meet your
captain + crew
Captain Barbara: The Wind-Whisperer, Confidence-Coach, and Slightly Intimidating (But Deeply Loving) German Mom You Didn’t Know You Needed
Before she was commanding boats, Captain Barbara was hiking, skiing, and scuba diving —all with the same laser-sharp focus and dry wit that only a German-born outdoor enthusiast can deliver.
She’s been in love with the water since coming to the US some 30 years ago, trading the forests of Germany for the lakes of the Midwest, and eventually for the great blue expanse of Lake Michigan. Since then, she’s skippered just about everything that floats, taught youth sailing for two decades, raced sleek J105s, and cruised the Caribbean for fun.
But Captain Barbara’s real magic is that she doesn’t just sail boats. She sails people into their power.
We met in the summer of 2024, when I was terrified of taking the helm of my own trimaran. Other captains had tried with little success to coax me into confidence—but Captain Barbara? She shook down my fear. Asking every experienced sailor to step aside, she shouted with an encouraging nod (in German mom voice): “You! At the helm. Now!” And I did it. Shaking. Terrified. But I did it. Ten minutes later, I was sailing. That’s Captain Barbara. She’ll believe in you louder than your fear.
Captain Barbara holds a100-ton USCG Master’s License, with Sailing and Towing Endorsements, as well as credentials from US Sailing and PADI.
She welcomes skippering your sail so you can relax, enjoy the time on the water, breathe, and take in the view—unless, she decides it’s your turn at the helm.
Spoiler: it probably is.
Skipper Angela: Chief Vibe Officer & Curator of Wonder
Skipper Angela has worn a lot of hats in her life—makeup artist, mom, acupuncturist, grad student, diesel engine tinkerer—but the through line has always been curiosity, connection, and a deep love of transformation. She studied math and communication arts in undergrad, minored in French, and spent years traveling, picking up languages and life experience along the way. She freelanced as a makeup artist for Chanel, and later earned her Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine while raising two kids and building a life in Chicago. In 2010, she opened her holistic practice, where she’s been helping people restore balance ever since.
But the story doesn’t stop there.
In 2023, life threw her a curveball in the shape of a 44-foot trimaran—an absolutely wild, beautiful sailboat her family inherited with zero sailing experience to their names. Cue the crash course in boating, engines, solar, and suddenly seeing Chicago from a totally new perspective: the water. Something shifted. The peace, the power, the pure magic of approaching a city by sail—it had to be shared.
That’s how FieldTripChicago was born. It’s a love letter to transformation, to learning as you go, and to seeing the world (and your own city) with fresh eyes.
Come aboard.
Jules: First Mate, Bird Whisperer & Curator of Soulful Vibes
Jules may only be 15, but don’t let his age fool you—he’s been at the helm since he was six. Raised on the breezes of Harbor Springs and the shoreline of Lake Michigan, he learned to sail through Little Traverse Sailors and Columbia Yacht Club’s youth programs, where he fell in love not with speed, but with the rhythm of cruising—the quiet art of moving with the water, not against it.
When he’s not crewing Field Trip Chicago adventures, Jules plays upright bass in the Lincoln Park High School orchestra, rows with the Chicago Rowing Foundation’s Novice Team, and keeps time with the city’s heartbeat through the Merit School of Music’s jazz conservatory. His playlists? Immaculate. His instincts on the water? Impeccable.
But perhaps his most magical gift is with birds. Yes—birds. It’s not uncommon for one to land on his hand mid-sail, like something out of a Studio Ghibli film. We’ve stopped trying to explain it. We just enjoy the magic.
Calm, kind, and quietly observant, Jules brings a grounded presence to every trip. Whether he’s adjusting sails, tuning the music, or just spotting herons along the shoreline, he reminds us that adventure isn’t always loud—it can be soulful, steady, and full of wonder.