Do you know what’s great about having lived in multiple places? The fact that I’ve made a lot of friends who are now themselves living in different places, giving me a chance to visit them. Which means I also get to check out new places I’ve never been. About a month ago, I had the opportunity to visit such a friend who lived next door to me for a while when I was growing up in Maryland. She recently moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now, I’ve been to Michigan before (and visited Ann Arbor, Detroit and Dearborn) but this was the first time in Grand Rapids for me so it was exciting! Grand Rapids is about a 3 hour drive from Chicago so it ended up being a mini road trip which was fine because I had two other awesome friends with me. So we began this journey at 9am and got there…
Chillout Ice Lounge – Dubai, UAE
This will be my last post about the UAE (at least until I remember something else or go again one day). One of the days in Dubai, we didn’t have much planned so we looked up random things to see and do. We came across a very interesting place called Chillout Ice Lounge. We contemplated for a while whether we should go or not but ultimately ended up going because, well, why not? When else would I experience an interior which is mostly made out of ice? It gives you a taste of winter which is a good concept for the people who live in such a hot climate. The entrance fee includes thermal clothing to keep you warm as well as a voucher for a hot chocolate. Unfortunately, I don’t really remember the hot chocolate being memorable (but I liked the cup it was served in). It was a pretty unique experience…
Mindy’s Hot Chocolate – Chicago, IL
In my last post I was remembering the warmth. However, since I have no control over the weather, I embrace winter by drinking lots and lots of hot chocolate. And lucky for me, there are several places in Chicago dedicated to just that much like Mindy’s Hot Chocolate. One of my friend’s had been wanting to try this place after reading so many great reviews. So a couple of weeks ago we finally got the chance! It’s located in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood in the middle of shops and restaurants. As soon as I walked in, I loved the interior. And the very first thing that I noticed when I walked in was a beautiful brick wall that was painted white and embellished with wall planters made from glass bottles. So simple, yet so eye catching too. I was happy when they seated us right by it. We both ordered the Medium Hot Chocolate made…