“ I am here to meet new people, make new friends and to get the heck out of the house!! There are so many things in Chicago to see and do! I am quite ashamed that I have yet to get out there and see everything that this city has to offer. ”

“ Hi, my name is Margarita. I'm a teacher and I'm looking for fun activities I could do with other people :) ”

“ An artist and lover of the outdoors, I enjoy any chance I get to meet new, interesting people, swap ideas, have a beer or two and partake in some outdoor activities. I'm a big fan of live music - anything with strings, great lyrics and harmonies! ”

“ I have a multitude of talents, am creative, sometimes shy, and am allergic to many things like green peppers, the sun, strong odors, and Amway salespeople and am the queen of multi-tasking. Did I mention my tendency for run on sentences? :) ”

“ Single, female IT professional in mid-20s, living and working in the Chicago area. Here to find fun things to do on the weekends, and to meet new people. ”

“ I am originally from Northern Idaho but have resided in the Chicago area for 11 years. I am an accountant by trade but love to laugh and have fun anyway. One of my true passions in life is my love of the outdoors. ”

“ I JUST MOVED BACK FROM AUSTRALIA / HAWAII TO MY HOME TOWN. IT'S GREAT TO BE HOME CLOSE TO MY FAMILY BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FIND SOME PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR INTEREST TO HANG OUT WITH. ”

“ I RECENTLY MOVED TO THE CHICAGO AREA, AND WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN SOME OUTDOOR ACTIVITY.. ”

“ I want these local Meetups because I want to meet new people and make friends. ”

“ I'm looking forward to meeting other crazy energetic people like me who enjoy being outside. ”

“ Hi, My name is Paul. I've camped a lot when I younger, and now I'm trying to get into backpacking. Made a trip out to Galatin/Yellowstone/Grand Teton/.. Last year with the intentions of Backpacking it. That quickly turned into.. lets see how many si. ”

“ world traveler. lifelong chicagoan. likes beer. ”

“ campn' ...Man oh Man (dd) ”

“ I learned Spanish in college, spent a semester in Mexico, but have used it very little for the past 15 years. I'm signed up to take a class at NIU this Spring and would like more opportunities to practice. ”

“ Hi, my name is Gina and my husband's name is Jason. We moved to Hainesville, IL a year ago, and we are really looking forward to meeting new people and volunteering. I am a teacher and my husband is in the military, and we both love to help out whe ”

“ Love nature. Grew up camping (mmmm nothing like Spam on the ol' open campfire). Hope to meet up with you all sometime (maybe not so much winter camping :-) ”

“ I just moved out to Rockford illinois to attend grad school. I am interested in meeting people interested in salsa, dancing, martial arts (american freestyle karate, brazilian jiu-jitsu,kali arnis) and who want to do some community outreach. ”

“ Hi! I am the owner of a HARD MONEY mortgage company that has developed a creative financial solution for the savvy investor called the: "Private Financial Club" - to finance those special commercial and rehab projects! www.privatefinancialclub.com ”

“ I am a 53 year old man, single never married. I live in Round Lake, and I walk about 5 miles a day. I am a people person who likes to chat and to meet new people. ”

“ “I enjoy bicycling, hiking, cross country skiing, dancing and driving my British sports car with the local British Car Club. In recent winters, I have taken up down hill skiing, but still a novice. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you.” ”

“ Hi. I'm always on the lookout for more opportunities to travel, speak a foreign language, meet interesting people, commune with nature and have active fun in the sunshine with my family and friends. ”

“ Want to get to meet more people who live close by and have similar interests, so I don't have to drive 20 miles every time I want to do something interesting! (less driving helps save the environment and my sanity!). ”

“ Looking forward to some fun trips and meeting new people! ”

“ Hi everyone. I am new to the meetups and am looking forward to doing some dining and dancing. ”

“ Still new to the area, looking for some fun stuff to do outdoors and fun people to do it with! ”

“ I want these local Meetups because it is a great way to meet other Austinites interested in hiking and being outdoors! ”

“ Hello! I recently moved to the area and want to expand my circle of friends here. ”

“ I love to travel and have visited a number of countries. I would like to make some new friends. ”

“ A friend of mine told me about this group. . . I'm brand new to "backpacking", but think it'll be a lot of fun. After my hike on the Bright Angel Trail (south rim, Grand Canyon), I realized I need to get outside more! ;) ”

“ Hey there, I'm new to the group and just wanted to intro myself to everyone out there. I lived out in AZ for a while and did a lot of backpacking in the Southwest, and unfortunately most of my friends in Chicago don't do much backpacking. ”

“ I want these local Meetups, because I have not seen so many annonymous members. I thought my personality is neurotic. I like to express myself in writing from time to time. ”

“ Hello! I love nature and backpacking. I am looking for others who like to go on backpacking trips. I look forward to participating in some of your cool wilderness trips. ”

“ I enjoy most outdoor activities, but mostly backpacking. Wish I lived in the mountains. ”

“ hi, love adventure and exploring new countries. I am new here and eager to travel and see as much as possible. ”

“ I am looking to expand my social network in the Chicago land and hope to meet some interesting people here. ”

“ Hello Group! I am 32 and have been backpacking for many years now. My favs include Alaska, Wyoming and Montana. I am looking to upgrade hiking partners-my usual suspects are begining to smell like a damp tent. ”

“ I think (hope) that this will be a great way to meet other single people in the area and be able to do things that I love to do. Spring is right around the corner and I am so looking forward to the nice weather. ”

“ My name is Renee and I love the great outdoors. I really would like to find some people who like to go hiking. I am a great walker and I like camping. I like group activities. I am willing to get involved and help in any way I can. ”

“ Hello everyone! Looking forward to exploring the great outdoors, and learning the ins and outs of backpacking. ”

“ I love traveling, hiking, seeing new places and meeting new people. ”

“ I want these local Meetups because I want to lose weight (don't let the screenname fool you) and keep it off, and I think that a support network is crucial for this goal.