Acting as our unofficial ambassador to Augusta, I would like to give a special thanks Amy Rhinehart Bailey, a born-and-bred southerner and woman of many words. Amy and her husband (along with the help and support of their seven children), own a popular oyster bar in Augusta called, as one might imagine, Rhinehart’s Oyster Bar. After lending her on-screen talents to us down at the Aha trailer, Amy invited us to have dinner with her at her restaurant to experience what ‘beyond casual’ dining in Georgia is all about. Upon arrival we were escorted to a picnic table and within minutes it was covered with drinks, appetizers and paper towels. Heaping plates of barbequed shrimp, crab legs, fried shrimp, jambalaya, hamburgers, pasta salad and, of course, two big plates of steamed oysters arrived before we were even finished with the first course. Per their slogan ‘beyond casual’, every thing is eaten without utensils and you better believe everything is there to share. Amy strongly believes in friendly, familial service, agreeing that if Rhinehart’s clientele are willing to part with their hard earned money for some quality food and good company, they better darn well get it. And that’s exactly what we got.

Drinks were shared, stories were swapped (but mostly listened to) and good times were had. As Amy sent us home with full bellies she told us to call her in the morning for a surprise. Come 9AM I get a call from Jess announcing that Amy has arranged for hot stone massages for the crew. I suppose that at sometime the prior evening, the case of our ever increasingly travel-weary backs and necks had arisen. Whatever the case, on behalf of our crew (and our necks!) we THANK YOU, AMY! We appreciate you making us feel at home in Augusta, you are the true embodiment of southern hospitality.

There are some cities that instantly charm you. Maybe it was the impressive cakes at Boll Weevil’s on our first night in town or it could have been the quaint river that follows the Georgia-South Carolina state line. But whatever the factors, we were swooning over this Southern belle when we left her.



Sometimes organizations and non-profits get really excited about us and, like fireflies in the month of July, many people from them come out to share. One such organization in Augusta was unique, uplifting and had a huge turnout. The Augusta Training Shop works with physically and/or mentally disabled adults in the community by providing a place for them to go, work for them to do, and activities for them to enjoy.

I knew something was different when multiple people referred to one particular man who participates at the Augusta Training Shop. This man lives 15 minutes out of town and his only mode of transportation to and from work is the bus line. It takes him two hours to commute each way and rain or shine, he is eager to go to work. When people hear his story, they are instantly aware of their attitude towards commuting and work. And it’s nothing like his. Some aha moments from this sounded like “I realized how much I take for granted,” and “I decided to stop complaining about work.”

These obviously weren’t the only stories we heard. Aha moments have inspired people in Augusta to be more outgoing, write books, work with animal shelters, start restaurants, create children’s programs… I could go on but instead, I will specifically highlight a few aha moments:

Meet Jo Maypole:
Jo had worked in the nonprofit sector until her husband passed away, at which point she turned inward and couldn’t go on as usual anymore. It was when she received an offer from the Southeastern Firefighters’ Burn Foundation that she realized she had more to give.

Meet Shishir Chokshi:
Shishir’s aha moment came with the birth of his first child. The moment was very emotional but it gave him a new perspective on life and it was the moment that he realized someone else would be completely dependent on him.

And now we must leave this charmer of a town and head a little farther south… Jacksonville here we come!

The aha moment tour is back for another year of traveling the country and collecting inspirational stories in 2010. We’ve got a brand new crew, 25 new cities, and we can’t wait to hear your aha moments! Watch this blog for updates from the crew and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @myahamoment and on our my aha moment Facebook fan page. Sign up here to share your aha moment when the tour comes to your area. See you on the road!

may 3-4 fresno, ca
may 7-8 tucson, az
may 11-12 albuquerque, nm
may 17-18 tulsa, ok
may 20-21 austin, tx
may 24-25 baton rouge, la
may 27-28 memphis, tn
june 1-2 huntsville, al
june 7-8 augusta, ga
june 10-11 jacksonville, fl
june 14-15 charleston, sc
june 17-18 asheville, nc
june 21-22 knoxville, tn
june 24-25 richmond, va
june 29-30 providence, ri
july 6-7 albany, ny
july 12-13 dayton, oh
july 15-16 lexington, ky
july 19-20 south bend, in
july 22-23 milwaukee, wi
july 26-27 des moines, ia
july 29-30 kansas city, mo
august 2-3 wichita, ks
august 9-10 grand junction, co
august 16-17 eugene, or