Life in West Asheville

I get a feeling of nostalgia walking around our neighborhood. We’ve gotten to know our neck of the woods like an old friend. We walk for margaritas at Haywood Common, a plant at Flora, breakfast burritos at Sunnypoint Cafe, kickball games at West Asheville Park, gifts at Provisions Mercantile, ice cream at The Hop and “people watching” at the window bar of Westville Pub. As time goes on, our neighborhood will look different, and our schedules will change, but we’ll always have the memories of being part of the West Asheville community, so I’m just taking it all in now. 

My husband Ryan and I moved to Asheville in 2019, the pandemic quickly hit and like most, we pretty much stayed home for a year and a half. We were eager for an adventure. We saved, prepped, and packed up our life in the Subaru (and a storage unit). We headed to Oregon where we bought a school bus, named him Dilly Gene Queen, built it out as a home, and lived on the road. It happened — we had our great adventure. We traveled, learned, photographed, drove for thousands of miles, and explored the country for a year. We absolutely loved our life in the bus and feel incredibly lucky to have experienced that nomadic lifestyle. But there was one thing we craved. Community. 

With the pandemic and then living on the road, we realized that we never truly were able to embrace the life that Asheville had to offer. We returned from the road and found a sweet spot in West Asheville. Very quickly we knew we were in the right place and it was time to get to know our community. 

I walked around West Asheville nearly every day and one place I constantly drew to was Provisions Mercantile. There was just something about this store that brought me such comfort and I just kept coming back. I felt safe there. I was always greeted with such warmth and authenticity. Who doesn’t want to surround themself with those kinds of people? 

One morning I was on the phone with a friend trying to figure out what my soul needed. I loved our community and yet I still felt something was missing for me. I kept talking about Provisions and the joy it brought me, even just walking in for a hello and a browse. “It sounds like you just answered your own question,” she said. I didn’t just need to live in the community, I needed to be part of it. The next morning I walked in the shop looking for a position. As sweet as they are, I shall leave out the details, but two weeks later I was part of the Provisions team. 

I am two months in and I can’t tell you how much being part of this shop has brightened my spirit. I was missing the feeling of community and life at the shop brought me just that. When I walk to work everyday, passing neighbors, restaurants and shops, I know I’m part of something very special. I get to be part of a community that supports each other, welcoming  locals and travelers alike. I feel so lucky to go into the shop each day knowing that my home, work and life in Asheville can bring that same warmth and joy to someone else. 

Come see me in the shop and we’ll chat all things Asheville, coffee, cocktails, food and of course, bus life. 

Cheers, Emma