Inspiration from Appalachian's

For as long as I can remember, I've had a deep yearning to live in the Appalachia mountains. There's just something about the rugged beauty of the landscape, the sense of isolation and self-sufficiency, and the rich cultural heritage of the region that speaks to me.

When I first planned on moving to North Carolina, I had my heart set on the mountains of Western NC. However, I changed my plans to move near my son and his family who were stationed at Ft Bragg. Although I never stopped wanting to live in the mountains, I chose to be closer to my family. Although I was not not in the mountains, I would always watch every episode of NC "Our State" on PBS and especially loved all the episodes of the people that lived in Western NC.

But the yearning to live in the mountains persisted, and when I had the opportunity to fulfill that dream, I didn't hesitate. I moved to the Tennessee mountains, close to the state lines of Virginia and Kentucky. For a few years, I was blessed to live among the natural beauty of the region, and it was even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, especially the people that called it home. That is where I met my friend Vicky and we have been best friends ever since, and, in fact she is is one of the mamaws here on Hearts of Appalachia.

Living in the mountains was an experience that left an indelible mark on me, and since then, I have been trying to get back to the mountains. Now that my son has moved on from the military, I still feel a pull towards the mountains and long to return to that rugged and awe-inspiring landscape.

But that hasn't stopped me from immersing myself in the world of Appalachia as much as possible. For the last four years, I've turned to YouTube to get my fix of all things mountain life. I've found four channels that really capture the essence of what it's like to live in the mountains, both past and present.

I started watching Shane Simmons channel about 4 years ago. At that time it was just him traveling and the places that he visited were so fascinating, the more that I watched just affirmed why I wanted to live in Appalachia.

Melody has joined him on the videos and she has been amazing and the two of them together have created some awesome videos. Check them out at Real Appalachia. They even have a 2nd channel, ( Real Shane and Melody ), kind of a behind the scenes look and they give a tremendous amount of insight on just what Appalachia means to them. Their personalities are as big as their love of Appalachia!

I found Ignited Coyote's channel about the same time I found Real Appalachia. He and his wife and many times her dad, travel to the different mountain towns introducing us to the places, people and the amazing food. He has a very outgoing personality and he makes watching his videos a lot of fun.

I loved his videos because many of them were about the area in SW Virginia that I would be moving to. I was able to visit my friend in the summer of 21' and when we drove by places and eateries he had in his videos I would get really excited and say That's where Ignited Coyote went! It's a totally different feeling to see something on tv and then actually see it in person. I was going to try and reach out to him and his wife to see if we could meet up, but, my trip got shortened so I hope to do that when I move back. He has over 480 videos on his channel that gives you an up close and personal view of all the amazing Appalachian towns and the amazing people that call them home.

Celebrating Appalachia has over an amazing 1300 videos filled with everything you'd ever want to know about living in Appalachia past and present. She started out with her blog "Blind Pig and the Acorn" in 2008

She shares a little of everything in her life including her family, cooking Appalachian meals and desserts, which actually remind me of my Granny's cooking. She shares stories from the past, the dialects of the region and her families love of the music of Appalachia. Her family including her two wonderful daughters have played the instruments used to make sacred mountain music. Above all, she shares her faith that resonates through Appalachia. I've learned so much about the customs and traditions of Appalachia, it gives me a yearning to learn about my family's roots that grow deep in the mountains.

Her daughters also have a wonderful channel you can check out at The Pressley Girls

You can close your eyes and listen to Donnie Laws stories and you would think you had been transported directly to the early days of Southern Appalachia. He has said people have asked him if his accent he was using fake or real, and, he will gladly tell you "Yes it is real."

He's from the mountains of Eastern Tennessee and is a master Appalachian storytelling and each time you'll travel back to the past and how families persevered through hard times and came out stronger on the other side. He shares the beauty, history, places and the people of Appalachia. He truly loves Appalachia and preserving the history.

Through these channels, I've been able to explore small mountain towns, learn about the unique challenges and joys of living in such an isolated environment, and get a glimpse into the daily lives of families who call the Appalachia mountains home. I've watched these videos so many times , (Much to the chagrin of my son), that I feel like I know these people and places intimately.