With an exciting few Asheville days under our belt, this entry concludes the aha moment tour stop in this quint, mountain town. We met musicians, authors, football stars-turned musicians, and everything in between. The relaxed Asheville personality reflected the cool 85 degree weather we were very pleased to find.

While the town’s drum circles may not be my thing, I stumbled upon a local gem by word of one of our dinner servers: the chocolate lounge. The French Broad chocolate lounge offers late-night live music and coffee to accompany its chocolate offerings: chocolate with spices, chocolates with flowers, chocolate with figs, international chocolates, chocolate crème brûlée… you catch my drift. Twice I settled into a cozy table to finish a night between the pages of a good book and a dessert delicacy.


When I wasn’t at the chocolate lounge or roaming the various cobblestone streets in this vibrant town, I was hearing some pretty unique and inspiring stories. The people who came down and shared in Asheville reminded me that a lot of heart and connectivity can still exist in a large town. Without further ado, here are some of the aha moments from Asheville, North Carolina:

Meet Cindy:
A few years ago I got really sick. Through the recovery process I gained about 100 pounds. I knew I needed to change my life so I sold my car, quit my job and rode my bike from Phoenix to Asheville, North Carolina. I lost 60 pounds and got a new job when I arrived to Asheville. Now, today, I am doing another ride down the Continental Divide.

Jessica’s note: Cindy really is biking the Continental Divide this very moment! Best of luck to you, Cindy and we can’t wait to hear how it goes!

Meet Rodney:
I worked as a graphic designer for the National Forrest Service for many years. I have always been drawn to western art  so I picked up leather tooling and leather art. I retired a few years ago and now focus on my craft. I am finally slowing down, traveling and enjoying my life to the fullest.

Meet Marilyn:
I was working a portrait photographer in Miami. I had hundreds of clients and worked in a huge studio. One day someone showed me a beautiful picture of a baby and I had no idea who the child was, who his parents were or when it was taken and I took the picture! I knew from that point on that something needed to change. So I left the studio, moved to Asheville and became a painter. I now love my job.

It is crazy to think that we just left Asheville and now we are filming in Knoxville! Oh how time flies when we are on the road.

If I ever decide to move to a small mountain town, Asheville just might be it. Maybe it’s the altitude, but there is a community of friendly people there that seem to be constantly celebrating music, food, and art - all set amongst the backdrop of historic art deco buildings, street sculptures and some of the cutest dogs ever to prowl cobblestoned streets. To help digest all this, Asheville and its surrounds have some of the finest award-winning microbreweries in the country. So the beers are good and crisp too.

Live music seemed to permeate the air, as did an abundance of natty dreadlocks and social consciousness. There were two instances of the musical saw, one as part of a band called Sirious B. They trade in a kind of folky, gypsy style but draw elements from punk and other worldly influences. The highlight was a klezmer mash up of Outkast’s “Miss Jackson” and Sir Mix A Lot’s “Baby Got Back”. Genius.


I could go on about the antique and vintage shoppes, the proximity to beautiful national parks, the outdoor chess games, and the non-sweltering perfect air. But I’ll stop now and just suggest that if you’ve never visited this fine town, do yourself a favor and experience what its like to be in a place that truly values its local flair.

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