I was born in “LA”, a small region with a populace of about 500 people, tops.  If you are not familiar with that endearing term of Southern hospitality and sarcasm, it’s lower Alabama.  I grew up in the outdoors hunting, fishing, boating and playing sports.  In college, my buddies invited me on their annual ski trip to a hill in North Carolina called Sugar Mountain. I knew I could make great turns behind a boat, and I was always up for an adventure, so I thought “no problem, let’s do it”!  We piled in my 1970 Chevy Malibu with Boston’s More than a Feeling whaling from the 8-track cassette player and we headed out for a road trip.

The Smokey Mountains are beautiful, and if you have never been to that part of the country, I highly recommend a fall drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  However, this was January and it was cold.  We arrived at a tiny ski shop to rent gear, and, I had no idea what I was in for!  It was awkward, to say the least. The shop guy asked me some skill questions and I stretched the truth a bit and said, “yea… I’ve been a few times”. Ha!

All setup with some real comfy rear entry boots and my $3 rental skis, off we went.  My college buddies gave me a couple of pointers and got me on the lift easily enough, and, when we got to the top, they pointed to a sign that said “Easiest way down”.

Well, if you have experienced the beautiful terrain of North Carolina in January, you will know what came next! 1,200 vertical feet of the most beautiful, multicolored ice fields that you have ever seen, much like the color of my butt the next day. Needless to say, it was a painful beginning to my skiing career!  But, by the end of the day I could slide my way down that hill, leaving a piles of shaved ice at every turn.  Never really had a bucket list, but if I did I would put a check by: ski trip with college buddies. I was hooked.

College was a passing moment in time that was more like an adventure party than an educational experience, and, after a few years in Atlanta, I needed a break.  I decided to come west and spend a winter skiing before embarking on a “real” career.  I sold my favorite guitar, a 1976 Gibson Les Paul, bought a Greyhound ticket, and rode across the country with a back pack of clothes and my pawn shop acoustic.

Who cares, we’ve all got a story, right?

Much like that day on the slopes, life is a trail of risk and reward.  Quite frankly, I am surprised that I have made it this far, because one adventure after another has called my name since childhood. I realized early on that I was better suited for entrepreneurial adventure than a 9 to 5 career, so, here I am today, launching another business “ad-venture.”  The words of my Mom best sum it up, “Good Lord, son, what are you thinking?”

I believe we all came here to enjoy life’s journey, the ups and downs, in one of the most beautiful places on earth.  My goal is to tell the stories, celebrate the accomplishments and discuss the issues at hand. We want to provide an informative, thought-provoking lifestyle portal in print, online and on television. I just want to say thank you for picking up our paper, turning on our television channel and surfing the website.  We are here for you, and if you have a story idea or something you’d like to share, please, let us know about it.