I currently live in southeast Louisiana and I love to grill. I have a few friends who recently purchased a Big Green Egg and it has peaked my interest to try a little smoking. I am currently in the process of selecting a smoker on a tight budget. I think I have decided to get the MES30 with AMNPS. Based on what I have read, that would be a good entry level smoker before jumping into something a little more expensive. I look forward to reading a lot and will be asking a lot of questions.