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Susquehanna River – Harrisburg, PA

Tay Explores

If you randomly find yourself in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, don’t panic! It may seem like a place with not much happening but you will be surprised once you decide to give it a chance. I go here a lot because my sister lives here. And if I’m honest, staying here for more than a weekend sometimes could have felt like torture if it wasn’t for my awesome family and friends. However, I did eventually learn to appreciate it. There are some hidden gems to be discovered and I try to find new ones whenever I go. I will start off with the Susquehanna River (I guess this one’s not that hidden). I remember several years ago before my sister moved there, I went to visit friends. They asked what I wanted to do and in response I immediately asked “Where is that place with those cool steps by some body of water?” I remembered seeing pictures of it on someone’s Facebook…

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Inspiration Kitchen, Garfield Park, Chicago

Eating Out

I went to this restaurant after visiting the Garfield Park Conservatory which I wrote about in my previous post. When we were done, it was lunch time so when looking up places to eat around this area, Inspiration Kitchen showed up with really good reviews. We got fried chicken and biscuits from here and I just have to say that this was probably some of the best friend chicken and biscuits I have had! The chicken was perfectly crisp and seasoned really well. The biscuits had cheddar cheese in them and were so delicious! The side of Macaroni and Cheese was just okay (I’m not the biggest Mac-n-Cheese fan in general though). The menu changes seasonally and I think that if a restaurant does this, most likely it means that they get the most fresh local ingredients. In addition, they also have a great story on how they help with the poverty stricken areas in Chicago.…

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Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago, IL

Indoor Activities

I have this random obsession with conservatories (as you will notice while following along my blog). When my friend was visiting me last March, I wanted to find some things to do that were different than just going into the city. I was on Instagram and found some beautiful posts of the Garfield Park Conservatory and kept reading that it was FREE so that was a no-brainer. I think one of the reasons why I love going to them is because especially in the winter months when all you see are dead trees everywhere, all the colorful flowers and greenery is refreshing for the eyes. Plus it’s indoors so you won’t be freezing your butt off! The room with the umbrellas was my favorite. This was the spring installation from last year called “Sun Showers”. The art installations change seasonally and I’m pretty sure they have a new piece now which I am going…

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Claremont Loop, California – A Hiking Trail

Hiking

Besides sitting at the beach for countless hours, my other favorite thing to do is hiking which is something I really miss in Chicago because it’s pretty flat here. My recent visit to California was for a wedding but I decided to stay for two weeks and make a mini vacation out of it. Trying to pack everything I wanted to do and see in that short time was very difficult. And so, for some reason I thought it was a good idea to go hiking the morning of the actual wedding. And because of that, the other crazies (my lovely friends) and I decided we would do a less intense hike so we can all stay alive when the actual time for the wedding came around. One of my friends lives in Upland and suggested we do the Claremont Loop hike which I had also heard about before so…

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Laguna Beach, California

Laguna Beach, California

Beaches

I don’t know if you are tired of seeing numerous beach pictures but this will be my last beach post for a while…or will it? This is actually one of my favorite one’s that I’ve been to in Southern California (well, besides La Jolla, San Diego but I didn’t get to go there this time around). I went here as soon as I got off the plane. I landed at 8am and was out of the airport by 9am. I left behind freezing temperatures along with snow fall in Chicago and landed to an 80 degree sunny California. So it was only obvious that the first thing I do was hit the beach! One of the reasons why I love Laguna Beach is because it has sandy, rocky, and grassy areas. All these options on one beach are pretty awesome if you ask me because you don’t always want to…

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Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice CA

Venice Beach, California

Beaches

Another beach post? Yes. And still there might be another because it’s my favorite place to go to in Southern California. In all of my 10 years living here, I never went to Venice Beach. Mostly because it is one that is near Los Angeles and it’s just a hassle to get in and out of due to the traffic that it’s famous for. My friends who know me well are always telling me that I needed to go here and that I would really like it. I was told that I should walk on Abbot Kinney Blvd as well as go to the Venice Canals and that is exactly what I did! We parked in one of the Marina Del Rey Public Parking Lots and walked towards Abbot Kinney Blvd. This was such a cool street with a lot of very artsy shops and restaurants. My friend and I…

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Corona Del Mar, California – A Beautiful Evening

Beaches

Okay, more from Chicago later because now I am in CALIFORNIA and too excited to share what I have been up to so far. One of the best parts of being here is the fact that I left right when the snow started in Chicago. So I win! (If you couldn’t tell I am not the biggest fan of winter and snow.) As soon as I got here, I knew I wanted to go to the beach. So I planned a bonfire for the very next day, which is one of my favorite things to do. For this, so far I have found that Corona Del Mar Beach is the best. It’s located in a residential area and not too crowded. There are several pits located on the sand to make bonfires. For a bonfire you need: coals (and or wood but in Corona Del Mar you aren’t allowed to…

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A Road Trip – LA to Chicago Day 1: Grand Canyon, AZ

Road Trip

*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a commission at no additional charge to you if you make a purchase using my links.* I guess I should start by talking about how I got to Chicago. Well, I road tripped with two friends. And. It. Was. Epic! This was the longest road trip I had done sans family which was a pretty big deal. I think this is the appropriate time to tell you that I come from a very traditional conservative Pakistani Muslim family. Unmarried girls don’t usually do this sort of thing. Which may come as a surprise to most of the western world where as soon as you hit 18 you are allowed to do pretty much anything you want and essentially no one can stop you. Well, if I was moving to Chicago, this was the only way I was doing it and I’m so…

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Hello!

Uncategorized

Hello readers (hopefully people beyond my family and friends as well), After being born in Magburaka, Sierra Leone and living in five other places in the past several years, I have been fortunate enough to travel and see a few places around the world. And in doing so, I’ve decided I should write about my experiences. I have a Bachelor’s in Interior Design along with a Graphic Design Certificate and have been working as a Production Artist for various stationery design companies which I REALLY enjoy. Besides my love for design and everything creative, I have learned that I am also really passionate about traveling and food (eating it, making it and looking at pictures of it). As much as I love traveling, I have also realized that I don’t always have to buy a ticket abroad just to fulfill my appetite for new places and adventures. I can do it by discovering the place…

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