Metro On The Move Hiker Spotlight

By Steve Barrett
Creative Content Writer For Hilltop Packs

Andrew Miller is on the move. And he hopes all hiking and backpacking enthusiasts across the nation will join him for the ride.

Miller is the creator of the “Metro on the Move” YouTube channel, which showcases videos addressing a wide array of topics geared to appeal to hikers and backpackers of all ages and all walks of life.

The Atlanta, Georgia native's passion for the outdoors started at a young age, when he became involved with the Royal Rangers, an organization similar to the Boy Scouts.

“As part of the Rangers, we would go out camping and hiking, and we'd learn how to do so many wonderful things such as building campfires and tying knots,” Miller said. “I have always been an outdoorsy type of person, and as I progressed through my life I always made time to go hiking.”

As for backpacking, Miller said his love for that has evolved over time.

“It's more complex than hiking, because it requires you to take your entire camp on your back,” he said. “Over the past 10 years, backpacking has gradually developed into something I enjoy doing.”

Although the self-proclaimed Southerner and his wife have resided in Georgia for over 20 years, Miller's early years saw him and his family leading very different lives.

“My parents were missionaries, and we lived all over the world,” he said. “At the time before moving to the United States, we were living in Hong Kong. In fact, I like to joke that my brother was made in Hong Kong. We then moved here when I was 7 or 8, and that's when I got involved with Royal Rangers.”

He also recalled his biggest hiking trip, when he was 17 years old.

“I went to north Georgia mountains and was able to experience the Appalachian trail for the first time,” he said. “I started off at Raven Cliff Falls, did a beautiful waterfall hike, did some exploring and saw overlooks. It was magnificent.

“I just realized that this was a trail I wanted to explore at a very young age, and since then I have always used that particular memory as an inspiration to go back to the trail and do little section hikes on the weekends or even over a week,” he continued. “The Appalachian Trail in Georgia is one of my favorite places to be.”

As for how his YouTube channel began, Miler said in 2010 he started shooting videos and sharing them online. He got more serious about starting up a channel following a life-changing experience.

“I was visiting with a friend of mine who had a heart attack and died pretty much right in front of me on the spot ... I was performing CPR and I saw the light go out of his eyes,” he recalled. “At that point, I looked at my life as a whole and I realized, hey, I live in the city, I'm not doing a lot of living outside ... I'm constantly indoors and I'm feeling like my life is passing me by. I wanted to make the most of every single day moving forward, especially going through an experience like that, and I realized how quickly life can be over.”

Miller said he just wanted to get out and start enjoying nature, so he started going to local places that he knew of and realized how hard it was to figure out all of these different trails and places to hike.

“That could be very cumbersome,” he said. “There wasn't a lot of information for me to pick up, especially in Georgia, so what my mission turned to turned to was, okay, I'm going to start doing the research and find these places and I'm going to start shooting videos so others who might be in the city, i.e. people in the metro areas, would have the resources that would allow them to research areas and to get a better understanding of what these trails would entail … so it might inspire them to say, hey, if this guy can go out and hike these trails, I could probably do it too.”

Miller said the channel is about giving viewers information or at least an overview of what hiking a particular trail would entail, because every trail is different.

“It's a lot easier to digest this kind of information when you have a video as a reference,” he explained. “So, for Metro on the Move, my entire mission was to find new places to explore, film that experience, share that with others to inspire others to live healthier lifestyles, and to make the most of every day. That's where the tagline 'Let's Keep Moving' comes from. It's all about staying in motion.”

He added that a goal of the channel is to help people get comfortable finding places and then going out without fear, especially since there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to backpacking in the wilderness.

Lest anyone think hiking and backpacking are his only passions, Miller – like so many other enthusiasts – finds balance in his life between those activities and full-time employment.

He is currently a senior director of marketing and sales for a technology company, and has worked in advertising since his 20s, working as print production artist and art director, moving into client services and then marketing and sales.

“My role from a day-to-day perspective is to go out and spread the word about promotions, products and services and companies of all sizes to inquire about our services,” he said.

Miller said he has been able to find balance between his day-to-day job, his marriage and his passion for hiking and backpacking. And he hopes that by viewing his videos on his “Metro on the Move” YouTube channel, people will be able to enjoy those activities even more.

“When you look back at your life, it's all about memories and experiences, and without a doubt, hiking experiences offer really awesome opportunities to experience nature as well as connect with others who are like minded and have the passion for the outdoors,” he said. “If you're looking to get started into the world of hiking, the first thing I would say is do what you like to do, don't compare yourself to anyone. If you want to walk 10 miles, 30 miles or 2 miles, do what's best for you.

“And most importantly,” he concluded, “do what makes you happy. Just get out there and explore. It's wonderful out there.”

Check out Metro On The Move:

https://www.youtube.com/c/MetroOnTheMovehttps://www.instagram.com/metroonthemove