Now that I’m settled in Chicago, it’s time to start thinking about trips I can take around the area. There are plenty of places I missed on my 4-month journey that could be worth checking out.
For city life, there’s Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Columbus and St. Louis.
For touristy stuff, there’s Michael Jackson’s childhood home in Gary, Indiana.
For nature, there’s a lot of forested land in northern Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota that I never made it to. Maybe I can see more bears!
There are interesting small towns in Wisconsin and Missouri. Maybe I’ll even check out western Kentucky, seeing as how I only spent 15 minutes in that state.
And then there are those elusive two states of the lower 48 that I haven’t made it to yet: The Dakotas! A quick Google Map check reveals that Chicago to Sioux Falls, South Dakota is a 9-hour drive. That could be doable in one day.
Yes, I’m getting the travel bug again. And since I’m currently working from home as a freelance writer, I can travel whenever I please. As long as my funds hold up, I do think I’ll be hitting the road again, sooner rather than later!
9000 Miles 
Milwaukee is a neat little town. It reminded me of Pittsburgh in a lot of ways, except instead of rivers they have a lake. Miss ya!