25 ways my life is different from a year ago

One year ago today my husband, one-year-old son and I began our cross-country journey from Los Angeles (population 9 million) to Asheville, NC (population 73,000).

For the past 20 years I’ve lived in some really big cities (Chicago, New York, Los Angeles). Everyday I’m amazed at how different my life is now in this small mountain community. I wasn’t sure what to expect after living the city life for so many years but I adjusted much better than I expected. I was definitely ready for the change. I feel really fortunate to have been able to pick-up and move the way we did and I look back on the packing, cross-country driving, house hunting/closing, unpacking and I feel exhausted just remembering it all. I think about the differences in my life everyday so I thought I’d post them...

I…

Am paying off a mortgage rather than paying rent to a crazy/mean landlady. (And our mortgage is less than half of what our L.A. rent used to be.)

Have a compost pile.

Spend most days outside hiking, swimming, painting with Sam and even (once) floating down the Green River in an inner tube (not with Sam).

Have met some amazing new friends…but miss my L.A. friends dearly.

Wear Teva sandals (which I used to think were hideous and still kinda do) everyday.

Have a studio with a door (actually 2 doors) instead of the dining room in the middle of the house.

Have painted more this year than the last few years combined.

Pay attention to the weather report.

Have realized that my hippie-crystal-stick deodorant is not effective in humid climates.

Know where my umbrella is.

Have a library card.

Miss having 2 NPR stations to choose from. We only get NPR after 3:00 p.m. here.

Know all of the neighbors on our street.

Am amazed at the never-ending list of things to do when you own a house.

Do not fear that our stroller will be stolen off our front porch (like it was in L.A.)

Am still amazed that during Asheville rush hour it only takes me an additional 5 minutes to get home.

Must order most art supplies online (rather than go to one of 4 art supply stores that used to be within a mile from my L.A. house).

Know what poison ivy looks like.

Have re-discovered how annoying mosquitoes are.

Am at least 5 hours (vs. 10 minutes) from the ocean.

Will probably go to the ocean more than I did in L.A.

Cannot see any movie that I want (apparently Asheville is not considered a “select city”).

Run into someone I know pretty much everywhere I go here.

Go to sleep listening to frogs and crickets.

Think to myself everyday “I love it here”.