ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) – A filmmaker who travels across the country looking for unique people and their stories has made his way to Elizabethton. His series on YouTube is called “Once a Stranger.”

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Scott Gerke, a Key West local that many of you know – or will know real soon. He created the Key West Full Moon Experience, has an event company, is a local DJ, took a stranger on the most epic Key West adventure – and suffers from anxiety.

EVERYWHERE – What do you do when a global pandemic wipes out everything you hold dear – your job, your home, your future prospects? Well, if you’re Scott Gerke, you sell off pretty much everything you own and hit the road.

Keys resident Scott Gerke isn’t afraid to discuss what he calls a “sh*t storm of a summer” last year. Spiraling into a dark hole of his own, Gerke battled depression and anxiety from things that didn’t go the way he hoped.

Two friends rang in the new year by kiteboarding more than 100 miles from their launch spot in Key Largo — all while raising money for a worthy cause.

As the only boy surrounded by three sisters growing up in a conservative household, I always had a desire for freedom.

With a smile on his face and camera in hand, Key West resident Scott Gerke explores the power of human connection through a simple “hello.”