A month (or two) in the Smokys

My first adventure begins with my favorite place to witness the fall. Eastern Tennessee has huge mountains, beautiful waterways and waterfalls. And when the leaves start to turn and the wildlife begin to 'bulk up' for hibernation the Smoky mountains become magic. There is a reason it is the most visited National Park in the country, and the fall is their peak season. I want to come down to film it all. Here is how I did it.

Step one, I needed a remote job. I began searching for a company that would support my want to travel frequently. It didn't take long. My cloud experience is pretty valuable at the moment and I am glad I am taking advantage. I'll be posting two articles about cloud tech I have been working here soon. Next, how to travel?

I had an older Subaru Forester. I loved it. It had 130,000 miles on it but it ran well and if I needed to take long trips I would just rent a car. This would not work for what I want to do so I bought a new Forester. It has the room to hold what I want to take. I can sleep in it if I want to camp on the roadside to get morning shots and a factory warranty I am certain I will put to the test. I know when most people think of digital nomad they imagine the Mercedez Vans or Airstream Trailers... Truth is I don't like living somewhere that cramped, so i had to find places to stay.

Step three, I found several sites that offer month to month apartments, condos or houses that are fully furnished and utilities included. This makes controlling my rent expenses easy since I have one bill to pay and no hassle of constantly turning services on and off. I like having a place to call basecamp, where I can work that has reliable internet which is a work requirement of mine. Next, what to take?

Step four, I picked up three 37 gallon storage bins which occupy the majority of the back of my vehicle. In them I have enough clothing for a little over two weeks including hiking and workout clothes, outerwear for various seasons, hiking gear, climbing gear, camera equipment and my work and personal workstations. I also have my guitar and room for a bike but I left it behind and decided to rent one if I needed it while I'm here.

After a two day trip down here with a stop in Beckley, West Virginia I arrived at the end of September. Over the next few weeks I am using drone footage, camera shots and time lapses to capture the beauty that is the Smokies. I have several things planned and I will start sharing them here as well as on my social media.

Thank you for stopping by. If you have any questions about my journey, i'd be happy to discuss.

-jc