Almost exactly seven years ago, I stopped to shoot this footage along Highway 105 just south of Boone. Reviewing it and re-reading my journal entries from that time, I’m surprised to see all the directions our lives were travelling.
Now, a year after the North Carolina High Country was devastated by Hurricane Helene, this stretch of the Watauga River once again looks a lot like it did back in 2018 … and for a very long time before that.
My travels on that 2018 October day began in Asheville, where we had moved mid-2015 from Boone, when Amelia and Claire were rising freshmen, and Riley was set to begin middle school. By 2018, Amelia and Claire were finishing up their secondary educations like bosses, and setting their sites on college; Riley and his Asheville pals were starting to make their mark on the realm’s vibrant music scene, and he was also still spending time with his lifelong friends in Boone; Beth was going from her day job with Sally Spiegel to the acclaimed North Asheville hot-spot Avenue M most days of the week; and I was serving my agency’s illustrious clientele, while also making headway on some major writing projects.
For the record, Beth and I have been back in Boone since mid-2024. True to the proverb about the effects of absence on the heart, being away from this area definitely made us appreciate it, and its wonderful people, even more. Since our return, our now-grown kids have joined us here on many occasions. Clearly, it’s extra special to them, too.
Wherever we wind up in the future, the Boonerang effect is sure to keep pulling us back to a town and a community that continue providing us with precious memories … all of which opened up to us thanks to Virginia and Bill Martin – Beth’s mom and step-father – whose legacies live on in this wonderful place.
Please stop back soon for more Rare Air.
