#3 Asheville, NC

"You get a strange feeling when you leave a place. Like you'll not only miss the people you love. But you miss the person you are, at this time and place, because you'll never be the same again." - Azar Nafasi.

I didn't get to see much of the things you see on Pinterest this trip to Asheville. Headed there, I was getting many text messages from people telling me that heading there during this type of weather wasn't smart. Since I was already half way there, I couldn't do much about it. And I am so grateful for that.

Asheville is nothing like I have ever seen before. You are legitimately shattered with beauty everywhere you go. The people are way more friendly than you could ever imagine and take a genuine interest in your story.

The coolest part about this place to me was that everyone there had such a unique reason for why they were there. I hung out with people my age from other countries, some from other parts of the Carolinas, some that grew up there, others that just moved there, and people like me, just wandering through and they all treated me like family.

While everyone I met was so different- we all just carried one common characteristic, a deep concern for one another.

From the breweries, art galleries, music venues, small cafes, and getting to spend 3 days with the most genuine people I have ever met, I can honestly say that I understand love at first site. Maybe not the way Nicholas Sparks intended for it to be, but in some sort of way.

I think the biggest takeaway I had when it came to Asheville is that I grew up thinking that falling in love was something that only happened one time in your life. But, what I really learned this trip is that I keep falling in love with people everywhere I go. People search for years looking for someone to fall in love with, our human nature is to want to love and be loved. But the reality is the people that I have met have altered my course in life forever. Made me see things differently, relate to people deeper, and learn something new about myself. At the end of the day, isn't that the point of falling in love with someone?

Next Stop: Austin, TX!