This post appears as the new About page on my site. I've written about myself on here a lot already, but I thought I'd put together something fun for yall to get to know me a little better. Hope you enjoy, and maybe learn a thing or two. As always, thank you for reading my work.
Visit my Now page to see what I'm up to now.
Storytelling
I call myself a traveling storyteller, the most concise description of what I do and what I'm good at. My creative projects force me to observe, talk with people, test my traveler skills and get cozy with uncertainty.
Number one goal? I allow my curiosity to lead me to good stories to tell. It's rare I schedule an interview or conversation. Instead, I let them come to me, but that requires I pay close attention.
I'm most interested in people and how they adapt to the roles they choose. Maybe that person is a world-traveling cyclist, a young business owner, a man who lives off-grid in the desert, a dude with a badass custom-built truck, or a jazz pianist & professor.
Aside from my personal creative projects, I also offer my storytelling services.
Writing
I also like to write about my own life, what life has taught me so far that I feel is worth sharing. Why not keep this to myself? I believe everyone has a unique story. How we became who we are, what makes us who we are, our struggles and victories. I'm curious what fuels people, the work they enjoy, and how they see themselves and their corner of the world. We can all learn from each other, not just the top experts.
Some might think writing about yourself is a self-obsessed endeavor, but I've found it to be humbling. I have an outlet to admit my faults, show my work in public and test ideas without fear of judgement. It's made me a better thinker, and I hope my words impact others in a positive way too.
Previous work
I graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2015. My first job fell in my lap in the form of an email from my photojournalism professor. To this day, it's the only job I've ever applied for, post-college. I worked as a reporter & photographer for a small-town newspaper in East Tennessee, population: 45,000.
I also designed the physical layout of the printed paper. I did this for two years, making $11 an hour. I wrote more than 500 stories and met many amazing people. This is when I fell in love with storytelling. (2015-2017)
I took the summer off to travel, and then found myself working on TV shows. For the next seven years, I worked on hundreds of episodes of 20+ shows (some short films and commercials too) with different production companies. I lived in the art department, designing sets and building props.
Sometimes we'd have 12-14 hour days, in the scorching heat or freezing cold. These jobs taught me patience, how to stay calm in stressful environments and endure long days of difficult work juggling many tasks at once. I loved my coworkers and the autonomy and creative freedom with this work. (2017-2024)
US road trips
I spent much of my 20s road-tripping the great USA. Add it all together, eight months of my life I've slept in cars night after night, cruising scenic highways and beautiful mountain passes by day. I love small-town America as much as the big cities. This country is full of surprises, just the way I like it. Here's my most recent road trip.
Many countries later
I spent six months outside the US within a year and a half period (2023-2025). But before turning 30, I'd never left the US, aside from a quick hop over to Canada. I was finally ready to get far away from my home country and see much of the world. Rather than do this in standard-vacation-spurts, I chose multi-month stints abroad. Here's that timeline.
A traveler's mindset
When I travel, I pay attention to how a place is as it stands today. While learning history and seeing the sights is great from time to time, I'm most interested in what makes a place special in the here and now. How do people live in this country, and what makes this culture unique? This is what I think about in foreign places.
When I first went to Europe, everything was fascinating, even the orange trash cans in Berlin. I had only the US to compare it to. I felt the same way arriving in Tokyo, my first stop in Asia. After bouncing around both continents, I'm still amazed everywhere I go, but now I have memories to compare a place to. I see bits of Italy in Spain, bits of Budapest in Prague, bits of Japan in Taiwan, bits of Guatemala in Vietnam.
I often travel without a plan, no itinerary, just a vague idea of where I might go. Curious wandering and observing, spontaneously diving into the unknown. My main goal is to always be surprised, and the surprise comes when I have little expectations. I believe that, "Wherever you are is where you're supposed to be." You have to trust that each decision you make is the best decision, and then go with the flow.
Going solo
"Why go alone, don't you get lonely?" Honestly, no. It's very rare. Friends and family are always a phone call away, and there's people everywhere you go. Traveling solo allows me to slow down, to follow any path that pulls me in, to take a guilt-free day of rest. I don't need permission to do anything.
I've lived alone for 10 years now, so I value that time to myself. I'm an extroverted person who needs his solitude. But it's not uncommon for me to feel the urge to make a friend, so I walk outside (or go to a hostel) and find someone to talk to. This never fails!
I love traveling with other people too! I could spend three days in Edinburgh by myself, and three days there with my family. A solo week in Taiwan, and a week with my girlfriend. These are two entirely different experiences. Every solo traveler knows this. Here's how to stay sane going solo.
My health & fitness
In 2014, I had an awful panic attack. The scariest moment of my life at that point, not knowing what it was. This was a wake up call for me to work on my health. I often wonder how much longer I would've delayed taking my health seriously if this never happened.
Lifting weights, cycling, running, hiking and kettlebells keep my body in shape. My workouts and focus on nutrition are long-standing habits for me now, and I've shared how I approach these here - foods / fitness / booze / sleep.
Minimalism, what is it?
People often mistake minimalism as hating wealth or material desires, but this is wrong, at least in my definition of it. By choosing less in one area, I've maximized it in another. I might be able to fit all my possessions into a pickup truck or a backpack, but I've also gone overboard on accumulating experiences and distances traveled.
My life is simple in some ways, I have few bills to pay and belongings to keep up with. But it's also complicated in other ways, like living without a home, a consistent paycheck or daily routine.
So long as that thing is a deliberate choice, this is what a minimalist thinks about. All wants and needs are clearly defined, not a subconscious reaction, like doing something because that's what everyone else does. Time is an asset I often think about, so maybe I optimize for that. To own less, but be wealthy with time.
Drumming
My drummer roots began in the church, playing double services, often subbing for my drum teacher in the adult band at 13 years old. Next was my first rock band, The Really Hot Naked Guys, a nod to our childish humor that's still strong as ever. I'd play shirtless and wear a vintage football helmet at basement house parties.
Milkshake Fatty was the next project I started alongside my friend Cameron in 2012. A college house party band that grew into a revolving door of the best musicians in town, playing gigs at clubs all over Knoxville, Tennessee, even going so far as Memphis and Atlanta a time or two. A mostly instrumental and improvisational group that plays a mix of jazz, pop, funk and blues, Fatty is still hittin today.
Music has always been for the joy of it, the fun of it. I earn income drumming, but I never wanted to pursue a career. I like playing MUSIC, but I'm not obsessed with the technicalities of drumming and mastering an instrument. I don't love drumming in that way, like most drummers. I just like to play music with my friends. I've played with many groups over the years, and the gigs continue to come and go.
Oh yeah, that one band...
Would be weird if I didn't mention that I've traveled all over the US many times over following a band on tour for the past 15 years. 77 shows now, and counting (yes, I keep a record.) The greatest band in the world, a band many people have never heard of or greatly misunderstand.
Each show features long-form improvisation, fiery rock n' roll, classical compositions, humor and a blend of other genres. The elements of surprise & spontaneity that I love so much about travel are mirrored in my love of Phish, the king of jam bands. Fans never know what's about to happen, and that's the biggest draw, the best part about it all.
Photography
I remember getting a point-and-shoot Kodak in the early days of digital cameras. That probably planted the seed for me. I was hooked when I snagged my first DSLR for my high school photography classes. I had a crush on my teacher, her enthusiasm and incredible talents were infectious. Best teacher I ever had, she changed my life forever by encouraging me to shoot away.
From local news to TV shows to now YouTube, capturing life in a frame is as natural as walking and eating for me. It's been a few years since I last picked up a "real camera." I mostly use my phone for stills now, and my DJI action cam for video.
I love that this blog has become an outlet for me to share more photos. It feels strange to know that I have many thousands of photos that have hardly seen the light of day, hidden away in digital folders, crying out for attention. I should post more! My photos here.
Everything I make is here — loganletsgo.com
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