The Charlottesville 29

My initial plan for the article Living the Dream, which celebrates Americans by Choice who make the Charlottesville food community a better place, was for each participant simply to share what The American Dream means to them. That’s it. A one-line bio, a photo, and a quote about their conception of The American Dream.

But, not long into research for the article it became apparent that a one-line bio would be almost impossible. Each American by Choice had too compelling a story to omit. I am honored and grateful that Jen Naylor, Myriam Hernandez, Charanjeet Ghotra, Deniz Dikmen, Mirahmad Mirzai, and Nancy and Sing Yu all shared their stories with me.

I am also grateful for two other participants in Living the Dream. As I have seen many times during a decade of writing about the Charlottesville food community, it is a group that never stops looking out for one another. When one has a need, others rush to fill it. Two of its strongest supporters are Watermark Design and Justin Ide, and both eagerly leant their assistance to the Living the Dream project. Watermark Design donated the logo for the piece, and Justin Ide volunteered his services for the photography. Their work made outstanding additions, and I greatly appreciate both.