Alocke, 65

I'm a born and bred Yankee - from New England for 14 generations. I lived in NC about 40 years ago - eastern part of the state - for about a year and was intrigued by the state. I landed outside Asheville in 2012 as my daughter finished college here, fell in love, got married, had two children and I couldn't stand going back to Maine anymore after visiting here. Thus, my husband at the time and I moved in 2012 and I absolutely fell in love with the mountains. The "winters" here are so mild and are so much easier than Maine winters, which is terrific. I live around 2,500' so the summers aren't as hot as the Piedmont area east of me. But I love the climate, the people, and all the variety in the state from rural to urban, and more.