Sorsby said while the state parks challenge shaped how he travels around the state, he’s nowhere near the end of exploring and telling the stories of the places he visits through video. He has a growing master list of places to visit, with messaging him recommendations on social media. He plans to keep visiting parks, trails, rivers and historic sites, digging up the history of each place.
“That’s been an incredibly gratifying portion of all this,” Sorsby said. “Hopefully inspiring other people to get outside and get active and find the beauty in the good things in your area, because when you start looking for it, you definitely find it.”
Some of Sorsby’s followers are students who came across his videos without knowing he is an alumnus. Maria Castro, anthropology senior, discovered Sorsby’s videos on Instagram reels. Castro said as a homebody, she found the videos make her appreciate nature more, especially since she’s not from Texas.
“[Sorsby’s] videos are really appealing to somebody who is not from here because it actually piques your interest and makes you want to explore the state a little bit more,” Castro said.
Keith Michael, singer/songwriter of Etta Place, introduced his girlfriend to Sorsby’s videos. The couple references Sorsby’s page when deciding where to explore in their free time. Michael discovered Sorsby’s account when he was closer to several
thousand followers.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is cool,’” Michael said. “What he’s doing – he should have more followers than this. I’ve watched his account grow over maybe the past year or so, and it’s cool. There’s almost this element of living vicariously through him.”
To follow up with Sorsby’s plans, visit his Instagram or TikTok accounts at @jsorsby.