Searching for Home. Leg 1: Chattanooga, TN to Charlottesville, VA

Several years ago, I made a huge change in my life: I quit my job in Chattanooga, TN so that I could move back to Colorado to be near my family and the home that I loved.

I decided that to commemorate the 9 years I'd lived East of the Mississippi, I would take a grand road trip to visit all of my friends in the Eastern US, and that in the process I'd contemplate the meaning of "home" and explore some new places.

So I set out from Chattanooga on the morning of October 5, 2011, and headed to Virginia. I wanted to drive a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA on my way to the first town on my itinerary, Charlottesville, VA.

Here's the first road sign I snapped, showing me turning North towards Bristol, TN:

My first signpost for the Blue Ridge Parkway!

It was getting late as I turned onto the Parkway....

so I pulled in at the first campground I found and turned in for the night. The next morning, I "enjoyed" a hot cup of instant coffee, and set off again!

Had to sneak in a picture of my dear car at my campsite, the Dragonfly:

As I was driving along, I discovered a delightfully pointy mountain and some signage that suggested I could climb it if I wanted!

So I climbed it! I wish I remembered the name of the mountain; I suppose I could probably look it up without too much trouble. Here's a view from the top:

The rest of the drive was great that day. Beautiful clear October skies in the mountains of Western Virginia. At last, I found myself in Charlottesville, VA, home of the great University of Virginia:

I was there to visit my friend Kelley, whom I'd adventured with the past summer around Tennessee and Georgia.

Stay tuned for the next leg of my journey!