Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 46
Trading D.C. Honks for West Virginia Beep Beeps
n
Wild & Wonderful
Ascend West Virginia incentivizes remote workers
to put down roots in the Mountain State.
BY LAUREN STEPP | PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASCEND WEST VIRGINIA
A
46 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Detroit native who moved to Washington, D.C., shortly
after college, Michael Phillips is no stranger to traffic
sounds. High-pitched car alarms, screeching brakes, whirring
tires, clunking transmissions-it's all white noise to
his urbanite ears. But there is one sound Phillips isn't all
that accustomed to: the friendly honk.
The friendly honk is less of a honk and more of a congenial toot-
a vehicular tip of the hat, if you will. It's a way of saying " howdy " or
" mornin' " without ever leaving the driver's seat, says Phillips, who started
hearing the chummy beep after leaving the nation's capital for White
Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, last April.
" It's much different from D.C., " Phillips says of the tiny burg (population:
2,198). For starters, there are no skyscrapers-just soaring mountain
MAIN AND TOP PHOTO: Ascender participants benefit from free gear rentals and outdoor recreation vouchers.
MIDDLE: Every morning, Michael Phillips takes his pup, Ava, for a walk.
BOTTOM: Ascend participant Michael Phillips savors mountain views in West Virginia.
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Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 3
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 4
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 5
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Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 45
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 46
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 47
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Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 50
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Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover4
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