Ultra Coffee

Inside a window overlooking flood debris, two Zillennial women discuss the latest social media topic. Years from now, they will realize too late how much society had eroded their confidence, not their value.

Next to the coffee sweeteners, two young artists with edgy hair, tats and piercings take a selfie and talk about their restricted ability to exhibit and sell their wares. Years from now, their kids will laugh at the photo. The couple will wonder how they lost their vision in the unrelenting flow of adulting.

Nearby, a mid-career couple commiserate about work-life balance. Decades from now, they will face an urgent wave of decisions for retirement. They will wish they had started preparing earlier.

In the corner, an old, weathered traveler types wistfully on his phone.

#Asheville #AVL #Travel
#RiverArtsDistrict #TravelPhotography
#Helene #WNC

Now at Ultra Coffee as my base.

Not sure why I wanted to come down to the River Arts District. Just to thrill at devastation? Find signs of hope? Probably both.

Reconstruction is in full steam. Earth moving vehicles and construction workers are everywhere. Among the many abandoned studios, some have reopened.

A scenic stream under one small building turned into a raging torrent of destruction.

#Asheville #AVL #Travel #RiverArtsDistrict #Helene