One of my favorite things to do in the Smoky Mountains is to and see the sunrise on the Foothills Parkway. There is something so spiritual about watching the rising sun fill the Valleys below. My favorite part of the sunrise are the moments before you even see the sun come over the top of the ridges. At this point, light already fills the sky and transforms a pitch black space into one that is glowing and illuminating all that it encounters as the rays are just beginning to stretch lazily over the peaks of the mountains.
Another one of my favorite parts of the sunrise is how it is constantly changing as the light floods the valleys and the fog rolls throughout the hills and mountains. I love how quickly everything changes and the fact that you can take the same image framing and shaping twice and never get the same view. I think it is fascinating how seemingly rushed and carefree process makes a scene that is so very beautiful. When I am watching the sunrise I am reminded that we all are constantly changed and shaped by our experiences and that even when I have a bit of fog come into my life or burn off, that it only helps make a more beautiful and perfect total image.
For me, sunrise is one of the most incredible parts of the day. It is both imperfect and totally perfect, messy and organized, chaotic and peaceful, just the beginning and a definite end. But most of all it extends a warm welcome to everyone who pauses to see it and accepts the messy, imperfection of our world and reminds us that life is truly a stunning sunrise.
