First things first, you won't find a person who loves this town more than I do. Asheville is the butter to my bread.

I grew up in south Florida in a small quiet beach town where family was everything and Friday nights were spent sitting in the stands of the high school football field. Leaving the beach town for the mountains was exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. The nerves quickly subsided here in Asheville. It was a first for me to be in a town where everyone loved where they lived. No one I met was trying to leave or move, rather they were sharing their joy and love for all things outdoors and local.

My family and I live in a one-and-a-half bedroom log cabin on one hundred acres of land. My husband and I are raising our four young children in Asheville because it is a place of love, acceptance, education, arts, and—hugely popular—mountain sports. I sometimes want to believe I know a lot about Asheville, having once held a job at the Biltmore Estate Winery, but I am quick to realize there is just so much out here to take in.

We are not "avid" anything, unless you count socializing and eating our way around town. During the warm months, I love to visit breweries, wineries, shops, and festivals with my family. During cooler months, we try to take advantage of surrounding kid friendly activities of sledding, snow tubing, ice skating, and sightseeing nearby mountain towns.