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Amorphophallus titanum - corpse flower - at Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle, Washington.
September 9, 2016
in food, North America, travel, United States, Washington

Five Days in Seattle

I'd been to Seattle three times before. The first time, in 2009, I did everything my guidebook told me to do there. The second, in 2011, I explored for a few hours between a train from Vancouver and a flight back to Chicago. And the...

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HOPE Outdoor Gallery in Austin, Texas.
September 6, 2016
in 40×40 List, Austin, North America, Texas, travel, United States

On Austin. And hope. (HOPE Outdoor Gallery in Austin, Texas.)

A few weeks ago, I had a day. A day where I was both upset over something and excited about something and my emotions were all over the place. And all I kept thinking, all that day, was, "I need change." "I need to make my...

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Brisket plate with jalapeno cheese grits and campfire chili beans at Micklethwait Craft Meats food truck in Austin, Texas.
August 29, 2016
in 40×40 List, Austin, food, North America, Texas, travel, United States

Life List #216: Eat everything in Austin, Texas.

I had but one goal for my four-night vacation in Austin, Texas: eat everything. Austin's food scene excited me. The city is probably best known for tacos and Tex-Mex and barbecue. And who wouldn't be excited for tacos and Tex-Mex and barbecue? But it...

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New York from New Jersey.
July 8, 2016
in New York, North America, travel, United States

New York. This Year.

I spent Fourth of July weekend in New York. Obviously. It was my eighth visit since my first time in 1999 and my seventh Fourth of July spent in the city since 2007. Whew. I was there, mainly, for the annual hot dog eating contest but,...

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Garden of the Gods - Shawnee National Forest
October 8, 2015
in Illinois, North America, Road Trip, United States

Garden of the Gods at Shawnee National Forest.

The observation walk at Shawnee National Forest's Garden of the Gods is a quarter mile loop. I knew that because I'd Googled it that morning and thought, "oh, that's nothing." That's less than what I'd walk to get groceries. That's probably less than I'd walk...

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Giant Corn Field
October 5, 2015
in Illinois, Indiana, North America, Ohio, Road Trip, Roadside Attractions, travel, United States

Road trips and roadside attractions.

I didn't sell my car before I left to travel the world. I kept it in my mom's garage with strict orders to run it every once in a while and to have my sister drive it whenever she came by. Of course, when I came...

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Chevy Trax on the Missisippi RIver
October 2, 2015
in Illinois, North America, Road Trip, United States

Driving the Great River Road in Illinois.

Two green and white signs at the fork in the road pointed in two directions: straight and left. Both were marked "Illinois Great River Road." I pressed my foot against the brake, slowing the car to a 15-mile-per-hour crawl and tried to determine which arrow...

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Warren Dunes in Michigan
September 1, 2015
in Chicago Life, Illinois, Michigan, North America, United States

August. Because somehow it’s September.

I feel like I've been saying this every month lately: Where did last month go? But now I have an addition: where did the summer go? Seriously, how is it September? How has the summer ended? How have I made it through May and June and...

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Men's Contest at the 2015 Nathan's Famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest
July 10, 2015
in competitive eating, Fourth of July, New York, North America, travel, United States

Every Dog Has His Day.

On July 4, 2007, at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Joey Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs to Takeru Kobayashi's 63. It was a historic feat: no one had ever out-eaten 6-time champion Kobayashi in hot dogs and some speculated that no one ever would....

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Nathan's After Party at Professor Thom's
July 7, 2015
in competitive eating, New York, North America, travel, United States

A New York Minute.

It was in bar in Sevilla, Spain, many years ago now, when a fellow backpacker asked me what I liked most about traveling. I paused for a moment before saying, "When you're home and wake up the first thing you think is, 'what do I...

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Hi, I’m Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the teal couch. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. I lived my life in limbo. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After 3 years on the road I’m back in Chicago, exploring the city, learning guitar, decorating my apartment in too much teal, cuddling my cats, and planning my next adventures.

            

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


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2006 –

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


Feeling stuck? Sick of living your life in limbo? Want to finally do all those things you always say you're going to do? Sign up for the Choosing Figs newsletter now to get a FREE e-book with tips on starting your own life list, inspiration for things to do in life, and worksheets to get your life goals out of your head and into action!


Your information will be used to send you our Life List e-book and subscribe you to our bi-monthly newsletter. View our full Privacy Policy.



            


MEOW | Is Val in Chicago?

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