So Kyle and I did a thing – a big thing! We decided to completely change our lives, take what we learned and experienced, and follow our dreams. If you follow us on Instagram, you probably already know what I’m talking about. Kyle and I decided to quit our jobs, leave Chicago, and travel the world! No, we’re not kidding!! But let me back up a bit and share the entire story with you.
Our Story and Why We Left Chicago
A couple of years ago, 8.5 years to be exact, Kyle and I met studying abroad in Finland, fell in love, and started travelling around Europe. You can read our full story in the About Us section. That’s when the travel bug bit us. And as they say, there is no cure for it! Fast forward a few years, Kyle started reading a few overland blogs and that’s where he got the idea of travelling through South America in a car and tent. It took him a few years to convince me that this was a great idea but after I spent a few years working on my career in finance, I was also dreaming of exploring the world.
Other than the tent thing. I couldn’t envision myself sleeping in a tent for more than 5 days (we tried that in Colorado, read about our scary bear situation), so we decided on a pop-up camper instead, which we call Swifty (it's the Four Wheel Campers Swift Model).
In September 2019, we sold our apartment in Chicago, bought a pop-up camper for our truck, and set sail to spend some time with Kyle’s family in Vancouver, Canada before we would venture to South America in our camper. If you want to follow along our trip, make sure you follow us on Instagram and sign up for The Next Trip newsletter!
Of course, leaving Chicago was not an easy task. During the 4.5 years we lived there, we met amazing people and made wonderful connections. Saying goodbye to our friends would require an adequate goodbye party!
The Farewell Party at Happy Camper
I was dreaming of having a party and inviting all the amazing girls I met in Chicago over the years. And no place would be more fitting than having the party at Happy Camper – a really cool restaurant with an airy and super cute decorated rooftop in Wrigleyville! I worked with Brianne from Marquette Avenue Events to put everything together! I don’t know what I would have done without her as I was so busy preparing for our move that I hardly had time to think about planning the Farewell!
Happy Camper reserved part of their rooftop for us and made sure we got delicious food and drinks all night. I personally am a fan of the Mom pizza, which is a veggie pizza with no cheese but just as good as a regular pizza! If you’re not familiar with Happy Camper and have never been, I can highly recommend a visit to either their Old Town or newly opened Wrigleyville location.
Both locations feature real camper caravans inside the restaurant and the Wrigleyville location is decorated to melt every Instagrammer’s heart.
From the turquoise chairs (you know they had me then), to the yellow umbrellas, disco ball, and chandeliers, everything at Happy Camper is designed with a lot of thought.
The outdoor rooftop area is covered in fake grass to give you the perfect summer vibes, even if the Chicago weather doesn’t always comply.
Happy Camper Farewell Party Guest Gallery
The farewell party at Happy Camper would not have been the same without my incredible guests and wonderful blogger community I have met in Chicago. All of these girls have become a substantial part of my life and I am incredibly grateful for each and everyone of them. Talking to bloggers in different cities, they describe their local industry as very competitive – contrary to Chicago. In Chicago, I truly had the feeling that everyone wanted to support each other and help each other succeed.
One of the most supportive people I have met in this industry is Marii, the owner and founder of Swirl and Sparkle and Sparkle in the City PR. She started her business by creating her own make-up brush cleansers which are the only thing that got me to clean my brushes (I’m sure you know what I mean when I say washing brushes is a task) and I am sure she will go far in life. As a party favor, she created The Next Trip branded cleansers which are so cute – I wanted to keep them all.
These are the girls that made my night at Happy Camper. I am grateful to have met all of them and will miss them dearly.
Thank you to Happy Camper Wrigleyville and Brianne from Marquette Avenue Events to make this Farewell Party so special!
