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Shelter Dog Transport Alliance
If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity where you receive tail wags, kisses, and exercise, look no further than Shelter Dog Transport Alliance. Almost every week, The Shelter Dog Transport Alliance partners with over a dozen county shelter systems that are experiencing overcrowding and are in need of valuable space. When our shelters are at capacity, they safely transport at-risk dogs and cats to Northern rescue partners where forever homes anxiously await them. Because of strict spay/neuter laws, our Northern states have tackled pet overpopulation and are able to open their homes and hearts to our shelter animals in need.
Volunteers meet at Smokey Park Supper Club in the River Arts District of Asheville and spend an hour walking the dogs along the greenway to tire them out before their long van ride to the North. You don’t need to bring anything except yourself. There is no sign up, just grab a leash, learn your dogs name, and bring them back in an hour.
This past week I had the pleasure of walking “Honey”. She was so sweet, thankful, and fantastic on a leash. Honestly, I would have kept her if it were an option. The best way to learn about upcoming transports is to follow Shelter Dog Transport Alliance on Instagram or Facebook. It is one of the highlights of my week. See you there.
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A Hop, Skip and a Jump
The last 2 weekends I have gone on road trips to Nashville and Lexington, KY. Each trip was approximately 4 and a half hours via car from Asheville. Definitely doable for a 48 hour trip to some fun destinations. Nashville was a college reunion with my floor mates from Brumby dorm at the University of Georgia. Even though we hadn’t seen each other in years, we picked back up like we had seen each other yesterday. We rented an Airbnb in East Nashville and ventured to The Gulch and Broadway for some live country music.
This past weekend I took my 10 year old son to the University of Kentucky for his first big arena basketball game. The building was packed and they beat the University of Tennessee. We hit up a bowling alley downtown, the hotel pool and drove through the college campus.
One of the great things about Asheville is that it is 3 hours from Atlanta, 3.5 hours from Charleston, 4.5 hours from Nashville and Lexington, KY.
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Paris
I had the best time taking my 14 year old daughter to Paris for a week in June. It felt great to travel and to get to spend some quality time with my main girl. We met my college roommate and her daughter and stayed in an Airbnb by the Louvre. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. The weather was perfect with blue sky’s and not hot. Every morning, Elizabeth and I would run down the Seine to the Eiffle tower and back. We tried to do one touristy thing a day so that the girls weren’t worn out. It was Fashion Week and the Solstice so the city was alive with music and entertainment. Can Asheville Realty Group set up and office in Paris?
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Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls
On a hot summer day, I drove my son and his buddy to Dupont Forest to play in the waterfalls. It is a short hike from the parking lot and brought hours of entertainment. The scenery is gorgeous and even Hollywood noticed. According to my child, this particular waterfall was in the move “The Hunger Games”. It is the perfect spot to cool off and then sit on the rocks and take in the surroundings.
Dupont is about 45-50 minutes from Asheville and close to the adorable town of Brevard. I believe this is an excellent location for those that want to be surrounded by world class hiking and mountain biking but don’t want to be in the city.
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Setting Up Shop In A New Town
Moving to a new town is hard. Let’s not sugar coat it. We can skip over finding a house, moving in and getting the lights turned on. What about the little things like where is the closest grocery store, who is a reputable dry cleaner, is it to late to get my child on a soccer team, just to name a few?
When I moved to Asheville, I had all of these questions. My daughter was 4 months old and I had no idea how to fill my days in a new city. One day while walking around Beaver lake with my parents, my mom said, “Emily, I am going to find you some friends”. She knew I was struggling and lost. Two young women were strolling together in the distance, my mom walked over to them and said, “My daughter is new to town and needs some friends. Y’all look nice.” Little did I know that my mother hit the jackpot. One of the women happened to be a Realtor and gave me her card. My husband and I were renting at the time and considering buying, so I gave her a call. Fast forward 10 years and I now work with that Realtor at Asheville Realty Group, our daughters went to the same preschool and now elementary school and we live in the same neighborhood.
The moral of my story is that you never know how one new person will change the trajectory of your life. My mom gave me the nudge to put myself out there and make new friends. Thank goodness we were at the lake that day. My Realtor showed me the basics of Asheville living and I couldn’t be happier.
