This morning I just learned that I'll need to fight my previous landlord in order to get my security deposit back. In an unsurprising turn of events, my psychotic hoarder ex-housemate played their role perfectly and trashed the place before skipping town. My lawyer thinks I have a strong case, which is the first good news I've gotten since I was driven out of the house by the aforementioned ex-housemate. Does anyone know of any quiet, walkable mountain towns with affordable real estate? I suddenly find myself inspired to own my own place.
Lots of Western NC is really pretty. Brevard. Hendersonville. Waynesville. Sylva. Super close to tons of hiking, really cute, fun towns. Only problem is that area is represented by the literal nazi Madison Cawthorn, who went to Hitler's Eagle Nest summer residence and said of the visit that he got to check it off his bucket list. And last time I visited there was a street preacher yelling "where's the Jew?" but like other than those bits of culture shock there are a ton of good people around there, plenty of not nazis, great food, and really wonderful area.
Honestly? My friends in Roslyn, WA are over-the-moon happy living there. It's in the mountains and mother nature is literally at your back door. The community there is tight and connected and helpful and surprisingly liberal. And you are about an hour from real cities, so critical services are close, as are good-paying jobs. It's also where they filmed Northern Exposure, if anyone alive today even remembers that show...
I'm unduly fond of Concrete, WA. Dreaming of buying an old vineyard despite the fact that the place is definitely hip-deep in floodwater multiple times a decade.