Erik Worth, Neighbor

I have been married to my amazing wife, Kristy, for over 3 years. I often tell Kristy that I hit the wife jackpot, which I truly believe. We have a son named Grant who is incredible. Watching him grow up is a gift that I will never take for granted (pun intended). I am fortunate to have a great family around me, including Kristy, Grant, my parents, my brother, my extended family, and even my in-laws.

My parents named me after Erik Estrada, hence the spelling of my first name. My Mom thought Ponch from CHIPs was cute in 1978. I am half Irish and half Italian like Henry Hill from Goodfellas (one of my favorite movies).

I graduated from Illinois State University in 2001 with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in English. Some of my favorite authors are professors at ISU. I was able to learn from dynamic writers like Ricardo Cortez Cruz, Curtis White, and the late David Foster Wallace.

In 2003, I ate a three pound burrito to get my picture on the wall at Pedro's in Wisconsin Dells. When I am not eating three pound burritos, I enjoy traveling, writing, watching Chicago sports, playing golf and softball, MMA training, playing drums, and spending time with my family and friends.

I work for an outstanding company called The Hibbert Group as an onsite Account Executive at Abbott Park.

The opportunity to write for a website like Patch in a town like Grayslake is special. I grew up in Buffalo Grove where the closest thing to a downtown was a section of connected strip malls. When I first drove down Center Street, I thought I was on a movie set. Grayslake's quaint downtown drew me in, and I felt at home.