Country Vs. Town

Megan Gehrisch has firmly rooted herself in Barrington after transitioning from city life in Chicago. Her decision to relocate was motivated by the desire to create a family-oriented, suburban lifestyle. As a member of the Barrington Junior Women’s Club, she proudly serves as the co-chair for the Safety Town summer program. Family plays a central

DR. NAMRATA BHANSALI grew up in the Northwest suburbs near Bloomingdale where her parents still lived in her childhood home until very recently. After attending the University of Illinois at Chicago for an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, she spent the next 15 years living in the Gold Coast while attending dental school, then working after

QI HOLTZMAN grew up in Northeast China. Her father played classical cello, and her mother was a theater actress, allowing her to watch countless performances as a child and all throughout her adolescence. “The arts were ingrained in me, and after watching so many performances, my inner desire was to become a dancer. Every time

Amanda Leopardo is an executive homemaker with three incredible kids Lynn, Livy, and Levi. Leopardo likes to keep herself and her kids busy by serving others in their church’s food pantry and nursing home ministries. She also loves coaching and volunteering in as many of their activities as possible. Being in construction, Leopardo’s husband is

Wilmette’s OLIVIA METZGER is a mother of four boys, a therapist, and the creative behind the Instagram account @livviejane where she shares snapshots of domestic life. Metzger grew up in Chicago’s East Lakeview neighborhood and has had a passion for photography, writing, and art from an early age. When her first son was born in

JEANNE HENDRIE grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, surrounded by extended family and enjoying summers on Lake Michigan. Her parents are both from huge Irish Catholic families so there are always occasions to celebrate. “My mom is an incredible artist, and my dad does the NYT Saturday crossword without skipping clues,” she says. Jeanne considers