explore

10 Posts Back Home

Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi, UAE

I’m going to start off by sharing with you the first place I went to when I arrived in Abu Dhabi. It was called Heritage Village which is basically a museum located on the Corniche that showcases the history of the UAE’s way of life. This is a fun and FREE thing to check out. The museum showcases jewelry, armor and basically every day items that people used back in the day. There are also setups of actual houses and campsites for you to go into and check out. I really enjoyed this part. You could actually see exactly how rooms would have been set up, where a baby would have slept, where people would have gathered in front of campfires, etc. In addition to all that, there are workshops here where different skills like metal work and pottery can be viewed. My favorite part was of the boats that were out by the water (is that even…

United Arab Emirates – A Dream

It’s about time that I share one of the most epic international trips I did a few years back in 2010. Being a lover of interior design and architecture, I was always in awe of the structures and designs found in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and it was one of my dreams to go there. I had been planning on going for several years, but having traditional Pakistani parents it was almost impossible to get permission to go. After trying to convince them for two years, my mom finally agreed and convinced my dad to let me go as a graduation present.What helped was that I had made a really good friend who was from the UAE. Her father still lived there so we would be going and staying at his apartment. This trip was like a dream (#blessed). It was the first time I was going somewhere internationally with a…

Sunken City – San Pedro, California

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything.* In 1929 a landslide caused a community of homes to sink into the ocean. What remained was broken sidewalks and cracked roads. All of which have become a canvas for graffiti artists and a place to hang out for the adventurous. Sunken City is located in San Pedro, California (near Long Beach) and is fenced off with a “No Trespassing” sign. When I realized that you weren’t really allowed to go there, I kind of questioned it a bit. But once you see the pictures, you’ll understand why it was necessary that I went. Hopefully I won’t get into some sort of legal trouble for this post. I can see why it’s blocked off though. It looks a bit dangerous and if people aren’t careful they can easily slip and fall over the cliffs. So, how do you get there? It’s…

Mt. Rubidoux – Riverside, CA

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything.* Yes, a California post! I went there again for a wedding a few weeks ago. Just like my last visit, the weather was perfect and I enjoyed it to the fullest! Whenever I was free, I took the opportunity to be outside. This post is about a very cool hiking trail on Mount Rubidoux in Riverside. A friend suggested it and I was ever ready to check it out! This mountain has some history behind it and is the site for Easter Sunrise services. There has been several historic markers placed here much like the big cross at the very top which is dedicated to Fray Junipero Serra. He was a Roman Catholic Priest who founded the California Missions. Booking.com There are giant steps to get to the cross, so be careful climbing them. But once there, it is so peaceful and beautiful. We sat…

Waterfall Glen – Darien, IL

**Edited on January 5, 2017** I have no idea what happened to this blog post, but I recently noticed that it was blank! So because of that, you will only be seeing pictures from a hike I took last winter when the weather finally lit up. It was a gorgeous 40ºF after being below freezing for several days. Enjoy! 🙂

Reading Terminal Market – Philadelphia, PA

I spent a day in Philadelphia last summer with a friend and one of the things to do on our list was to have lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. It has so many options much like the Milwaukee Public Market that I told you all about last week. I like going to places like these because there are tons of options for you to choose from all in one place. The only negative about it is that there’s too many that you get confused! However, I did know that we obviously had to have a Philly Cheesesteak! We decided to get it from Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks. There was another place we wanted to try them from but they ran out of hoagies! So, while my friend waited in line for the cheesesteaks, I, of course had to go to another restaurant too. I went to Valley Shepherd Creamery and Meltkraft Grilled Cheese and got a grilled cheese…

A Day in Philadelphia, PA

If you’ve been following my posts, you will notice I had a very eventful summer last year. Continuing with that awesome time in my life, this post is about a day that I spent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I had been to Philly a few times before too, but this time it was to show a friend around. Luckily, because of my previous few visits I had been acquainted enough with the city to be somewhat of a tour guide. We were staying at my sister’s in Harrisburg which is 2 hours away (not bad for a day trip) from Philly. If you click on this link, you will be directed to a google map guide of the route we took on foot to see the city. I usually use the Park-Me app on my phone to find the cheapest parking in and around cities I visit. So far, it’s been really helpful…

Milwaukee Public Market – Milwaukee, WI

While in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last summer, I went to the Milwaukee Public Market. On my internet search, it came up as one of the top places to visit there. It’s basically a foodie’s heaven because there are multiple food vendors in one building and so you have all these options to pick from to have your meal. We arrived at lunch time so it was a bit crowded and we had to wait some time to get food. But let me tell you, the wait was well worth it! As excited as I was, I was also freaking out because I wanted to try everything but obviously my stomach wouldn’t allow that. Which reminds me of the time when one of my friends asked me if I could have any super power what would it be? She’s actually asked me this a few times on different occasions. And my usual answer was to be…

The Milwaukee Domes – Milwaukee, WI

Last summer, when my friends were here, we ventured out to Wisconsin. They had already seen most of the touristy spots in Chicago, so I thought we should explore another state. One of the great things about being in the mid-west is that states are driving distance. Milwaukee, Wisconsin takes about an hour and a half from Chicago which is not bad for a day trip at all. When looking up things to do in Milwaukee, I found Mitchell Park Horticulture Conservatory AKA The Milwaukee Domes. (I told you I had a thing for conservatories.) This one was $7 dollars per person (or $5 if you have a student ID). It features three domes each with different themes, Tropical, Desert and The Floral Show Dome. We got there an hour and a half before closing and that was just enough time for us to see everything and take some selfies! I really…

Navigate