I’m so sad about Asheville; that is a cool place. Many moons ago I even considered moving there, but at the time remote jobs weren’t really a thing and the market for IT people in the area was not great. Like many things Asheville was better during the 90s, but it never lost its charm even after experiencing massive growth.
Not sure what year it was, but sometime around 1999-2002 I was driving near downtown Asheville. It was days before Halloween and many revelers were out on the street, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. There were dozens and dozens of people in ornate costumes just having the best time in a really congenial way — unlike how a lot of Americans party, which usually seems hostile and threatening. The costumes were so perfect and put-together it felt like a movie. As I drove slowly through, a few of the celebrants even motioned me to get out my car to join them. I’m not that social, though, so I gave a friendly wave in return and kept on driving.
But it felt nice. And that’s how Asheville is sometimes.