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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…

Wednesday Wisdom – It takes nothing to join the crowd…

It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone. -Hans F. Hansen I remembered a conversation I recently had about my hijab. I was talking to someone about how difficult it has been finding a job lately and they asked me if I thought it was because I wore a hijab. I told her that I would not have thought that a few years ago, but right now I do feel like that sometimes (due to all the Islamophobia). She then asked me if I would consider taking it off for job purposes. I responded by saying I would not because I don’t really know who I am without it. The hijab defines me and I have been wearing it most of my adult life. I don’t feel that I need to take it off to get something. I know I am not alone in wearing one, but…

New Orleans, Louisiana Part 2

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything.* My NOLA adventures continued the next day with starting the morning off by getting more beignets from another place I had researched called Cafe Beignet. And let me tell you, these were so good! They were light and airy and fluffy just the way I like them. So glad we found this place otherwise I would have left NOLA feeling incomplete. Then, we headed back to the Garden District via the streetcar. The ride was enjoyable and it felt like we got a tour of the whole area because we saw all the beautiful mansions that the district is known for. These magnificent Greek Revival and Victorian style homes were laid out in 1832 by Barthelemy Lafron after the Louisiana Purchase. We got off by Audubon Park to take a walk and look around. The live oak trees here were so…

New Orleans, Louisiana – Part 1

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything.* Imagine walking on streets that were full of vibrant colored architecture and ornate wrought iron balconies that were adorned with flowers. Every corner you turned, had something interesting for you to look at. Sometimes, your ears would fill up with the sound of someone playing the saxophone and all you could do is get lost in the music. This place is known as New Orleans and it’s one of the most colorful and alive cities I have ever been to. I went in May of last year with a friend and it was a blast! We went everywhere from the French Quarter to the Garden District. Wherever I went I felt like I needed to snap a bajillion pictures. So brace yourself because this post is going to be focused on the beautiful facades of the French Quarter. We reached NOLA (New…

Wednesday Wisdom – You will never be completely at home again…

I’m going to start #WednesdayWisdom posts on the blog! I love quotes and proverbs and pretty much any form of inspirational words. I want to incorporate some that I like with my photographs and make images that you all can enjoy and share. This first is one that I’ve come across recently. You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place. -Miriam Adeney Because of moving around a few times I always get asked how do you feel, how do you like the new place, do you miss the previous place you lived in, where do you feel the most at home? These are such hard questions to answer and I never have the right words to say. I’m always torn when I leave a place and that feeling…

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! 🙂

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