At my witts end

April 13, 2009

The Easter holiday yesterday made me very frusterated and even more determined

to move. My family is becoming more and more hard to deal with on the vegetarian

issue. We try to laugh it all off but it seems that they are becoming

almost hostile about our life style. For many years now my husband and i have

been wanting to move to a new location. (we live in Fort Wayne, IN) We had our

eyes and hopes set on California (San Diego area mostly). Unfortunately the

state that California is in now doesn't give us much hope of actually being able

to stay there for an extended amount of time. I guess what I am saying is

that I need your help!!! We are very liberal, and would love to find a

community where we will not be looked at as if we are from another planet.

(along with being extremely strict vegetarians we are fairly heavily tattooed

and wear our hair in locks.) I love big cities but I love the country too.

Mostly I am looking for

suggestions on places that are more veg friendly, places where it will be easy

to meet friends that we don't have to argue with about our lifestyle. We just

want to live peacefully without drama. A good music scene would be a plus too.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Amity

April 15, 2009

so sorry you are having a tough time with your family. i so can sympathize!

i know that it's in the complete other direction from california, but we live in

asheville, north carolina and love it here. we are vegan and have never had a

problem finding something to eat. asheville is VERY veg-friendly. there are two

restaurants, laughing seed and rosetta's, that are completely vegetarian/vegan.

i have always been able to find something vegan at any other restaurant i have

been to. most already have something vegan on their menu, because vegs are so

plentiful up here. crispy cat candy bars (the yummiest vegan candy bars ever)

were started here. i think they've now since sold the company. there are a

couple of ice cream stores that have vegan ice cream too. there is a health food

store that started here, earth fare, who has now branched out to the surrounding

states. there is another really good hfs, green life that is amazing as well.

asheville is a very family-friendly town. lots of free street festivals downtown

that are as much

fun for the kids as the parents. an abundance of parks, too. and the blue

ridge parkway passes right through asheville. it's small (i think the population

is around 70,000) but there is so much to do here. for the most part, the town

is very progressive. people here are very concerned about environmental issues.

lots of good music comes through here. lots of good local breweries (most with

organic beers too). you definately would not be looked at as being from a

different planet here! and plus, it's right in the middle of the blue ridge

mountains, so driving anywhere is just the most beautiful thing ever! it is in

the south, and definately has that laid-back southern feel, but not all the

negative things you think of when you think of the south. but then again, i've

lived in the south all my life so i guess im a little used to that. oh, and it's

affordable! and once more let me mention the mountains! it's so beautiful here

every where that you

look. you're surrounded on all sides!

hope that everything works out for you!

allison

April 15, 2009

Asheville sounds fantastic! We are in Newport, TN often to visit my parents and

have been to Asheville a couple of times, but now I can't wait to go back! We

just discovered Crispy Cat candy bars and love them. I do wish that they were a

little more affordable, but our current favorite treat from the co-op.

The mountains are beautiful and we had a great time at the National Park.

Can't wait to check out the veg restaurants!

Shawn

--- On Wed, 4/15/09, allison catoe <oh_my_deer wrote:

allison catoe <oh_my_deer

Re:At my witts end

Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 9:27 AM

so sorry you are having a tough time with your family. i so can

sympathize!