I wrote out the guest list – which, of course, was long and included far too many people to ever fit in our house – but Pete and I finally got a house again, and I wanted people to see it.  I wanted so many people near and far to come see where the home we finally built together after years of living apart for work and then living in apartments until we finally accomplished this goal.  If you don’t know, just owning real estate in Asheville is quite a feat, and for me, it’s a goal that went back to 2005 if not earlier.  Pete and I owned a house in Charlotte – 2 individually and then one together, but we sold our last home in 2017 when home ownership got to be too much while living in two cities.  Our sales price was $236K and the new owners just sold it again for $335K, which is the result of a crazy real estate market + a coat of indoor paint.  The yard is a disaster. 

Our Arden (south of Asheville) home was a build-to-suit, so we spent months monitoring its progress, from dirt lot to foundation to sticks to drywall to beautiful house, planning how we’d transition from apartment to house.  We gave our 60-day notice to vacate and found someone to take over our apartment lease.  I got “NEW HOME” address label stickers and dreamed of returning to covered garage parking and having my own home office space since our shared apartment office space had become somewhat dominated by Mr. WFH Podcaster (understandable).  We closed on July 6^th (closing date #4) and then, just days after closing, Pete got a job offer in another city – a city we both come from and almost didn’t hesitate to return to.

Almost.

We’ve put down a lot of roots in Asheville.  WWNC was Pete’s 2^nd talk show host gig, and it was so much better to him than the first one.  It lasted longer, and he got sponsors.  And when that job ended and another radio opportunity didn’t pan out, Pete started a podcast.  That Pete was good at the podcast was no surprise, but the amount of support he got was overwhelming and touching.  When you’re facing unemployment and then self-employment, you don’t forget the people who help you keep your home and keep you fed.  We didn’t and don’t want to let any of those folks down.  We didn’t and don’t want to leave friends we have here.  Oh, and I have a job, too, with some clients I help a great deal and regret I won’t see them through to the end. 

But Pete’s opportunity in Charlotte is inarguably good.  I never listened to Rush Limbaugh unless he was wrapping up before Pete came on the air, but I understand what an honor it is to fill that time slot.  I know that people are watching who goes into that time slot.  I know that a door closed before that kept Pete available to have this time slot, and he’s going to knock it out of the park, as he always does, as he already is.  I listened to him fill in 12-3 and heard WBT announce that he was the first live host at that time in 30 years.  He was worth the wait – and the job is worth the move.

And, yes, we have to move.  Pete cannot do his job remotely.  It’s a valid question having come through COVID and Pete having been filling in remotely, but that isn’t the job he was offered, and it would lack authenticity, just as if he tried to be an Asheville host from elsewhere.  The job is in Charlotte and the job is in person.  He could go back and forth – but we did that for about 7 years, and we aren’t doing it again. 

We’ll be back to see those of you we’ll be missing in Asheville.  We look forward to finally being able to travel to see friends and family in other states, which was a real challenge for my self-employed spouse who obsessively monitored downloads every day he took off.  I know some of you are “gaining” us, some of you are “losing” us, and some of you will notice no real difference at all.  Having been between Asheville and Charlotte to some extent since 2000, I say that if you miss us, ask to see us.  Listen to Pete.  Write to me.  I am a rock star at keeping in touch and managing the social calendar.  Just don’t question our decision – because it is our decision, and it’s hard enough without hearing disapproval from those we love.

If this blog feels weak, that’s because I’m a little weak.  I’m between jobs, between homes, between cities (again).  There remain a lot of unknowns, there remains a lot of change, and I’m still living around boxes and about to start packing boxes again.

Stay tuned for the unpacked-in-the-next-house-celebrating-our-one-year-in-Charlotte-anniversary blog.  I’m holding out for that one.