Charlotte's Got A Lot

So we went to Charlotte last weekend for the Taste of Charlotte festival. Although the festival itself was not exactly what we imagined it to be, I really did enjoy the city. It has a very unique vibe to it and I enjoyed the architecture there. We also visited the UNCC campus and their architecture school is smaller but WAY WAY nicer facility-wise (A beautiful hall for pin-ups and they provide students with their own chairs?! blasphemers!). The city is very progressive, very green, and reminded me of a mix between Chicago, Philly, and Portland only with more new architecture and more money invested into it. They had a few vintage shops and lots of thrift stores, but it still seems like a city that is in the growing stage. I imagine that unless they create an urban growth boundary in the next few years, it will probably become like Atlanta since it is such a hub.

If I do move to Charlotte in the next few years (i.e. if I can transfer into their bArch program or mArch program) , I really think I want to own my own business and support myself that way. I have always had this silly idea of owning a clothing store that is multi-use, as in maybe crafts this time around. I used to own a cafe that was a vintage clothing/venue/record shop and I really miss that, despite the amount of work and the amount of things I failed miserably with. There's something wonderful about owning your own business. I find time and time again that I always come back to that because to be the creative director of a project is something I love very much, but often I undermine my confidence and everything I do seems to fall short of what I hope it will be. Does this happen to all entrepreneurs?

But regardless, Charlotte has given me some hope. I feel as if my ambition is coming back. I think it is a gift that I have had the ability to do so many things in my life and live so many places, and hopefully when and if I do pick up and go off somewhere else, it will be more suitable to who I am and where I need to be in my life. That may sound selfish, but I think that until I am true to myself and what I am made of, I will probably not be happy with any situation I am in that is less than ideal.