Drexel: The town we never planned on loving

Team Lyon didn’t plan on ending up in Drexel. We were ready for a change, a new adventure, 1,983 miles from our first home in Utah.

With a 3-year-old, a 1-year-old, two fluffy dogs, an overloaded travel trailer, and a packed moving van, our whole lives trundled across the country ... and landed in a tiny town in Burke County, N.C.

The house we purchased was not the one we’d flown over to see weeks prior. In fact, when we stumbled upon Westwood Drive by accident while exploring the town in our rental car, lots of alarm bells went off.

No way played over and over in my head. Not happening.

This poor, massive place had been abandoned for seven years. Overgrown yard, leaky roof, water damaged floors, dying furnace and air conditioner, moldy walls, lots of critters in the attic, and ... the pool.

Or, at least, what used to be a pool was now a frog-infested, muck-filled, foul-smelling 30x60 foot pond surrounded by rotten decking.

Yeah. It wasn’t exactly what my husband and I had in mind for us and our little girls.

But I truly believe, no matter how cliche it might sound, that everything happens for a reason. This house was waiting for us. It needed to be rescued and loved, one broken window and one gallon of pond scum at a time.

It took a few years of non-stop, exhaustive, frustrating projects for me to fall in love with this big old place.

The remodel of a lifetime was just the beginning; the town of Drexel itself became an unexpected, pleasant friend. Where my family came from, where my children were born, was a very busy place.

Over a million people were packed into 500 square miles. The cost of living was extreme, the air quality was sometimes ranked worst in the world, and certain groups of people were not the nicest to live around.

It was crowded, and dirty, and expensive.

Drexel, however, is so unbelievably quiet. For a woman like me, a working mother, a young author, I couldn’t wrap my brain around all of the green trees and chirping birds and soft fog.

The days were filled with calm rains and the nights with peaceful cricket chirps. My girls were chasing frogs and giggling at squirrels and gazing at baby deer instead of breathing pollution and sitting in traffic.

I got an education on what the lifestyle of Burke County looked like, especially the difference between Morganton, Valdese, and Drexel.

At first, when people asked where I lived now, I’d tell them “Morganton” because of my mailing address and when that, of course, didn’t ring any bells, I’d simply say, “the middle of nowhere, Burke County.”

And I couldn’t have been more proud ... until I learned the history of Drexel itself. Then I was just delighted, and I’ll share why.

Stories get lost when you’re surrounded by a million people; life isn’t as personal and connected and thoughtful. Drexel’s charm (something that grows more rare by the passing years) lies in its stories.

From people who grew up here and moved away to people who’ve come back to people who are new like me, each of us brings a valuable stitch into the woven patterns of this town.

Remember, I’m an author, so I love stories and constantly bother everyone around me with how much I adore the power of the written word.

As I got to know people around Drexel, it further solidified my belief that sharing our message with those around us creates magic.

It started with all my curious neighbors on Westwood, finally getting brave enough to chat with the crazy family who bought the “old house with the pool.”

Then I made friends with everyone at our only bookstore so I could share my books and meet other writers.

Then I was able to connect with kind, accepting souls at the church in town, who have been welcoming despite me having no interest in organized religion.

Then I took a deep breath and decided to join the board of Grow with Drexel, our town’s amazing nonprofit.

I’m so proud of what my family has done with this left-for-dead house. It took me a minute, I’ll admit, but I really love my home.

And I’m head-over-heels for Drexel at this point, too. It was definitely meant to be when Team Lyon ended up in a town of 1,700 people instead of cramped in a city of 94,000.

Still, like the name of our nonprofit implies, growth is important. There are some exciting things on the horizon for this sweet little town and I’m pretty honored to be part of them. Stay tuned and please get involved as well.

Ending up in Drexel happened for a reason. Trusting my gut to make a huge life change a few years ago was the right move. Stepping outside what’s “easy” and exploring new opportunities and making new friends are all good choices.

So, if you take away anything from this journey of mine, I invite you to: take a leap. Roll up your sleeves. Be of service. And always keep sharing your stories.