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What to do at the Wisconsin State Fair.
August 19, 2018
in travel, United States, Wisconsin

What to do at the Wisconsin State Fair

Two weeks ago, I had no idea what to do at the Wisconsin State Fair. Or, I guess, any state fair. I'd never been to one before and only had a vague idea of what to expect: farm animals, carnival rides, and a lot of...

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Darron Breeden wins the Wisconsin State Fair World Cheese Curd Eating Championship
August 12, 2018
in competitive eating, United States, Wisconsin

The Wisconsin State Fair World Cheese Curd Eating Championship

I can't remember the last time, outside of Nathan's Famous on the Fourth of July, that I saw such a large crowd gather to watch an eating contest. Fire marshals walked the aisles to clear the path of stragglers. Families were sitting on each other's...

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Walking The High Line in New York City.
July 22, 2018
in New York, travel, United States

New York. State of Mind.

It had been two years since I last took a vacation. Two years since I boarded a plane. Two years since I left Illinois, the Chicagoland area, at all. I hardly believed it myself when I went to write that in an Instagram caption three weeks...

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Joey Chestnut wins the 2018 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest on the Fourth of July at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.Joey Chestnut wins the 2018 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest on the Fourth of July at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
July 8, 2018
in competitive eating, New York

The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on the Fourth of July

I used to watch the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on TV every Fourth of July. For some people, Independence Day meant fireworks, barbecues, parades. But, for me, it meant sitting in front of ESPN and watching a row of gurgitators consume as many...

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The Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans.
October 24, 2016
in Louisiana, New Orleans, travel, United States

New Orleans. Alone.

I love traveling alone. By myself. Solo. I mean, I've traveled all around the world by myself. Traveling alone, I can be on my own schedule. I can do what I want to do. And only what I want to do. I can go where...

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TLife List: See a psychic. Getting a tarot card reading in New Orleans. arot cards in a voodoo shop in New Orleans.
September 29, 2016
in Life List, Louisiana, New Orleans, travel, United States

Life List #119: See a psychic. (New Orleans tarot reading.)

I may be one of the most skeptical people you'll ever meet. For every extreme political meme you post on Facebook I immediately go to Snopes to fact check. I assume all news stories are grossly exaggerated. I assume all personal stories are grossly exaggerated. I...

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Life List #115: Eat beignets from Café Du Monde in New Orleans.
September 26, 2016
in food, Life List, Louisiana, New Orleans, travel, United States

Life List #115: Eat Café Du Monde beignets in New Orleans.

When you think of New Orleans you might think of The French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, streetcars, jazz...

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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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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.

            

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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?