This quirky badass is not only known for making up words (EDventure = Educational Adventure), but also for telling people to “Get Lost” – only she says it with kindness and affection. Sara Risley (first coined the “Get Lost Lady” by a local business owner and WIBC radio host) sincerely wants you to ‘get lost’ on your own adventures across Indiana because she herself has been doing officially for the past two years.
Theoretically, Sara says she has been getting lost all of her life. From a very young age, she detailed experiences in paper calendars—potentially never to be read again. “I wrote quips about my cat, outings with my grandma, spats with friends, tacos my mom made, etc.” Her journaling continued through high school and college, where she studied Communications and English at Purdue University. Once Facebook came along, she had the capability to move away from paper, add photographs, and share her findings with her friends and family; the same people who encouraged her to start a separate page solely for these discoveries. Sara created “Get Lost,” a Facebook page where she shares her escapades across Indiana with thousands of followers. She does it because she “loves finding places she’s never been before and immersing herself in unfamiliar situations.”
Why so curious? Life didn’t turn out like Sara had imagined it. “I envisioned myself becoming a wife and mother to several children—making family dinners, driving kids around and traveling on family vacations. But that didn’t happen.” Instead, Sara finds herself making the best of all of her “me time” by eating dinners made by famous Indiana chefs, driving around the state to unknown towns, and generally seeking out great people, places and things to write about.
Sara says she’s living a badassery life because she has found a way to live her very best life by creating exciting, educational, and rewarding experiences while featuring different communities and businesses where they are discovered. This most often culminates in not only buzz for Hoosier businesses but friendships all over the state. I’d say that’s pretty badass. I mean, how cool is it to live a life with purpose and experience life’s greatest adventures? Sara has ridden in a sea plane, a side car and an Amish wagon. She has eaten things she never thought she would, like boiled pig’s feet, tripe, and crispy pig ear strips. She’s made her own grilled cheese sandwich at the Indiana State Fair’s Dairy Bar, where she also led a cheer with the group of cheerleaders volunteering the same day. She’s attended grand openings of new restaurants and walked curiously into hole-in-the-wall eateries. And from the sound of it, she’s just getting started with her EDventures.
Sara is proud of her work (as she should be!). It’s her brand and therefore, she brings everything she has to ensuring its successful. Sara credits that success to being curious, genuine, and a good listener. The only real challenges she faces are things like: editing photos after waking up in the middle of the night, finding time to do everything and go everywhere, and trying to decide whether Get Lost Indiana should remain a semi-profitable hobby or something much bigger.
I wanted to feature Sara as a badass because I think we could follow her lead and experience more adventures (or EDventures, as she likes to call them). Speaking for myself, I can honestly say it’s been awhile since I’ve tried, visited or eaten something completely new. Sara’s advice to anyone wanting to “get lost”:
- Open your eyes to your surroundings.
- Never stop educating yourself.
- Say yes to new experiences.
- Talk to strangers.
- Believe that people are good because most of them are.
- Get Lost, because the next time you find yourself in that place you won’t be!!
Get Lost’s tagline is “No need to go far from where you are,” which I just love. I’ve had the pleasure of following Sara on Facebook since her first EDventure. She’s attended some of my clients’ restaurant openings and venues I’ve invited her to explore. She’s always up for a new EDventure, which I think is pretty awesome.
If you’d like to Get Lost with Sara, follow her on Facebook or on Instagram: @getlostindiana