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Back when we were kids, seems like everyone was always asking what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. “What will you be when you grow up? Fireman, ballerina, doctor, nurse?” They made it seem like we had to pick just one.

These days, with the benefit of age and wisdom on our side, we’ve got this life thing pretty much figured out. Now when someone asks us what we want to do with the rest of our lives, the answer is “What don’t we want to do!” Or as some folks like to say, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Thanks to lifelong learning programs like the ones you find in the mountain towns in North Carolina, it’s easier than ever to keep on dreaming, keep on learning, keep on doing the things you’ve always wanted to do. Want to be a beekeeper? Brew your own beer? Learn a new language? You’ve come to the right place!

Like all the best goings-on in the uniquely charming NC mountain communities, even personal enrichment comes with that distinctive mountain-town flair. You’ll find some truly extraordinary learning opportunities here – like beekeeping classes! Yup, we’re serious. Our local college really does offer them! Along with classes in beer-brewing, mixology, motorcycle safety, and plenty of other topics that appeal to mountain lovers of all ages.

If you’re a lifelong learner who knows the value of expanding your horizons, you’ll want to sign up for one of these fun and stimulating courses at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. They’re offered as part of the college’s continuing education program. You may already be familiar with the two CCC&TI campuses in Hudson and Boone. Maybe your kids or grandkids are among the 16,000 students who study each year at CCC&TI, where academic programs range from business to law enforcement to liberal arts to nuclear medicine technology.

But did you know this 53-year-old educational institution also offers personal enrichment courses for those of us who want to keep on learning well into our retirement years? CCC&TI’s motto is Educational Opportunities for All. Their mission to “foster academic and civic enrichment” includes a focus on lifelong learning. And that’s great news for all of us!

If you’re ready to learn new skills or sharpen the ones you already have, be sure to check out CCC&TI’s personal enrichment courses, which are offered throughout the year on both campuses. Online registration makes it easy to get started. Current offerings include:

·     BEEKEEPING
This short course is getting a lot of buzz! Students are introduced to the basics of hobby beekeeping. They’ll learn about the different types of bees, basic beehive and frame construction, beekeeping tools, hive management, and honey production.

·     CRAFT BREWING
Cheers! This course teaches the fundamentals of beer and the brewing process, including basic ingredients, brewing and fermentation, bottling, sanitation and cleaning methods, tasting and critique.

·     MIXOLOGY
Want to know more about the art and craft of mixing drinks? This course will teach you how to make a variety of mixed drinks, from the classic favorites to the more exotic cocktails, and will let you in on some of the best tricks of the trade!

·     LANGUAGE LEARNING
Both American Sign Language (ASL) and Spanish classes are currently offered. The introductory ASL course is designed for students who want to work with the Deaf community or learn how to communicate with deaf family or friends. The Spanish classes are offered at three levels: Conversational I, Conversational II, and Spanish for Healthcare Providers.

·     MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
Get yer motor runnin’… Join one of three class levels – Basic, Experienced, Advanced – to sharpen your safety skills, master the rules of the road, and learn the best strategies for minimizing risk when you ride. 

·     DEFENSIVE DRIVING
It’s always a good idea to brush up on the basics of good driving, and this 4-hour course (offered weekly) can help you do it. It may also help you reduce the charges on certain traffic violations in any county that recognizes the NC Safety and Health Council program.

The Hudson campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is located on 98 acres off Highway 321 in Hudson NC. This is where you’ll want to take your courses if you live in, NC mountain communities near Lenoir, Granite Falls, or Hickory. If you’re closer to Boone or Blowing Rock, you may want to study at the Watauga campus, located off Highway 105 on Community College Drive. There’s also a Continuing Education Center on Bamboo Road in Boone. Whichever location you choose, you’re guaranteed a fun and memorable learning experience at a college that’s committed to learning excellence and educational opportunities for all.

Mountain living means waking up every day knowing the sky’s the limit. And when you live under a crystal Blue Ridge sky in one of the many lovely gated communities near Asheville NC – like those in Lenoir, Hickory, Blowing Rock, or Boone – you’ll awake each day to a life of truly extraordinary opportunities.

Lifelong learning in Lenoir is particularly wonderful when you’re living at The Coves Mountain River Club. This is a vibrant community of mountain lovers who know how to live life to the fullest. That’s why they’ve chosen a dream home in the foothills of NC, where beautifully designed estates with spacious floor plans offer long-range views of Table Rock, Grandfather Mountain, and Pisgah National Forest, guaranteeing a picturesque indulgence out every window or private wooded estates set in a forest.

Folks living at The Coves relish their social and recreational activities year-round in this mountain-river paradise, where the neighborhood lodge, community garden and vineyard, and exercise facility provide dozens of ways to socialize with neighbors and friends. Unless, of course, you’re in the mood for peace and solitude, in which case, a glorious escape to the horse stables, some sun salutations on a yoga mat at waterfall park, or a leisurely walk with the family pup along miles of hiking and biking trails might be the order of the day.

And when it’s time to follow up with homework from last night’s personal enrichment class at CCC&TI, The Coves residents might choose to read their course materials in the shade of a quiet garden gazebo, or practice their new mixology skills by hosting a tasting party with neighbors at the Pisgah Mountain Lodge. We’re pretty sure they’ll be more than happy to sample an exotic cocktail or two!

The adage is true – If you can dream it, you can do it! And there’s no better place to dream or to do than The Coves Mountain River Club in Lenoir NC.

Call us at 828.754.0700 to schedule your visit to this one-of-a-kind gated mountain community where new and exciting opportunities are yours for the taking, and beautiful Blue Mountain horizons are yours to broaden!

If you’re exploring real estate in the mountain towns in North Carolina for the first time, ask for our 84-page complimentary Western North Carolina Relocation Guide, which gives you more information about living in the foothills.