Finding Peace in Motion: A Drive Through Pigeon Forge and Beyond

Sometimes I just need to drive. No plan, no destination — just me, my camera, and the road.

Last week, I drove through Pigeon Forge as the sun started to drop behind the mountains. You could smell campfire smoke drifting through the cool air. The light hit the pavement in long gold streaks, and for a second, it felt like time slowed down.

I pulled off near one of those roadside pullovers — the kind everyone passes but nobody stops at — and started shooting through the car window. Reflections. Lens flares. Imperfect angles. The little things that don’t make sense until later.

Back home, I dropped the footage into DaVinci Resolve, threw one of my Japanese-inspired LUTs on it, and it hit me: the emotion wasn’t in the subject. It was in the feeling — the movement, the sound of tires, the glow of evening.

That’s what I want to keep exploring — how motion becomes meditation.

If you ever find yourself in East Tennessee this season, take a drive just before sunset. Bring your camera, roll the window down, and chase the light. You might not find a perfect shot, but you’ll probably find a piece of yourself.