The Heart Behind Venture Out

Have you ever wanted something so badly, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it? You have random ideas swirling around in your head, but there's nothing substantial to work with. Well, that's how I felt about blogging. That is until one cold, sleepless night in Chicago. 


My mother-in-law and I went to Chicago to run the CHITOWN 10K. After our three hour drive, we walked an hour from our hotel to Lou Malnati's, our favorite restaurant for deep-dish pizza. We stuffed our faces with the most delicious pizza in Chicago, decided there was still room for cupcakes from Sprinkles, and headed back to our hotel. You'd think after a full day and over two hours of walking I'd be ready to sleep, but my brain had other ideas... literally. 
My Youtube binge channel is Strictly Dumplings by Mike Chen (yes, this is a shameless plug). After discovering his channel, I wanted to start my own version, but the industry seems saturated in quality review videos. But what if I was able to add a local twist? The ideas started rolling again. At (or around) midnight, inspiration struck me, and I haven't been able to shake the excitement since. 


Venture Out is a blog that shows my local adventures. As a wife, homeowner, and teacher, I don't have the luxury of packing my bags and traveling the world. What I do have is several beautiful downtown areas all within a 40 minute drive. Why go out of the country when I have world-renowned locations in my own backyard? There are gems just waiting to be uncovered, and I want to bring you along on my journey. 


My desire is that you, as the reader, are inspired to discover new locations near you, whether that be restaurants, coffee bars, breweries, or stores. The possibilities are endless. If you're single, married, or with a family, you have the opportunity to venture out and enjoy the unique locations and events in your neighborhood. I'm excited to show you what's in mine as I venture out and put my own twist on wanderlust.