After graduating from Central Michigan University, I moved back to Detroit, and took a marketing & events gig at a publishing company, but have always had my sights set on fabulous Chicago. I remember sitting on a white and purple bedspread at
12-years-old flipping through the pages of Teen Vogue and Girls Life with those big city dreams, and they've never wavered as the place I could see myself living and doing what I love – write. So, in a true Colleen fashion, I made it my goal to move here. 

 

Add to the mix a new, awesome relationship with someone who's as supportive of my goals with just as much determination, and the two of us started the equal parts exhilarating and challenging journey to end up in the city we both love. 

 

I've only been living in Chicago for a few months, but I've been hooked since I got off the Amtrak at Union Station.

 

My train rolled in on a chilly March afternoon. I walked into our new place, where unpacked boxes still littered the bare floor. I shed the bags from my shoulders and found the spiral steps that lead to the rooftop of my Lincoln Park apartment building. With the lake on my left, sun setting to my right, and the the dots of high-rise windows beginning to illuminate one by one, I don't know if there's ever been a sensation that's made me feel as full, yet so small as I did in that moment. 

 

Way up there, I saw a whole city I can explore, and on the ground, there's no shortage of opportunity to do just that.

 

From diverse people and food to historic architecture and glossy storefronts, this city is filled to the brim with things to do and see. I'll be writing, snapping and sharing my experiences as the new local that I am. And I'm just beginning to scratch the surface.

 

Whether you're interested in exploring the city through my POV, keeping tabs on my life after Detroit (I'm talking to you, mom), or just stumbled on this scrolling Instagram, I hope you enjoy! And if you're a Chicago native who knows the good spots, let's chat.

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