Hi! I’m Jennifer.
Southwest Virginia born and raised, I moved to southeast Michigan in 2011 with my then-new husband, Brad. Beginning our marriage over 500 miles away from the only home we’d ever known, Brad and I searched our new surroundings for answers to our most burning questions: What is Detroit really like, and what is there to do around here? We quickly discovered that life in the midwest—particularly in a major metropolitan area—looked much different from life in the small town where we both grew up. Excited about all the new-to-us places that awaited discovery, our mutual love for exploration and road trips emerged.
About The Name
Wading in Big Shoes began as an open diary and love letter to family, friends, and anyone who would listen about our new life in Michigan. Born out of that youthful, daydreamy (and maybe a bit intimidating) way the world looks when you experience something for the very first time, the name “Wading in Big Shoes” represented how I felt as a young girl upon moving to Michigan in my early twenties: Small, naive, and a little bit lost. Thankfully, I was also curious and hopeful amid the whirlwind of life changes, and—like a child who slogs around in her dad’s oversized work boots—decided to stumble my way through learning what adulthood looked like in this unfamiliar, yet intriguing new land.
What You’ll Find Here
Originally dubbed by locals as “The Girl Who Travels Around Michigan And Writes About It,” I’ve since moved on from journal-like entries to blend my stories with information on the best things to see, eat and do across Michigan, the midwest, and beyond. Today, Wading in Big Shoes serves a community of fellow explorers and travel enthusiasts who are on the hunt for must-visit locations and hidden gems, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where our journey takes us next.
