Why I'm leaving North Carolina

Returning from our poorly stocked local Whole Foods, the only organic grocer in Winston-Salem, I started thinking about all the reasons I'm moving to the West Coast. To be fair, they are having distribution issues. Though, this is my food supply we're talking about. Yes, I go to a Co-Op that's thirty minutes away, every chance I get; but that's just not doing it for me anymore. We've been talking about moving for a couple years now, but it's finally coming to pass. It's been quite the intellectual and emotional struggle with my parents. They're slowly realizing that a Raw Vegan Atheist with Buddhist aspirations doesn't really fit in here in the South. The geography isn't so bad, it's the Southern mentality that's slowly draining away my optimism and spirit. You can take that however you like, but it's the truth in regards to me personally. As much as I've relished being that weirdo in the minority with crazy ideas, it's time to get real. This is more a lifestyle change than anything else. Why not surround yourself with a like-minded community? Why not better your existence and reach for your highest potential? We're getting by just fine here but we're no longer living. Are you? I remember a moment when everything was clean and bright. Before the stains of time had dulled the unfulfilled ambitions burning with radiance in my mind. So I press on, determined to live the life I deserve. Why settle? It's so easy to feel stuck, to feel useless, to feel that your routine is all you really have. We have so much more to give, so much more to share, to create. How well would a raw and living foods restaurant or vegan organic community garden/resource center do in Winston-Salem? How big of a market is here for something like that? This is exactly what I want to accomplish in Northern California or Southern Oregon. The industrial agriculture complex is tightening down the screws everywhere you shop. We're being given less and less of a choice about the cleanliness of our food. This is my attempt to do my part to help sway things back in our favor. I would like to extend an invitation, here and now, to join me in whatever way you can. I believe, in my heart of hearts, that we're moving in the right direction. As I take a look around, I see hope.