Chasing Sunrises...New Restless Adventures Begin!
- Pam Buchholz
- Sep 3
- 10 min read
Every life chapter has a compass moment - a pause to ask, Where am I now? Where to next? For me that moment usually means I need a new adventure...😊
I've always thought of life as one giant adventure storybook - and mine just happens to be filled with the most incredible plot twists! Each chapter is singularly unique and precious in its own way. Some are planned with military precision, others are completely spontaneous; some are life-changing, others delightfully trivial; some fill us with ecstatic joy, others break our hearts into a million pieces. They can last mere hours or countless years, and often run beautifully concurrently - some chapters flowing seamlessly into the next, while others come to very defined conclusions.
All I know is that I've learned to trust that feeling in my heart when a chapter is coming to a close... and my restless soul has been whispering quite clearly that it's time for a new adventure. It's with this feeling - equal parts gratitude for what was, and excitement for what's to come - that I lovingly close "My Atlantic Life" blog and welcome you to my
Restless Adventures!
It's hard to believe it's been only a couple of weeks since we said goodbye to our beloved home of six years on Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina - Farewell to our huge Atlantic Inn project. Taking on a run-down, tired and shabby, century-old inn, and spending the next 6 years lovingly renovating and restoring the old hotel into the beautiful, comfortable and welcoming turn-key hotel that we handed over to the new owners, was certainly not for the faint-hearted, especially when we didn’t have a background in hospitality…..we were more akin to running multi-million dollar clinical research trials than cooking and serving breakfasts that people would actually enjoy!
In the past couple of weeks many of the friends we made during our time at the Atlantic have asked us if it was difficult to leave the island….
We took a sad little hotel that no one wanted or cared about, and breathed life back into it - From the creation of “Living on Atlantic Time” through “Finding Yourself at the Atlantic Inn”, our passion was to create an ambience of welcoming hominess and serenity that as an aside, led to the development of so many wonderful relationships and friendships…based on this, and the incredible reviews we received during our time as owners, I think we accomplished this.
In addition, Hatteras Village is one of the most beautiful places on earth to live - the beaches incomparable and the people that live in this little gem are some of the best and we will miss them dearly!!!
– So, in answer to the question was it difficult to leave all this?….Yes, extremely difficult, but we did so knowing that we were successful in bringing the Atlantic Inn back to life and, as we embark on our new adventures, we will be able to continue many of the incredible friendships that we forged both at the inn and with others in the beautiful community of Hatteras - what more could John and I ask for 💕
As I sit down to write this update, I'm realizing just how much we've crammed into such a short time.
When we first decided to sell the inn, our plan was simple: pack up all our "stuff" into storage, load up the RV, and head straight to the mountains of North Carolina for about six weeks at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC). The idea was to give ourselves some much-needed time to decompress and chill out after closing a big chapter in our lives, and more importantly, to figure out what wild adventure was calling to us next.
I've been visiting TIEC since it opened back in 2014, when I'd sneak away from our 40-acre horse farm and my own four "boys” 🐎🐎🐎🐎 for the occasional weekend to relax and immerse myself in the horse world. Over the years, I've watched it evolve into a world-class equestrian hub- in 2018, it even hosted the World Equestrian Games, which was an incredible experience for those of us lucky enough to snag tickets.
But here's the thing - you don't have to be a horsey person to fall head over heels for this incredible facility. What started as an equestrian center has blossomed into a much-loved resort that honestly has something for everyone:
The Full TIEC Experience:
The Overmountain Hotel
The Stable House Inn
A brand-new hotel opening soon
Cozy cabins and a full RV park
Ten restaurants and bars (and trust me, the food and service are exceptional!)
Live music and seasonal events like Fallfest, PBR, and Winter Festival
Music festivals that draw incredible talent
A new indoor track for athletic events
Boutique shopping
WNC Main Street Shopping (a wonderful concept featuring small businesses from Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, and Asheville who are temporarily located here while recovering from Hurricane Helene damage)
An activity area complete with axe throwing, bowling, video games, and a golf simulator
Wide Open Fitness Center with an awesome CrossFit gym, yoga, jiu-jitsu, pickleball courts, and a full gym
There's always something happening.......though for me, the multitude of horse events make it feel like my much loved second home 💕
Our initial plan after our six-week "rest period" was beautifully simple: travel around in our RV until we "found" that magical somewhere that we wanted to call our home base - a place that would serve as our welcome retreat when the wandering spirit needed a rest.
Now, I know plenty of folks decide to live permanently in their RVs, and we seriously considered this option. But as we really thought it through, we realized it might not work for us long-term. I'm getting ready to launch my beloved project and start a new business and managing a launch like this would be incredibly challenging while constantly on the road. Add to that the practical considerations - a legal residence for mail, taxes, and healthcare, somewhere for all our "stuff" to live (we're currently renting four storage units!!!), and let's be honest, a proper bed that isn't an RV bed!
That’s not to say that we won’t be travelling all over the US to those places we listed on our “Chasing Sunrises” Chalkboard back at the inn - and trust me, it’s a lengthy and eclectic list. From the traditional sightseeing of Niagara Falls to “standing on the corner of Winslow Arizona 🎶” , from Alaska to the Keys.... and everywhere in between that takes our fancy! We fully intend to check out all those places, visit some of the amazing friends we made during our time at the inn and discover lots of new and exciting places along the way. Having a homebase just means we can avoid some of the challenges with living on the road full-time…..whilst giving us a cozy retreat to return to whenever we need it.
As John would no doubt tell you with an eye roll, I can be rather particular about my wants and needs when I'm looking for somewhere to stay...
The Non-Negotiables:
Inspirational scenery that feeds the soul
Four distinct seasons (I'm still a Scottish girl at heart!)
Peace and quiet when I need it
Access to both mountains and bodies of water (remember, I'm a Piscean who needs her water, while John craves his mountains)
Close to amenities without being stuck in a bustling town
A proper horsey area
Plenty of activities and adventures
Great restaurants nearby (a girl's gotta eat well!)
Genuinely friendly people
An airport within reasonable driving distance (for those essential trips back to Scotland and those international adventures)
But here's the absolutely most important thing, above everything else: for me, a place has to "feel right". I know that might sound a tad hokey to some of you, but it's so incredibly true. When I found our beloved horse farm in Hillsborough, NC, and later when I discovered that tatty, run-down, century-old hotel that we would renovate and restore to become The Atlantic Inn in Hatteras, there was this magical feeling of serenity and love that just emanated from each property. It was almost as if these places wanted us to be there, to bring them back to life. In both instances, the feeling was immediate and undeniable - I knew we belonged there, for however long that chapter would last.... well, until my restless spirit started whispering about the next adventure!
We figured finding a new home base that ticked most, if not all of those boxes would take quite some time.
Hmm, let's see... it took us four days!
After the hectic, sometimes chaotic closing of our Atlantic Inn chapter, we desperately needed some downtime. We were exhausted, stressed, and honestly rather disappointed with how things wrapped up at the hotel - but that's a story for another day...
Not really ones to lounge around for long, John, Bodie (our adventure pup), and I started exploring the nearby areas: checking out charming small towns, trying local restaurants, and soaking it all in. We didn't have to venture far to discover some absolute gems.
The town of Tryon is an absolute delight, with its charming main street lined with unique shops, cozy coffee spots, and eateries - including a fantastic little pizza place (though nothing will ever replace Gidget's Pizza and Pasta in Avon - that will forever hold the title of best pizza I've ever tasted!........Miss you loads Gidget 🥰). Celebrating over 125 years as the "Friendliest Town in the South", Tryon is also the birthplace of singer Nina Simone.
One of my favorite finds so far is Little Switzerland - a tiny community perched just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 334. At an elevation of 3,468 feet, it's simply stunning....there's an awesome little eatery called The Switzerland Café and General Store, and even a delightful bookstore - Little Switzerland Books and Beans. The drive alone was worth every winding mile!
Since we were out exploring anyway, we figured we might as well look at a few properties for sale. Several places looked promising on Zillow and seemed to tick many of our boxes, but when we actually managed to track them down, they were either "not as advertised" or completely and utterly remote - like perched-at-the-top-of-a-mountain-above-cloud-level remote. While the scenery at some of these properties was indeed breathtaking, the drive around hairpin bends with sheer ravine drops at the edge of the roads was breathtaking in an entirely different (and not pleasant) way. The mere thought of navigating these treacherous roads in winter with snow and ice was genuinely terrifying, even for two people accustomed to driving in harsh Scottish and Colorado winters.
With absolutely no pressure to find anywhere to live anytime soon, we weren't the least bit bothered that these properties weren't going to work out. We were actually rather enjoying our relaxed exploration when, completely out of the blue, we stumbled across a property for sale just a mile and a half from the equestrian center.
We decided to pop over for a quick look, and wouldn't you know it - I fell absolutely head over heels for the place. It had that unmistakable feeling of "rightness" before I'd even stepped through the front door. Twenty-four hours later, we'd put in an offer, and it was accepted. We close on September 5th!!!!
I have to say that the purchase of our new home would not have been such a wonderful experience if it hadn't been for our incredible realtor Nikki Sauve. Nikki has even managed to restore my faith in the realtor profession (which was no easy task!!). From our very first communication, Nikki has been beyond helpful, super honest, knowledgeable, easy to communicate with...and simply fun to work with. We really can't say enough good things about Nikki - and for anyone thinking of buying around this area, Nikki should definitely be your go-to person of choice! She is in the process of setting up her new website www.sauvecollective.com which will be live in a couple of weeks, in the meantime, she can be reached by calling her cell on (864) 415-2432.
We're beyond excited to move into our new home, which will be the ideal launchpad for our future adventures. There's even an ideal parking spot on the property for our RV! Plus, we'll have all the incredible amenities and events of the Tryon International Equestrian Center literally five minutes from our front door. And rumor has it there's a beautiful new spa and golf course opening there sometime next year... honestly, what more could this restless woman want? Horses, exceptional dining, entertainment, a spa, and all of it with spectacular mountain views!
Our current everyday routine whilst staying at TIEC is definitely a little different from our old 5am wake up to prep for guests' breakfasts.....It's still an early rise - John will always be a farm boy from Nebraska at heart and is always wide awake super early (I have adapted!), but now it's off to the gym or a several mile walk around TIEC with Bodie (they have acres and acres of incredible grounds). Then it's off to have fun exploring the surrounding area...
For now, that’s where I’ll leave you - with a heart full of gratitude, a map full of possibilities, and a restless spirit that refuses to sit still. I’m off to dream and scheme about the new place.
Next time, I’ll share more about our new homebase, updates on my project as it nears launch time (I'm super excited about this!!!), and the upcoming adventures we have planned!
Until the next Restless Adventure, keep dreaming, keep exploring, and keep saying yes to the unknown.
P.S. Did I mention that this weekend the Earl Scruggs Bluegrass Festival took place right here at TIEC? While bluegrass isn't a genre, I'm particularly familiar with, as someone who loves all music, I was genuinely excited to discover some new sounds and indulge in some fantastic Southern fare.....more about that next time.
Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you never saw coming 💕