As a Chicago-based blogger + photographer, I have A LOT of places to go and adventures to have on my Chicago Bucket List. While I do love this amazing city, I know that my time here may be fleeting as I resent the cold more and more each year *sigh*. That being said, I wanted to create a fun bucket list of everything you could possibly want to see, do, & taste in the Windy City. There are so many things to do in Chicago that creating this list became quite difficult because I didn't want to leave any "must do" out! 

I would love to hear your thoughts on your own Chicago bucket list and places/experiences you wish to try! Feel free to share this list and add to it!

⬜️Lowcountry
⬜️Funkenhausen
​⬜️Summer House Santa Monica
⬜️Smoque BBQ
⬜️Shore Club
⬜️Honey Butter Fried Chicken
⬜️Fat Rice
⬜️Mindy's Hot Chocolate
⬜️Au Cheval
⬜️Girl & The Goat
⬜️Alinea
⬜️Spiaggia
⬜️Pacific Standard Time
⬜️Summer House Santa Monica
⬜️Cindy's 
​⬜️Carnivale
​⬜️Happy Camper
⬜️Chicago Diner
⬜️Handlebar
⬜️The Purple Pig
⬜️Big Star
⬜️The Publican
​⬜️The Berghoff
⬜️Parson's Chicken
⬜️Lonesome Rose
⬜️Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits
⬜️Mott Street
⬜️90 Miles Cuban Cafe
⬜️The Radler
⬜️Furious Spoon
​⬜️Geja's Cafe
⬜️Longman & Eagle
⬜️Lost Lake
​⬜️Giordano's
⬜️Lou Malnati's
⬜️Gino's East
⬜️Portillo's
⬜️Sunda
⬜️Three Dots & A Dash
​⬜️Goose Island 
​⬜️Maple & Ash
⬜️Fig & Olive
⬜️Velvet Taco
⬜️Homeslice
⬜️Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!
​⬜️XOCO
⬜️Pequod's
⬜️Sushi Para II
​⬜️The Walnut Room
​⬜️Harry Caray's
⬜️Gibson's
⬜️Chicago Q BBQ
⬜️Ditka's
⬜️The Nutella Cafe
⬜️RPM Steak
​⬜️Tanta
⬜️Le Colonial
⬜️The Dearborn
⬜️Athena Greek Restaurant
⬜️The Signature Room @ The 95th
⬜️RL Restaurant
⬜️Rosebud on Rush
⬜️Lockwood
⬜️Carmine's
⬜️Wrigley BBQ
⬜️Greek Islands
​⬜️Hopleaf
⬜️Safehouse
⬜️Roanoake
⬜️Catch 35
⬜️Blackbird
⬜️Nico Osteria
⬜️Connie's Pizza
​⬜️Lillie's Q BBQ
⬜️Boka
⬜️Giant
⬜️Devil Dawgs
⬜️Green Street Smoked Meats
⬜️Frontera Grill
⬜️Kuma's Corner
⬜️Paco's Tacos
⬜️Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co.
⬜️Pizano's
⬜️Del Seoul
⬜️Duck Duck Goat
⬜️Smoke Daddy
​⬜️Cheesie's
⬜️Dryhop Brewery
⬜️Mousetrap Brewery
⬜️Wilde Bar
⬜️Mortar & Pestle
⬜️Kanela Breakfast Club
⬜️Hutch
⬜️Taco Joint
⬜️Barcocina
​⬜️Prost!
⬜️Broken English
⬜️Beermiscuous
⬜️Nookies Too
⬜️Molly's Cupcakes
⬜️Gemini
⬜️The Violet Hour
⬜️Sultan's Market
⬜️Oiistar
⬜️3 Arts Club Cafe
​⬜️The Vig
​⬜️ZED451
⬜️Pops For Champagne
⬜️Hannah's Bretzel
⬜️Stocks & Blondes
⬜️Italian Village
⬜️Flaco's Tacos
⬜️The Chicago Firehouse
​⬜️Velvet Lounge
​⬜️Lagunitas Brewery
​⬜️Del Toro
⬜️DeColores
⬜️Dark Matter Coffee
⬜️The California Clipper
​⬜️Nana's
⬜️Maria's Packaged Goods
⬜️Moody Tongue Brewery
⬜️Half Acre Brewery
​⬜️Carnitas Uruapan
⬜️Rainbo Club
⬜️Old Town Ale House
⬜️Drumbar
⬜️The J. Parker
​⬜️Don Churro
⬜️Crisp
⬜️Ann Sather
⬜️Delilah's
⬜️The Drifter
⬜️Milk Room
​⬜️The Map Room

Despite being an only child growing up, I never thought that I was very special or that the ways I spent my time were consumed by special things. I was one of those kids who flew under the radar in school - quiet enough to not be recognized by any of my accomplishments, social enough to not get bullied, and well-behaved enough to stay out of trouble (or the spotlight whatsoever). 

I spent majority of my summers and childhood at my grandparent's house watching Old Hollywood movies and seeing Grace Kelly waltz around their big screen television in ostrich feathers and lacy evening gowns. I was mesmerized by Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, and Barbara Stanwyck - all poised, intelligent, and beautiful women who could dress well and speak well. I may not have felt special or glamorous at the time but I remember thinking one day I would be. 

I distinctly remember NYE 2004 at my grandparent's house. I watched the ball drop from Times Square in their living room as me and my cousins ate White Fudge Oreos and drank Dr. Pepper out of plastic wine glasses. While it was by no means a "boring" way to spend an evening, it sure wasn't NYC and it most definitely wasn't exciting. From that moment on I promised myself that once I became of age I would never have a boring NYE again. & as time went on and I grew older, I decided that it wasn't just an exciting NYE that I wanted but an exciting life. 

So over the years I have created and journaled a list of all the special places I want to visit, adventures I want to embark on, lessons I hope to learn, and people I wish to experience life with. As I've aged into my mid-twenties, I've already crossed off many items and added to it as my views and desires have changed with each passing year. 

Sharing my dreams & a list of items/places that I hope to experience is quite personal and something I didn't think I would ever post about. However, I think inspiring others to create new goals is always a good idea. I wanted to think outside the box for my bucket list. Sure, the list includes a number of "normal" goals but I made sure to sprinkle in some extra unique ones. I think the point of a bucket list should be to instill a desire to break out of your comfort zone and experience a side of life that one doesn't get to do on a daily basis. I wanted my list to be extraordinary and to become something worth yearning for.

⬜️Flamingo Beach
✓Pig Beach
✓Paris
​⬜️Berlin
✓Disney
✓Myrtle Beach
​⬜️Geneva
⬜️Milan
⬜️Dubai
⬜️Abu Dhabi
​⬜️Australia
⬜️Banff
⬜️Maine
​✓Iceland
​⬜️Monte Carlo
​​⬜️Nice, France
​⬜️Vienna
​​✓Area 51
⬜️Grand Canyon
​⬜️Vermont
⬜️Singapore
⬜️Machu Pichu
⬜️Galapagos
⬜️Aspen
⬜️Munich
⬜️Copenhagen
⬜️Switzerland
​⬜️Lake Como
✓Ireland
⬜️Montreal
✓Niagara Falls
​⬜️Amalfi Coast
⬜️Bermuda
⬜️Stockholm
⬜️Azores Islands
​⬜️Finland
⬜️Lisbon
​⬜️Brussels
⬜️Joshua Tree National Park
​⬜️Glass Beach in California
⬜️Morocco
⬜️Faroe Islands
⬜️Hawaii
⬜️Mount Rushmore
⬜️The Poconos
⬜️Fiji
⬜️The Maldives
✓Edinburgh
✓Portland
✓Seattle
⬜️Neushwanstein Castle
⬜️Elz Castle
​⬜️Rio de Janeiro
⬜️Colmar, France
⬜️Manchester
⬜️New Zealand
⬜️Eureka Springs, Arkansas
⬜️Mackinac Island
⬜️Zurich, Switzerland
⬜️Budapest
⬜️Glasgow
⬜️Israel
​⬜️India
✓Bali
​⬜️Santa Fe
⬜️Memphis
✓Nashville
✓New Orleans
✓Miami
​⬜️Vancouver
✓Raleigh, NC
✓Savannah, GA
✓Atlanta
✓Washington, D.C.
⬜️Capri, Italy
⬜️Tokyo
​⬜️Shanghai
⬜️Cannes, France
​⬜️Detroit
⬜️Bodega Bay, California
⬜️Sleepy Hollow, NY
⬜️French Alps
​⬜️Chile
​⬜️Guatemala
​⬜️Easter Island
​⬜️Mauritius Island
​⬜️Ecuador
​⬜️Malta
​⬜️Cabo
​⬜️China
​⬜️Cabo San Lucas
​​⬜️St. Barth
⬜️Cape Cod
⬜️Nantucket
⬜️Montana
⬜️Positano, Italy
​⬜️Ukraine

✓Win a costume contest
​⬜️Octoberfest in Germany
​⬜️Get a piercing in Amsterdam
​⬜️Create my dream closet
⬜️Reindeer sledding in Norway
​⬜️See the Norway Fjords
✓Celebrate Halloween in Salem, MA
​⬜️Celebrate NYE in Las Vegas
⬜️Collect Old Cameras
⬜️Visiting the Mackenzie-Child's farm
​⬜️Stay at the Lizzie Borden House
⬜️Visit the Dr. Pepper Museum
✓Seeing the Prada store in Marfa, Texas
​⬜️See Lady Gaga live
✓See Britney Spears Live
​✓See the Backstreet Boys live
​⬜️Swim in the Hamilton Pool in Texas
​⬜️Celebrate Halloween at Dracula's Castle in Romania
⬜️Swimming with a Beluga Whale
⬜️A Lantern Fest
⬜️Celebrate Halloween @ The Stanley Hotel
⬜️Stay at the Waldorf Versaille 
​⬜️4th of July at The Hamptons
✓Attend the Kentucky Derby
⬜️Attend the VC Polo Classic
⬜️Wine Train in Napa
⬜️Stay at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay
​⬜️An Alaskan Cruise
⬜️Be a bridesmaid for a stranger's wedding in Las Vegas
⬜️Stay at the Giraffe Hotel
⬜️Attend a Hot Air Balloon Festival
⬜️Go to Mardi Gras
⬜️Attend a Super Bowl
✓St. Patrick's Day in Dublin
⬜️Shopping at a European Christmas Market
​⬜️Stay at the Madonna Inn
⬜️See the California Redwoods
⬜️Go to Bath, UK
⬜️See the White Cliffs of Dover
⬜️Ride the Venice Simplon-Orient Express train
⬜️See the Scotland Fairy Pools
​✓Stay at the Plaza Hotel in NYC
✓Attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parada
✓Attend NYFW
⬜️Celebrate NYE in Paris
⬜️Swim at the Barton Springs pool in Austin, TX
✓Stay at the Atlantis Bahamas 
⬜️See the Romeo & Juliet wall in Italy
⬜️See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
✓Live in a loft
⬜️See the Dead Sea
​⬜️Eat at the original Chick-Fil-A
⬜️See the Stone Henge
⬜️Visit the Taj Mahal
⬜️Go to the Neon Museum in Las Vegas
✓Hold a baby Tiger
⬜️Attend the Golden Retriever Festival
⬜️Dog Sled
⬜️Swim with otters
⬜️Wear a snake as my outfit accessory
​⬜️Throw an amazing Halloween party
⬜️Visit Nocton Hall (The Woman in Black House)
​⬜️Tour the Winchester Mystery House
⬜️Go to Cadillac Ranch
✓Ride an Elephant
⬜️Hold a koala
​✓Take a falconry class
⬜️Sing (& nail it!) "We Didn't Start The Fire" for karaoke night 
​⬜️Attend a gala in honor of a charity I love
⬜️Dinner + Show at the Moulin Rouge in Paris
⬜️Wimbledon
​⬜️Try a Salt Float Bath
⬜️Make pasta from scratch
⬜️A dining without senses event
✓Try Absinthe 
✓Eat at a Michelin Star Restaurant 
​✓Do a Polar Bear Plunge
⬜️Go to Blueberry Farm in Tennessee 
⬜️Stay at the Ashford Castle
✓Have a country star sign my cowgirl boots 
⬜️Visit the Ben & Jerry's factory
⬜️See the Bonneville Salt Flats
⬜️Celebrate Halloween in New Orleans
⬜️Stay at a Versace hotel
⬜️Do a riverboat cruise
​⬜️Swim at Jellyfish Lake
⬜️Boat the Rhine River
⬜️Go to House of Yes in NYC
⬜️Attend the Texas Sand Festival
⬜️Attend an Olympics
​✓See the ball drop in Times Square
⬜️Watch all the famous movies + TV shows
✓Make a gallery wall of memes 
✓Stay at the Oakley Court Hotel
​⬜️Visit Oak Alley Plantation
⬜️Visit the Pet Sematary house in Hancock, Maine
⬜️Stay at the Biltmore 
⬜️Start a signed book collection
⬜️Have a fashion designer sign a pair of heels
​⬜️Start a newspaper collection
⬜️Throw a golden birthday party 
⬜️Become a SOHO house member
​⬜️Go to 7 Mountains in Nevada
​⬜️Visit Jacob's Well in Texas
​⬜️Tour Buckingham Palace
⬜️Go to Yellowstone National Park
⬜️Attend the Holland Tulip Fest
⬜️Visiting all 50 states
⬜️Own a cool neon sign
⬜️Stay at a floating cabin resort
✓Stay at the Baker House in Wisconsin 
⬜️Write down a list of memories I have with special people in my life
⬜️Stay at the Ross Lake Cabins
⬜️Paddle Boarding
⬜️Visit the Pumpkin House in West Virginia
✓Go to the Mall of America
⬜️See Lake Lochness
⬜️See the Gates of Hell sculpture 
⬜️Visit the Tunnel of Love in Ukraine
⬜️Celebrate Day Of The Dead in Mexico
✓Celebrate Halloween in NYC
⬜️Attend SNL 
⬜️Swim in the World's largest swimming pool 
⬜️Swim with Manatees 
⬜️Play a round of golf at St. Andrew's 
⬜️Visit a pink sand beach

I have this terrible habit of comparing myself to others and usually feeling like I always come up short. Maybe it's because I actually AM short - and have been comparing myself to taller, more noticeable people since the day I learned how to walk. I have always struggled with self-confidence issues and how I view my part in this world, especially as a wedding photographer and growing a business that is already overly saturated by anyone with a Nikon.

Two years ago I was at a bridal industry event night and I met this man who is also a wedding photographer in Chicago. Cool right? Except he charges about double what I charge and at the time seemed to be about double as impressive..... he also was about double my age, but that's not important. I started to look up to him as he was a sought-after, successful Chicago photographer.  

We continued to communicate after our first meeting and he was someone I went to for advice regarding photography and crafting a business plan. I went to him for other things too - however, like his age - that's not important. I remember even after we lost contact wishing I could someday be as successful as he was in the wedding industry. I wished I could be someone that people would want to book with no matter how high my pricing. 

As time has gone on, I have incorporated some of the ideas we discussed and his views on the best way to become a successful wedding photographer into my business routine. Yet I still have always thought he was out of my league-professionally speaking. I spent many months comparing myself to him and others in the industry who I believed to be more successful, more creative,  and more powerful.

It wasn't until a few weeks ago when a wedding photo of his popped up on my business Instagram explore page that I realized maybe the ones we look up to aren't exactly who we make them out to be. It was an image of a couple he photographed at Montesino Ranch. MONTESINO RANCH. 

Now, if you're asking yourself "WTF is Montesino Ranch?" then it's probably because you don't live in the very small town of Wimberly, Texas on the outskirts of Austin. 

Even I, Macey Lynn, who has low self-confidence and questions her artistic ability every day has shot a wedding at Montesino Ranch. While it's a beautiful place, it's not expensive and it's not somewhere a bride with a large budget would book a top photographer. One of my first clients EVER tied the knot back in 2013 at Montesino Ranch, giving me the opportunity to really grow my portfolio. 

It's so easy to compare ourselves to "role models" we create in our minds. Celebrities, older relatives, co-workers, Instagram influencers, you name it. We see people and get this idea that they are SO much better than us in a particular area. & maybe they are. There are a lot of people who are super smart and that have worked very hard to get to where they are today. However, that shouldn't diminish our own worth. 

Sometimes the people we look up to are just a few steps ahead. Or they built a ladder to get a bit further along. Or, in many cases, paid a helicopter to escort them straight to the top. 

What I'm trying to say with all of this is that it's AMAZING to have role models and people to look up to in order to stay inspired, creative, and think outside the box. It's also AMAZING to believe in your own success as much as anyone else's. Some of the challenges we face aren't as challenging as we make them out to be. So don't compare yourself to photos and posts on social media of people screaming their successes.

I think instead of having role models, we should have goal models. A goal model is someone that inspires us to reach new goals without feeling the need to compare our journey to theirs. We all have our own paths. I promise you'll have your own Montesino Ranch moment someday and I hope when you do you realize that you're actually super talented and worthy of great things ✨ 

A few weeks ago, on a road trip to Minneapolis, my fiancé and I came to the conclusion that we love being alive in this day and age. We came to the conclusion that 2019 has truly offered some incredible moments and if given the choice to live in any other time period we would have to decline the offer. 

This realization is certainly not something many people feel like screaming at the tops of their lungs. It's hard to think of all the good during a time period that is filled with mass shootings, climate change, hatred, the pressures of social media, economic uncertainty, cancer, the rise of other diseases, the list continues...

Throughout history there has always been tragedy and terrible moments. Yet nostalgia has a way of making us think the past was better than it in all likelihood was. For me it's the Roaring 20s. I imagine how incredible that time period would have been. The glamorous attire, the jazz music blaring, the adrenaline that would have pulsed through my veins sneaking into a speakeasy and illegally consuming wine alongside my flapper girlfriends. Such a dazzling, magical time to be alive. Or so it seems. 

Of course, this time period would have actually been far from easy. Few rights for women, the banning of alcohol, the verge of the Great Depression, the unrest -or should I say the uneasy peace- that came with the conclusion of WWI. The struggle of living (particularly thriving) in the 20s would have been real. As would any past decade or century. & for all the amazing moments in history, I think we all can agree that we would have only enjoyed living in [Insert Years] time period if we were filthy rich. Not to say that money buys happiness but it certainly contributed to much better living conditions pre-AC and electricity. 

However, in this day & age you don't have to be filthy rich to experience what would have been a lap of luxury lifestyle just a handful of decades ago. Air-conditioning. The power to have food delivered to your home, find a mate, connect with someone across the globe, and Google the answer to any question in a matter of seconds through a handheld device. Electricity. Hot, running water. All simple things we take for granted on a daily basis. 

My fiancé and I discussed it and truly think there really is nothing that compares to the present. We love the ease of being able to go on a road trip with the help of our handy navigator Siri while Spotify plays our favorite songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and today. We love that we can Skype each other when we're each away on business. We love that with a touch of a button our apartment can be warm and cozy despite the cold winter weather of Chicago raging outside our windows. We love that we can travel for a mere few hundred dollars to London, NYC, Texas, Paris, Singapore, Costa Rica, & many other destinations anytime our heart desires. We love that we have options (many times too many) for food, movies, music, clothing, and activities. We love that we can stay out late at a local bar, drink our favorite adult beverages, and safely Uber home at the end of the night. We love that we can go to the doctor or hospital for any ailment or injury and get treatment that will put us back on our feet in a matter of days. 
​
I love that I can voice my opinion to my blog from the comfort of my bedroom and share my ideas with the world. I love that I can go on Pinterest and find new recipes to cook for dinner. I love that despite not living close to home I can Snapchat and keep up with friends & family.  I love that I can keep my home clean with an automatic trashcan & litter box. I love that I can wash my clothes while I binge watch videos of cats doing silly things on Youtube or watch a classic film on Hulu. I love that I can hear new musicians on Soundcloud and support local artists through Etsy. I love it all.

& sure, there is A LOT of bad in the world. & it's easy to fall into the thinking that this is a hard time to be alive. I know I do it more times than not. However, I think that any time can be a hard time to be alive. I also think that any time can be a great time to be alive. I think a lot of it is our perspective.

​& while the past might have had some amazing moments, there's a reason we have progressed to where we are now. & maybe we didn't all individually contribute to that but our ancestors and fellow mankind did. We (as a human race) have always been innovative and creative, constantly progressing towards something - who knows what exactly. & to think that we have suddenly lost that mentality is simply not supported based off of a thousand+ years of modernization. 

Think about it long and hard. Would you have preferred to grow up or live in another time? And if so, why? 

Because I wouldn't. I choose the here and now. & I think if we all adopted the mentality that this is truly a great time to be alive, maybe we could overcome these fears, anxieties, and struggles that have seemed to captivate the minds of Millennials everywhere.