Visit to Toronto During Hurricane Helene

My trip to visit my cousin in Toronto was planned 3 months ago. I asked my friend to pet sit Kitty for me while I was away and headed to the airport in Asheville on September 25th. The weather forecast for that weekend in Toronto was sunny and warm, but it was not great for the area I was flying from. I was concerned a bit, but not very worried. I drove to Asheville and got on my flight just past noon. 

Toronto from above

The flight arrived on schedule, and my cousin met me at the airport. It was the first time in the past 10 years I saw her so I was really excited to meet her daughters as well. After dinner and a short conversation, we headed to bed.

The following day we dropped off the kids at school and drove to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a small town about an hour and a half away from Toronto. It had a wonderful suburban vibe. We walked by the lake and explored the town a bit stopping for sushi for dinner. After the meal, we headed to a small winery for wine tasting and then had another walk at a park nearby.

The second day together we spent locally walking by the lake, enjoying lunch at a small and quirky restaurant and eating a ton of delicious pastries and cakes. In fact, I was so sugar overloaded that I could not even think about more dessert. I didn't take as many pictures as I should have of the dessert, but it was a lot more that you can see below.

Dining room of Chelsea Restaurant - located in a regular house

Delicious lobster bisque

Sandwich

Dessert at a coffee shop nearby

Waterfront

I was heading home the next day on September 28th, but it was not meant to be. I had a layover in Atlanta. The flight there from Toronto was flawless, but as I was departing I got a notification that my Asheville flight got cancelled. I was really stressed out by that knowing that my car was there. The next flight to AVL was not until the next day. After going back and forth, I was able to get another flight to the local airport to home (TRI - Tri-Cities airport). I asked my friend to pick me up. The flight was not leaving Atlanta for several hours, so I walked around for a while. Another concern I had was that this was the first time I decided to check my luggage at the gate in Toronto, so I was worried that I would lose my bag due to this flight change. In the end, my flight did make it to Tennessee without delays, and I was able to safely retrieve my bag.

I got a notification from my friend that my house was okay with no damage. Here is the video of strong winds behind my house that my friend too. 

Without my car though I felt stranded, and my friend was going home the following day. 

We attempted to drive to Asheville the next day, but all roads were closed. I decided to rent a car the next week and do it myself when I heard of roads opening up. Lo and behold, on Monday I saw on Facebook that someone was able to drive to Asheville using a route from Greenville, TN. I rented a car and 2.5 hours later I was in Asheville. The level of destruction was incredible. I stopped to get gas at a grocery store, but all gas stations were out of gas. I had to return the car without refilling it. I was lucky to have found my car undamaged and with half a tank of gas which would allow me to get to Tennessee. That was incredible luck as I remember thinking prior to the trip that I should fill up my tank before leaving my car at the airport, but decided not to. Five hours later and with a moderate charge from the rental company I was home with my car. It was liberating to have my transportation means back. You take so many things for granted and realize that only when you lose them, even for a little while.

My rental - the lady upgraded me to a 4WD when she heard where I was going

For me, this local disaster was an ordeal, inconvenience, but for many others a life-changing devastation. The hurricane came over my town with force and destroyed the town I loved so much. 

Local Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina Attractions - Waterfalls, Theater, Restaurants

Tennessee has the most beautiful waterfalls. Early in the summer when the rain is still abundant, the waterfalls are full of water.

My first waterfall hike was to Margarette Falls Waterfall in Greenville, TN. The hike was stunning all the way to the waterfall. Lush green forest, bubbling (and in some areas more than bubbling) stream led to the tall cascading waterfall that I had to myself early in the morning.

Laurel Falls was another highly rated hike in Hampton, TN. The trail to the waterfall was a bit longer with multiple bridge-assisted water crossings and a bit more people and one snake.

Other hikes took place on the Appalachian Trail (AT), like Indian Grave Gap to Beauty Spot. This trail was almost completely empty, even on a holiday. The views of Blue Ridge Mountains at the top were stunning, although there was no specific spot where I would consider a stop-for-lunch view point.

I went back to Grassy Ridge Bold via AT, a stunning hike I did back in 2022 when I rented a place in Greenville. I never thought that I would return here as a resident. It's fascinating looking back at some of my posts just 2 years ago. Life changed so much in a short period of time. Who knows where I will be in another 2 years!

I frequented Tweetsie Trail both on foot and on a bike. The local paved trail with plenty of people but in a nice setting. There are not too many trails for biking, and the roads are just country roads that could barely fit a car, not talking about a bike. I rode on the roads once, and I have to say that people were really patient, but you just never know. I took my bike to Asheville to French Broad River Park and rode along the river. I now just keep the bike in my car in case I get a change to ride somewhere.

With the hot weather in Tennessee, hiking was not as frequent for me as in other parts of the country. Humidity and high temperatures is a recipe for sweating, and I hate to sweat. As the weather cools down in September, it would be much better.

I spent some time visiting Asheville and Jonesborough theaters and saw multiple plays. At some point, I would go to the theater every weekend as tickets were not very expensive, and I felt like I needed an outlet for my need to experience new things now that frequent traveling was gone.

I met a few people and made an effort to establish a circle of friends, something I have been missing while traveling, but now was determined to do. It's still a work in progress as the area does not have too many like-minded people.

I established a routine. Well, somewhat of a routine. On Saturdays, I wake up early to go to the farmer's market and then head to my volunteer shift at the animal rescue farm. Then I have the rest of the day to myself and either go to Asheville for a hike and grocery shopping or stay locally. I like the routine, but miss new things. I often think that my comfort zone is shrinking, so I schedule more trips and outings.

First Trip After Settling Down - Pittsburgh, PA

I haven't seen my friend who moved to Pittsburgh a few years back in a long time. I decided to take a road trip to visit her and her husband for a few days and stop by New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia.

On the way to Pittsburgh, I stopped by Bush Creek Falls Trail that was barely crowded. The hike broke up the 7.5 hour drive in half and provided some exercise after sitting in the car for a while. The waterfall was not really that impressive, but let's be real, I am a bit spoiled.

I arrived at my friend's house just after 5 pm after stopping at Whole Foods to pick up some dessert. That weekend in late June was very hot, and we planned to walk around Pittsburgh for a while visiting historical buildings. We took a map and followed the directions from one air conditioned building to another.

Impressive ceiling set up at one of the theater places

I realized that many of my photos feature ceilings... but it's really pretty, right?

Speakeasy cocktail bar - sadly, closed during the daytime hours

In the evening, we had a nice dinner which for me consisted of different spreads and flat bread. I really enjoyed it!

The following day I headed out in the morning to hike in the national park. The drive was only 3 hours that day, so I had plenty of time to hike during the afternoon. My first hike was Long Point Trail, a short 3-miler with some fantastic views.

I then decided to stop by the visitor center where I walked on the boardwalk following another short trail to the view point.

The last hike of the day was Endless... Literally, Endless Wall Trail felt long but rather pleasant to walk with similar viewpoints of the bridge and river. But then it was time to check in my Airbnb and get dinner. I was surprised to have found a neat place in Fayetteville, WV serving sushi-like bowl. It was absolutely delicious!

The next day I was heading back home, but not until the late afternoon as I had Grandview Rim Trail to Turkey Spur Rock to hike. The trail was located in a different section of the national park that required a 40 minute drive. I didn't have high expectations, but was blown away by the beauty and energy of that place. Firstly, I was the second person to arrive at the park's large paved parking lot. On a Monday morning, it was not surprising, but it also was the height of a vacation season. I had the first viewpoint and the hike to the mid-point all to myself.

Changing clouds and lighting made the river look different in every picture. I loved the rolling green hills of West Virginia covered in forest. 

It was nearing early afternoon, and I still had one more stop on my agenda. Blueberry picking. I found an ad on Facebook and decided to stop by at a small farm in Virginia. It was in the middle of nowhere, but I left there an hour and a half later with a gallon-full bucket of blueberries and $10 less in my pocket.

My friend stayed with Kitty, so I was at peace knowing that he was well taken care of. It was still time to go home.

Adjusting to Stationary Lifestyle in Tennessee

The next day after closing on the house, I asked my friend to help out yet again moving, and finally after over 2 years of keeping my things in boxes, it was time to unpack. With three small bedrooms, I had more space than ever before, so unpacking went smoothly in less than a week. I realized quickly that my first order of business was to order two beds with mattresses so that I didn't have to sleep on my 3 inch mattress I used back in Knoxville (although that arrangement worked just find for me). I ordered a medium-firm and a firm mattresses of different sizes to fit my small bedrooms. It was odd having a brand new bed to sleep on.

I started noticing sounds around the house. The dog next door yapped in the high pitch voice at least several times a day with the owners not bringing it in; the traffic noise from cars driving by was higher than expected for the subdivision, especially during the morning and evening rush hour; the house made odd cracking noise in the evening as the temperature dropped down. Most of these were annoyances that I would ultimately get over except for the yapping dog. After a few attempts talking to the owner who said they could not be bothered shutting the dog up, I accepted my fate of living with a noisy neighbor's dog, yet again.

I changed the location of my room three times (well, I have 3 bedrooms). I started out with the master that faced out to the road and the neighbor's dog across the street, then I moved to the bedroom across at the back of the house only to realize that my other neighbor likes to drag metal things at midnight occasionally. I settled in the smallest bedroom of the house located between the other guest bedroom and the kitchen. Also, there was a fan in this bedroom, hence, the final decision. I had to downsize to a full size bed and left the queen one in the master bedroom. Small spaces appeal to me, they make everything feel cozier.

I started gardening pretty much right after I moved in. I ordered 13 trees to plant in the back and front yards, 3 peaches, 7 apples, 2 pears and 1 plum. I made 4 raised beds and planted a variety of vegetables from tomatoes to peppers. The harvest was the best I have ever produced, although there were quite a few failures.

I learned that it takes garlic a long time to grow, and that onion needs well-draining soil.

Cucumbers (after blight set in), tomatoes and jalapeño peppers

This is the only corn that I got from my 7 plants - fail!

Beautiful cucumbers before blight set in

Tomato plants - only 4 plants total, but produce a bunch of tomatos!

One yellow squash, he just survived. So far produced 2 fruit with 2 more on the way.

I bought a ton of furniture in the first month, but tried to keep the house minimalistic as I like it. I bought my first book, "Flour Water Salt Yeast" to make a variety of breads, I caulked the bathroom, replaced the kitchen faucet and stained the deck, bought a bike, planted succulents that ultimately died and got at least 10 estimates on the basement renovation which I never completed - all that in just a few months.

I started looking for my community, like-minded people who might be outliers among the mass in the area. I began volunteering for a local animal rescue farm and even joined a young professionals group realizing that I no longer belong there. 

The need to travel never goes away though; the desire to live in a small place with limited expenses is still there. Perhaps I am taking a break and ultimately will continue with nomadic lifestyle in the next few years, but for now I need to start enjoying the routine, relative stability and Kitty's satisfaction with my house choice. Heck, I bought a house for my cat!

Back to the East Coast, Asheville + Search for a House

After staying in Las Vegas for 3 months, it was time for me to head back east with the intention to settle down somewhere more permanently. Asheville, NC was the destination. But that destination was pretty far away, 4 driving days away, to be precise. 

My first stop was Albuquerque, NM, a place I called home for a month just a little while ago. I rented a small cottage in the north of the downtown. After a long drive with Kitty being pretty upset being in the car again, it was a decent place to stay for the night. I didn't love it as it felt a bit too claustrophobic, but it wasn't bad. I headed out early in the morning the following day after saying hello to a few goats who were roaming around in the yard. 

Our next stop was Oklahoma City, OK where I rented an apartment. I was hoping for something nicer than the place in ABQ, and indeed, I was pleasantly surprised after a brief scare when the host did not message me the entrance code 30 minutes prior to the check in time. It all worked out okay. Kitty wasn't really eating well being so stressed out from the trip. He had lost a bit of weight already and I was getting concerned. We had a very peaceful night in OK, and the bed was fantastic. 

The following morning I headed our before the sunrise to drive 6 hours to visit my friend in Arkansas where we stayed for a night before getting back on the road to Knoxville. It was the longest driving day, but we successfully arrived at my friend's house before 8 pm. Kitty desperately needed a break from all the driving, and I knew that would be the case, so I planned to stay in Knoxville for 2 nights before driving another 2 hours to my rental tiny house in Ashville.

Upon arrival to Asheville, I took a few photos of the tiny house before bridging in all the boxes. I knew that the tiny house was just that, tiny. 125 sq ft total + the loft with a queen sized bed. I was very concerned that this place would be too tiny. It really felt that way when I first walked in, and Kitty didn't like it one bit.

The table in the main area and part of the kitchenette

The loft with a bed - I had to stack pillows at the edge to ensure I or Kitty won't fall down at night

The entry door and the only closet + the ladder leading to the loft

First night while lying on the couch

A fabulous view from the window

It took Kitty a day or two to get comfortable with the ladder. I was really worried he would be too scared to climb it

During the first week I was really stressed out that this rental was not going to work out as the Internet connection was very poor despite what the owner told me during the initial contact. I could barely get any work done. The main reason was because they were just using an extender from the main house, and it worked very poorly during rainy weather. I was able to find a temporary solution by using my 50 ft. cable to directly connect to the main house's router. This was not the first time I used this cable in my traveling!

I loved the neighborhood where it was peaceful and quiet. There was a trail just quarter a mile from the rental that led in the forest to the Mountain-to-Sea trail. I had never lived so closely to a hiking trail before, so I took every opportunity to go there. It was a bit of an exercise as well as the trail led straight uphill. 

I saw bear tracks once in the forest, but the bear only once, on my last hike there right before I moved

The views from the trail were also not too shabby.

But nobody could beat the sunrises with the mountains in the background.

While Kitty found the place too small with no space to play or run around (I felt bad about it), he found another avenue for getting his exercise by harassing me to take him outside on a leash. We would go outside every single day for 15 minutes or so at a time several times a day.

He also humored me once by allowing me to put him in the cat stroller.

He was not a happy camper, but compared to my previous attempt to carry him in a cat backpack, he didn't vomit

At the same time, I started my house search in the area. I looked at dozens of places in the following few months. Some places were nice, others not so much. The radius of search widened to 1 hour away from Asheville in any direction.

Some places looked like this...

...while others were much nicer

I took a ton of pictures and videos of each place to commemorate the process, seriously considered making an offer for at least 4 houses, but ended up with only one offer in Tennessee that I actually put. The offer was originally rejected, and I was ready to walk away and continue my search, but then the seller made a more reasonable counter that I accepted. After a successful inspection, and a whole bunch of other paperwork, I was a home owner.

Perhaps this is a much shortened version of my search for a home. I changed 3 real estate agents, looked at over 50 houses in different conditions, drove hundreds of miles just to end up back in Tennessee. Whether it was a good decision or not, time will tell. For now, my nomadic lifestyle was ending until I felt ready to travel again (spoiler alert: it happened pretty quickly). My empty storage unit was the end of something important and the beginning of something else.

On the closing day