It's been a while.

Last night I went to a blogger's party in West Asheville with a co-worker. The gathering was made up of local bloggers from all over the city. It was an interesting event because everyone there was tied together by the internet. Writing online created a small, intimate community. 'Friends' who have commented on each other's blogs for months met for the first time.
In someones back yard, with stringed lights wrapped about the garden post, with a small fire blazing, people got together and talked about their writing. Most there were writing about their relationship with Asheville: how it's changing, how to have a stronger political presence on the community, and how to drink well and play hard in a mountain town.

Everyone introduced themselves with a question: "Are you a blogger?"
My answer was yes. But my blog is not political, argumentative, or necessarily trying to create community change. I couldn't help but reflect on why I began a blog in the first place. And, though there is no single answer to any question, I managed to find one. I started my blog to write. That's it. To find a space that's more than a journal. A place where I can share something about myself and my life in an informal way. And, to be honest, the small practice of sitting and writing, of telling a short story, does make a difference, if only to me.

Last night was a surreal evening for many reasons. But like every experience, lessons are learned, either about oneself or about others.

The journey down. I have been in Asheville for a month and I've been working here for three weeks. Most of the challenges I face are ones that I'd expect anywhere else: adjusting to a full-time job, learning how to branch out and find a community outside of school. How to make money, how to support myself financially and emotionally . Those are things are part of life and they happen no matter where we are. My choice to be here has changed so much for me on a day to day level- and yet I'm asking the same questions that I always have. This is Aiyanna in a new place, asking the same questions in a new way: learning slowly and everyday, who I am and who I want to be.

Cheers to the blog!