Speaker Tom Goodwin: I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was Thursday, August 1, 1991. I had fallen in love with this Southern belle, Susan Egli. I was smitten. In our dating relationship, I discovered that she was from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I'd never been to Gatlinburg, so I decided it was important to meet her parents. My first time in Gatlinburg was pretty historic for me because I was meeting my girlfriend's parents. If you know anything about meeting your girlfriend's parents, as a parent of five daughters, I would be nervous just meeting the potential son-in-law. So I was in that position. I was driving from Chicago; I'm a Yankee, born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. I was driving to Gatlinburg for the first time, and I had no idea what was in store for me. I remember so vividly entering into the spur, which is a part of the national park that connects Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. In 1991, Pigeon Forge had four lanes of traffic going back and forth, a lot of attractions—dinosaurs, sharks, putt-putt golf, and all those things. I thought, wow! I didn't really think Susan was from this area. But then I entered into the spur and thought, this feels a lot more like the girl I'm dating. It was serene; it was beautiful, and it was such a great moment to collect my thoughts. I was nervous about meeting her parents. Driving the two or three miles on the spur into Gatlinburg, I had no idea what awaited me. I had no idea that I would then meet her parents and they would transform my life. I married Susan the next year and fell in love with Gatlinburg. Many of you have a similar story; you can remember the first time you came to Gatlinburg or maybe you were born here and are a local. For those visiting Gatlinburg who consider it your second home, this podcast is for you. It's also for the people of Gatlinburg and those who have yet to discover its incredible beauty and fall in love with it. On this podcast, we're going to tell stories—such an incredible vehicle to transport people out of life's difficulties into a new reality. The stories we'll tell are all true; we're not making them up. We will share these stories through people who also love Gatlinburg. Maya Angelou writes in a significant quote that captures why we’re doing this podcast: "There’s no greater agony than burying an untold story inside of you." As I met my in-laws, who at that point had been running Mountain Laurel Chalets for 29 years and were deeply invested in the community, many people considered them the matriarch and patriarch of Gatlinburg. They moved to Gatlinburg in the '50s; they got engaged on top of Mount Leconte; they hiked in the national park; they explored all the wildflowers; they knew every back road. Imagine falling in love with Gatlinburg in the '50s—those are some stories we want to tell. Unfortunately, my in-laws have passed away, and it's those stories we don't want to miss. Hundreds of people have similar experiences with Gatlinburg—locals who have lived here for generations and newcomers who have just recently moved here. These stories will present and reflect a heart for Gatlinburg. You will resonate with them and be excited to tune in every week as we've recorded several episodes already; each one is a standalone story with a unique perspective. I love that our guests on the podcast thus far have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share their stories. On November 12, we look forward to launching our first three episodes of For the Love of Gatlinburg. These episodes will feature Mike Werner, the current mayor of Gatlinburg; Cindy Cameron Ogle, the longest-serving city manager in Gatlinburg's history; and Chad Netherland, who is currently the CEO and president of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. All three episodes will launch on November 12th, and then every Tuesday afterward we'll release a new podcast episode. These podcasts are sponsored by Mountain Laurel Chalets, which has served the Gatlinburg community for 52 years. Make sure to subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast platform and like and follow us on our Facebook page, which will be included in the comments. Tell your friends—we're going to dive into the heart of Gatlinburg together every Tuesday. We look forward to you joining us!