Trip to Asheville, NC (July 2021)

Originally, we planned a 5 night trip, 2 nights in Asheville, NC, 2 nights in Nashville, TN, 1 night in Chattanooga, TN, then a day trip to Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Center in Atlanta, GA, before returning home. 

Our trip stopped in Asheville, NC, unfortunately, and we returned home from there after two nights. Fortunately, we were able to cancel the hotel reservations without a penalty. The reason? I could not walk at all due to the pain on my butt and my leg.

The drive to Asheville from our home was for a short one hour. We went to visit Biltmore Estate, but the minimum entrance fee was $76. With my limited mobility, it would have been far too costly to see a big house and beautiful garden. So we turned around from the gate.

Biltmore Estate was started when Mr. George Vanderbilt bought a 175,000 acres of land and built the largest private residence in the U.S.: i.e. Biltmore House. It has 250 rooms including 43 bathrooms. When it was built, George was a bachelor and I wonder why he need such a big house. His wife Edith later sold 83,000 acres to the U.S. government, which became part of the first U.S. National Forest: Pisgah National Forest. 

Biltmore Village is now filled with shops, but it was built for the employees at Biltore Estate. Now Biltmore Estate employs 2,400 people. Wow...! 

We then decided to take a hop-on hop-off tour. It was good that we did not have to get on and off too much, and the trolley drivers were all knowledgeable and their good explanation was quite interesting and entertaining. 

The architecture and old history of the buildings were fascinating. Too much to write, but I am confident that we will go back to this beautiful city over and over. We encountered a furred friend on the way: a black bear walking around in the middle of the city.

Riverside Art District was a former industrial factory compound that was flooded into a deep water caused by two hurricanes, but later, after decades of remaining in ruins, rebirthed into an art district currently filled with pretty much all graffiti arts. It looks like it will develop into a cool place for young people.

Pack Square is the center of the city with Asheville Art Museum, the second most popular chocolate shop, and many other shops and restaurants. In the past, this square was the starting point for a trail to Greenville, SC, which used to take 3 months for the journey. Now it takes a little over one hour by car.

 I did not know that Asheville used to have the tallest building in the U.S. It was only a 13-story building. Ironically, 13 people committed suicide by falling down to the ground from the rooftop of this building when the stock market crashed during the 1929 Greate Depression.

Asheville's former name was Morristown. The city leadership apparently wanted to play a political game by changing the town name to Asheville in honor of then Governor's name Samuel Ashe. Unfortunately, the governor did not even visit the city. Oh well...

We made a short trip to visit Museum of Cherokee Indian located about one hour drive from Asheville. Cherokee Indians are known to have established the earliest civilization, even prior to Inca, Aztec, and the Roman Empire. It was too bad that I could not walk around freely to read the stories. But, the Cherokees, one of the largest American Indians tribes in the U.S., seem to be thriving despite the challenges they faced when the Europeans came. Many chose to relocate to Oklahoma to preserve their freedom and on the way a significant portion of people died. Some chose to stay within the Reservation and they still live in the Reservation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Cherokees had their own alphabets developed two hundred years ago. Currently, some people are try to revive the digital use of these alphabets. Momopoly Game was displayed as an example.

The gift shop and the a small garden at the entrance was beautifully decorated, good for photo shots.

Not only George Vanderbilt but also Pack and Grove families came to Asheville primarily because they believed the town provided a healthy environment and healing particularly for respiratory diseases. The city is situated at the altitude of 2,200 feet, thus providing cooler temperature.

Black Mountain is a small town nearby. On the way back home, we stopped by briefly and saw many little shops in a tiny town at the foothill of Black Mountains.

Kristin wanted to stop by a flea market that stretched easily 300 meters long. It was called Uncle Bill's Flea Market. Across the street was Aunt Fanny's Flea Market. There was a die-hard Trump supporter who was displaying Trump for President 2024.

Although short, we felt good that we were able to get away from our home-bound life. - Jeffrey 

Hurdles to Traveling (June 2021)

Included in atheletic games are hurdle race. The runners have to run over hurdles.

Traveling faced a formidable hurdle in 2020: i.e. The COVID-19. It has put the travel industry on hold. Globally, I mean.

On top of this, Kristin and I have faced another hurdle to our traveling. Physical handicap.  

To talk about hurdles to traveling which have emerged, I have to go back to 2019. 

When Kristin and I were staying in Dalat for a month in March 2019, all of sudden I could not walk even on the flat ground due to pain on my left leg. The pinching pain made me stop often. I simply thought my frequent travels and long flights sitting on economy seats have created muscle spasms resulting in a nerve pinch. Fortunately, I was able to climb Yellow Mountain in April without a problem.

Fast forward to March 2020 when we cut our remaining travel schedule due to the COVID-19 risk and returned to our home in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We started walking at Central Festival, the largest department store in Chiang Mai. I felt the same kind of pain on my right leg this time along with lower back pain. I remembered the time in Dalat, and felt compelled to fight through the pain. No improvement and no idea about what was causing the pain.

Fast forward again to November 2020, I made a stop in Korea in October and relocated temporarily to Dallas, Texas. Then, we made a round road trip to Denver in January, a one-way road trip to Greer, SC in February, and a round road trip to New York in April. All along, I just lived with the lingering pain, at times limping, but still with the fighting spirit.   

One day in May, all of sudden, Kristin woke up with a pain that was so severe that she could not put her left foot on the ground. Thanks to Dr. Yoon, she was able to see an orthopedic surgeon, John Vann, immediately. She took an X-ray, an MRI, and was diagnosed with a combination of cartridge wear, torn tendon, and rubbing bones. She has been injected a steroid shot and is slowly recovering. Praise the Lord!

Since we got to know an orthopedic surgeon, I also took an X-ray and an MRI, based on which Dr. Lenehan, a spine specialist, rendered a diagnosis of lumbar stenosis. Spine stenosis is the narrowing of central spinal chamber and/or forminal nerve holes, and my case was the latter due to the combination of degenerate diss, arthritis, thickening ligament flavuum. The stenosis pressured the nerves, thus creating low back pain and, worse, pinching pain in the leg. 

After the diagnosis, I realized that I have made two foolish mistakes. One was continuing to walk despite the pain. I should have rested. Two was the MacKenzie exercise that is useful for the herniated disc but harmful to spine stenosis. How foolish I was?

So, I have taken it easy and am resting whenever the pain attacks. Also, I placed an order for nerve pain medicine. Meanwhile, I am still taking acupuncture, doing exercise, taking the cupping etc. I am trying to avoid the surgery at any cost. Lord willing, I may be healed.

This has become a significant hurdle to our travel plans. We wanted to make a short trip to the neighboring states, but had to return because I could not walk at all. Alas...! Now I have to discern what the Lord has in store before I can even consider the next traveling. Be merciful, Lord, but not my will but Thy will. Amen! - Jeffrey