In 2012, Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn road tripped around the American South on a quest to learn the secrets of good BBQ (and to meet Dolly Parton). That journey eventually led to the opening of the Hang Fire Smokehouse Kitchen in my home town of Barry. 🙂

There are so many parts to the Hang Fire story that I love.

It takes tremendous bravery to leave a comfortable job to pursue the great unknown, and I admire stories of anyone who has done so. I also admire the part companies like Hang Fire are playing in the regeneration of Barry.

In addition, Hang Fire’s site just so happens to be hosted by WordPress.com, the company that I work for and also the company where I’ve learned so much about BBQ. 😀 WordPress was proudly “born in Texas” and it’s not uncommon for employees of Automattic, no matter which of the 50+ represented countries that they come from, to greet each other with a “Howdy”. Our CEO’s self-given job title is even “Chief BBQ Taste Tester”.

I have fond memories of drinking Hurricanes along Bourbon Street and listening to jazz music while in NOLA. I’d love to explore more of the American South.

All of this to say: I have wanted to go to Hang Fire for many months now and finally got the chance today! Dolly Parton’s Jolene played in the background as we walked in, followed by other country tunes, and the food was as delicious as the Smokehouse smell promised it would be.

I love the part travel played in the Hang Fire story the most. So much of our day-to-day experiences, from the food we eat to the music we listen to, are influenced by where we come from. The world would be a duller place without the diversity of experiences (and tastes) that travel brings back to our home lives.