A few years ago, my sister and I were visiting our favorite brewery in SW Michigan, and I had a very interesting experience - I believe to have encountered a ghost in the bathroom. I went back to our table to tell my sister, but she was already chatting up our server who was sharing what they knew about the building being haunted.
Out of that experience, Ghost and Grub was born.
My sisters and I grew up in a very haunted house and experience things we still cannot explain to this day. To date, I haven't been in many spaces that was like my childhood home. In fact, I've never witnessed anything in any other place I've ever called home.
Still, the events which took place at my childhood home had a profound impact on my thoughts about ghosts and hauntings. Like many others, as a child, I'd check books out at the library about ghosts. When I was eight, I wrote a short story for school titled The Haunted Barn. I ended up majoring in literature twice (once in undergrad, then in grad school) and was fascinated by stories of the supernatural. What can I say? Whether from a primary or secondary source, I love a good ghost story. And, I love telling them just as much.
Last spring, I turned my love of ghost stories and traveling to haunted places into seven episodes (season one) of the Ghost and Grub podcast.
The first three episodes of the podcast were OK. I was using a microphone that wasn't the greatest for podcasting, spending too much money outsourcing the editing/producing each episode, and using a space that was too big for recording. But, after several weeks, I finally found a good groove (and the right microphone). I moved my "studio" into my walk-in closet, learned how to do my own editing, and the quality got quite good. In fact, I was more than happy with it.
Before long, I began seeing regular listeners. Yay!
But, podcasting is a lot of work. Period. Researching, writing, recording, editing, and producing takes time, lots of time. Add marketing each episode and a lot of other tasks, and you have enough work for an entire team. We can't all be Aaron Manke (sigh). So, I sought to find a co-host or maybe someone to help with social media.
I met some incredibly-talented people who were interested in collaborating with me, but in the end, the one person who was originally supposed to do the podcast with me decided to go all in this time around: my sister. There's a great dynamic between the two of us. I'm much more practical (and skeptical) when it comes to ghosts and hauntings (I like facts), while my sister is open to just about anything related to the study of the paranormal. But, despite our differences, there is one thing we have in common: We love a good ghost story. What's even better, we love traveling to places to hear those ghost stories. And, if we can find a haunted place that also serves up incredible food, we're there!
So, what's in store for Ghost and Grub? A lot.
Ghost and Grub
My sister and I will be back for season two this fall with the same haunted travel (and food) recommendations. However, we will also be bringing some lively conversations about these places and the stories behind them.
More Spooky Stuff
We'll be continuing the conversation here on our blog, as well as sharing more favorite haunted destinations, books, events, and more! And, just in time for the Halloween, we'll be opening our Ghost and Grub shop with official merchandise.
Expanding the Brand
To compliment Ghost and Grub, our sister podcast Strange Travel will also debut this fall. Strange Travel will follow the original Ghost and Grub storytelling you already love with yours truly as your guide, sharing short stories of haunted places and spaces throughout the world. You can find out more about Strange Travel here.
Thank you to those who have become fans of Ghost and Grub. You are what keeps me going, and I'm glad to take this journey with you and we share more ghost stories and explore even more spooky places, strange spaces, and delicious destinations!
Have a ghost story you'd like to share? Or, have you visited a haunted destination that you'd like us to chat about in an upcoming episode? Email us at hello@ghostandgrub.com. We'd LOVE to hear from you!