERYONE there is a heart surgeon and late for some surgery).  And the toll ways.  Some take credit cards, all take cash - and why is there a toll on an Interstate Highway in the first place - didn't we already pay for that thing?  Indiana was nothing special as well. As I traversed Kentucky, ...