Thankfulness (DAY 8) - I LOVE Charlotte!
My parents finally landed here in NC and within about a year and a half, my Dad was moved to Georgia. I grew up in a military family and when we landed in NC, I was a sophomore and by my junior year, I was being recruited to play basketball for several different colleges. My coach begged my parents to allow him to find a 'host' family and let me finish out high school here in NC, about an hour away from Charlotte. I was 16 at the time - my parents agreed and the rest is history!
A little over 4 decades later, I'm still here - still loving living in North Carolina and for nearly the past 4 decades, I've been living in Charlotte. I don't know if my love for living in North Carolina began because I finally found a resting spot that was longer than 1.5 years but, I do know that my love for Charlotte is deep-rooted and real now!
I moved here, not knowing but, one soul and I have met more people and made more friends than I ever knew was humanly possible! When you are uprooted every 1-2 years as a child, you don't have much opportunity to foster deep-rooted relationships - but, you surely do learn how to make friends - and FAST!
Charlotte was like no other city I had ever lived in - it was a small metropolis when I moved here but, my, how it seemed like a 'small town' in so many ways. The people here are incredibly friendly. Many of them are transferred in and like me, know MAYBE one or two people. However, everyone is welcoming, caring and giving - it's like we all know what it feels like to be the new kid on the block!
Not only are the people wonderful but, the city is full of inspiration & innovation. With multiple higher learning facilities (23+ colleges and universities), an incredible art culture and a passion for sports, Charlotte has it all! Our metro region has grown so much that we are now home to two professional sports teams - the Carolina Panthers (NFL) and the Charlotte Hornets (NBA). We also have semi-pro baseball (Charlotte Knights) and we are home to NASCAR.
Jobs are plentiful; top-ranked medical care is available in our area, including a Level 1 Major Trauma Center that also offers a highly sought-after resident program. Charlotte is nationally known as a major banking center but, our #1 employer is a major medical conglomerate, Carolinas Healthcare System. We are now the #2 energy center in the nation so, jobs in the energy sector are also plentiful. Information technology is another top employment opportunity in our area and millennials are flowing into our city like water for job opportunities in IT as well as banking, healthcare, energy, professional services, recruiting and more.
Charlotte is 'Foodie Central' with amazing chefs in every corner of the city. We are home to Johnson & Wales culinary school and once those chefs graduate, they don't want to leave Charlotte so, talk about fabulous restaurants...we've got SO many divine options!
Charlotte is a very active, outdoorsy city and the county has provided lush parks and miles and miles of trails all throughout the city. We are home to the National Whitewater Rafting Center and even local mountains that offer hiking and climbing opportunities for those who are passionate about the great outdoors.
Shopping is also at every turn - if you have an interest in something, there's a store for you! Collectibles, chic, classy or sassy clothing, fabulous shoes, technology, home goods...whatever your taste (or tastes!), Charlotte has a shop for you. Boutique or name-brand, Charlotteans love to shop and we have plenty of places to get our shopping-grove on!
Oh, the weather - yes, we have four seasons, the housing...
There's so much to share about our gorgeous city - this is just the tip of the iceberg!
For now, I would love to share that the last Amazon HQ2 study released this week, shows Charlotte is among the top 25 finalists. We have a local studio, FLICK Studios, who provided a delightful presentation on behalf of Charlotte's residents in acceptance of Amazon's challenge to share why AMAZON should establish their HQ2 in Charlotte. This is a fantastic representation of the WHYs Amazon should choose us, pick us and open their hearts to CHARLOTTE!
I mean, what's NOT to love about Charlotte?!!
Need more reasons to love Charlotte? Let's talk!
Thank you again, Debbie Reynolds, for your Thanksgiving challenge! I am so thankful to have deep roots in Charlotte, North Carolina.
© Debe Maxwell | The Maxwell House Group | CharlotteBroker@icloud.com | Thankfulness (DAY 8) - I LOVE Charlotte!
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