Lamrou Life : wanderlust

NYC 2018 (3rd time is the charm)

By lamrou - September 24, 2018

As I sit here in my I love NY sweater & my NY Yankees baseball cap, I'd like to say that I hope to move to New York one day for at least 6 months. I'm going to put that out into the universe & inshuallah (god willing) it will happen somehow, someway, someday.

I have gone twice before, but this was my best trip there & I did it by myself because my friend had to unfortunately cancel last minute since she wasn't feeling well. I haven't been in 3 years & was so glad I made my way down because it was totally what I needed. When I planned my trip, I decided to visit Connecticut first to see my friend & then Greyhound to NYC where I'd hang for a couple of days before flying home. So the main vibe of my whole trip was to keep it chill & make sure I ate good food, went shopping, explored & strolled around & I got to do all that.

I got in around 2pm & went straight for my Airbnb in Chinatown to drop off my stuff so I could start exploring the city. I was lucky I made it on my bus because I almost missed my Greyhound taking way too long to gather my stuff & saying goodbye to my friend. Fortunately, I had the best Lyft driver who suggested we go to the second pickup in Connecticut because I had missed the bus -- 5 stars.

My Airbnb was in the best area; I felt safe AF by myself & didn't even mind walking alone at night. I was in such a great area that I just walked around exploring instead of taking the subway everywhere; I spent most of my time in Lower Manhattan & loved it because I felt like I got more of a local experience. I discovered so much while walking around that I just deviated from my plans & did whatever, which was honestly great.

Day 1:

I headed straight for Washington Square Park when I got in to hang out & people-watch with a cold snack, I hung out there until I got hungry & then went on a mission for food. Pro tip for Canadians in America, take your cash out in advance or use an American card or visa because the exchange rates & extra charges are too much; so places were also cashless & there were some places that took debit but some of them didn't. I ended up finding a sushi restaurant that had an all you can eat dinner which was pretty good & I literally could only put in one order because I could barely eat since I took too long to eat; it was good & I left stuffed as can be. Once I was done, I left for my Airbnb full & tired. On my way home I saw such a pretty light up book sign that I had to go in & I ended up buying a random book & can't wait to read it. If my walk back wasn't already good, I stumbled upon a little bubble tea shop like 2 min from home & they had DAIRY FREE MILK TEA (insert emoji of wanting to cry face). I was thirsty as can be so best believe I got a large taro milk tea & damn was it good, Coco I love you (insert heart eyes emoji); I came back again the next day on my way home #totallyworthit.

Day 2:

I decided that I wanted to have some bomb brunch (I told y'all the goal was good food this trip) & go shopping so I woke up, got ready & walked over to Two Hands in Nolita where I had some Australian inspired breakfast by Australians; I got avocado toast with iced turmeric chai tea latte with almond milk & it was so good. There was quite a lineup when I arrived but I was one person & didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes until I got a seat.

Once brunch was over it was time to go shopping. I knew I wanted to check out Brandy and & Other Stories but was willing to check out other American stores we don't have at home, so I just wandered towards Brandy & popped into other stores along the way. I ended up walking from Nolita all the way up to 5th Ave but it didn't feel long because I was just strolling & taking in my views along the way; stumbled upon the Flatiron building without even trying.

I got two tops from Brandy Melville that I'm absolutely obsessed with especially the green tank, jeans & a top from & Other Stories. I also got an NY Yankees hat & a necklace from Urban Outfitters. I literally hate shopping but when you're in a city like NYC & there are so many great things, how can you not find stuff you want & the sales that I got were like 50 or 60% off so I was totally winning.

For lunch, I had Pietro Nolita which was sooo good & pink as fuck just like their napkins say & all you see around you. I got the Fusilli Al Limeade (lemon, seasonal vegetables, topped with ricotta salata and toasted almonds), it was sooooo good & I got the Watermelon limeade which was perfect. Definitely a place to check out & the photo opp outside the restaurant is great for some pop of pink on your insta feed.

After lunch, I headed back to my Airbnb to drop off my shopping bags, change into some jeans & went back out to Times Square & instantly regretted it because it was packed AF. I've been enough times before but I just needed a nighttime activity. I literally wandered around & then went to get food. I went to City Kitchen where I had a steak taco from Gabriela's Tacqueria that I devoured there; it was a small one & I got a rice bowl with chicken, green lemonade & Phoenician fries from ilili Box which were amazing. The rice bowl was alright but the fries & drink were so goood. I took that home where I laid in bed watching Netflix until I was done eating & was ready to knock out.

Day 3:

While I was figuring my shit out and getting ready to go home, I packed up all my stuff & wanted to get one more good meal before I had to eat random gas station food on my long journey home, so I hit up my FAV spot. This is the place that held it down for me when I was stuck in Iceland for 20+ hours in the airport, Joe & The Juice. Literally the best simple paninis I've ever had; I got turkey, pesto, tomato & subbed the mozzarella for avocado: SO GOOD. I got the Hell of a Nerve juice & the wildflower in there was just (insert emoji rolling eyes back ugh). They unfortunately didn't have the bomb pink blueberry muffins like he ones I had in Iceland, but their sandwiches were just as good and I can't wait to come back for more.

The last day was a whole shit show because nothing went as planned but even though I was annoyed, I was happy it all went down on the last day after I had a good trip. If you've read my other blog posts you should know every trip I go on, some shit goes down so I'm not even phased anymore & just go with the flow. It wasn't too bad cause I got to see this view for a few hours with some vibin music. So basically my flight got cancelled & I HAD to get back home so I asked for a refund & opted for a 13-hour long Greyhound. It was rough but I made it back home just in time to make it to work.

Passing through Keeseville, NY

New York was great & now I know how to roll there for a good time when I'm back next which should be November for a concert & I'm bringing a friend whose never been there so I hope to show her the city right.

happy travelling

xoxo

lamrou

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wanderlust

Connecticut 2018

By lamrou - September 17, 2018

East Coast America is slowly working its way to being one of my favourite areas, so much so that I'm thinking of checking out a different state and/or city every summer. Last summer I was in Maine & this time I made it to Connecticut. It all started when I was looking for a trip to go on that wasn't too far & I could do in 4/5 days. I was DYING to go back to NYC so I planned that & then planned to see my friend in CT because it was not too far, plus I haven't seen her in a year since her wedding.

It worked out so perfectly & even though CT was never a state on my list of the places I wanted to explore, I so glad my friend moved there and I got the chance to visit. I was there for a day & a half so I barely got to see much but from what I saw I DEF wanna go back. I also noticed that there was a huge lack of resources to find things to do there so it took about a month of searching EVERYWHERE to get some ideas of what I had to do in my short time there. I, however, found the BEST blog who had me convinced to go there & made me fall in love before I even got on my flight: Bev Cooks. Check it out, she is amazing, so are her posts and I love the energy she exudes through them. This is also when I realized that bloggers are the best travel guides to give you the best tips on where to go, what to eat & what is & isn't worth your time. So next time you're looking for things to do in a country or city check out bloggers & if you don't know any, check on Pinterest or type blog after the city on google & you will find some good stuff. So let's get into my post about this beautiful state.

So, early morning at like 6am I left Ottawa to fly to Philadelphia & then connected to New Haven from there; there are many airports in Connecticut it just depends on where you plan to go & what's easy for you to fly to. My friend lives in Milford so that was the best option for me but there is also the big airport in Hartford. One thing I will say is that you need a car because it makes your life so much easier & everything is kinda far from each another. Also, you can drive from one city to the next within 15 min. Next time, that's what I have to make sure I do because then I could see even more & on our own time. The first day I got in at around noon & after taking a Lyft to her house we just hung out, ate food & I took a nap because I was sooo tired. Then when her husband got back, we took his car got mani/pedis & just drove around with our Starbucks & eventually found a beach that we hung out at-- even though it was 9pm & dark as hell. It was a good time & the moon was blood red & so beautiful, I wish I had DSLR to get a picture that could do it justice.

The next day was our full day of adventure. So Bev talked a lot about Mystic & that was the best day trip we could do because everything else was further & we just wanted to do something chill. We got ready & took a Lyft to Union Station to grab the Amtrak from New Haven to Mystic. It was about an hour train ride & we were lucky to have made it because the train was 10 min late & we got to the station just as the train was supposed to leave. Amtrak is the best way to get around, with such a beautiful view & comfy seats plus wifi but it was trash on the way there & back.

When we got there we just walked to wherever the downtown area was & just walked into different shops & took pictures like tourists everywhere. We found some beach chairs in the shade facing the marina & headed there to just hang out & cool down because that day was hot as shit, we were dying.

When we got hungry, we went on a hunt for food & ended up eating at the popular Mystic Pizza which was the inspiration for the movie, Mystic Pizza. We had never seen the movie but so happy we went cause their pizza was so good. We got the Mediterranean pizza (artichoke hears, roasted red peppers, spinach, tomatoes, garlic & the regular tomato sauce) with half cheese. I totally recommend checking it out if you're ever there; they filmed the movie there & in the surrounding areas including Stonington which is pretty close to Mystic (a 10 min drive or an hour walk-- this is why you need a car).

After pizza, we walked around some more, checked out a record shop, got some iced drinks, bought our tickets to get back to New Haven & then found another marina to hang out at until our train came. There was no one around so we just walked down to the docks & hung out with the boats, taking pictures & polaroids until we melted & needed AC.

We then headed back to the train station where we got on our train & went back to New Haven & took a Lyft back to Milford. We literally changed & took a nice nap because we were tired & the heat had us dusted as well. After our well-deserved nap, we had some tacos & watched Mystic Pizza which was a chill old school movie that was cute & about the love life of 3 waitresses.

Then the next morning it was time for me to head out to NYC for a few days of a solo venture which was a great time but that will be another blog post. Connecticut was amazing & the next time I come back, I have a list of things to do that I didn't get to do this time such as:

* traveller's restaurant a diner that gives a free book to all their patrons

* Silver Sands State Park

* Stonington town

& all that Bev mentioned in her post; she also made it down to Rhode Island which I wish we could've done but wasn't possible because I wasn't there long enough.

happy travelling

xoxo
lamrou

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adventures

Europe 2017

By lamrou - December 06, 2017

Europe was the biggest trip I've ever forced & probably one of my greatest accomplishments. My whole life I wanted to be one of those people who travelled all over the world, to whichever place they wanted to go to without letting anything stop them. In high school, I talked a lot about travelling whenever I graduated and had enough money. Look at me now. I'm that one person that people ask, "Where you going next?" They think I've been to so many places but to me, it barely feels like it's enough. Europe showed me that there is so much more of the world that we are missing out on by staying in our little bubble of the city we live in. In just 2017 alone, I have been to 2 continents, 6 countries & countless cities. I learned a lot about travelling alone & how to travel on this trip, as well as some things about myself. You can read about my lessons on this trip in my post here.

I decided I wanted to travel somewhere for my birthday & originally wanted to go to Chicago. My friends were just half-assing on the planning & I'm a person who needs to know the majority of the details way in advance & they were more like last minute people. I was getting annoyed so I decided to do research on other options of places I could potentially go. I dreamt for so long about going to Europe & I have family in many different countries there, as well as a friend in Abu Dhabi so I had places I could go. The more I looked into going abroad, the better it looked & the better the deals on one-way flights were. My flight from Toronto to London was $280! As soon as I booked that first flight, it became real & it was time to start planning.

I wanted to be in London for my actual birthday so I made sure to book my flight out of Canada a few days before & have a day to relax so that I wouldn't be too jet-lagged before my bday. So I left Ottawa on the morning of the 18th, flew out of Toronto that evening, had a layover in Lisbon, Portugal on the 19th & landed in London that evening; all before my birthday which was on the 21st.

London was a week & a half adventure where I got to hang out with my uncle, who I haven't seen in 6 years. By the end of my time there, I had seen almost all the tourist attractions & gotten used to the London accent. My uncle had just moved there about 7 months prior to me coming so he knew some things about the city but I was mostly googling places & suggestions of where we should go to eat. I wish I had planned more ideas prior to my trip because trying to google something to do at that very moment was very stressful & overwhelming. Besides not being prepared to explore the very big city of London, I still had a great time & got to see how my uncle lived and met his friends. The next time I come back, I'll be more prepared thou.

I originally was going to go home after a week or so in London but it would be so rude to go home without seeing my cousins in Norway, who I've never met before. Plus, they were only a $100 flight away. So I decided that my week & a half trip for my birthday was going to be extended to 2.5 weeks in the name of family. My family in Norway, unfortunately, lives in the smallest city-- it should basically be a town. Mind you I'm comparing it to a big city like Ottawa, which we all thought was small but after seeing Moss, Ottawa is a BIG city.

I really wish I had a car while I was there but I happened to lose my license a week before my trip & didn't get my replacement until my trip was basically over. It would have been very helpful especially since I went into Oslo every chance I got; it was just a 40 min train ride away but coulda been faster with a car. I could've explored other cities also. Nevertheless, I got to meet my cousins & their parents, as well as explore a new country.

Norway was a week adventure but unfortunately, my cousins were all in school & had after-school activities, plus whatever there was to do in Moss was closed by 7/8pm. The one day we had to go out in Moss was on Saturday & we went bowling with whoever could show up & then Sunday morning was my flight to head back home. It wasn't great timing but we had to make do with the time we had. I met up with my cousin who lived on campus at her school in Ås & we explored Oslo with her friend on my first official day there. Her friend worked at this amazing history store & his co-worker gave us some history lessons & let us hold the long swords they have inside there. We then walked around Karl Johans Gate, had TGIFridays for dinner & ended the night with candy & movies. We ended up watching Thor: Ragnork which apparently wasn't released yet in Canada so that was cool.

After that day, I didn't get to see my cousin again because she was super busy with school & then went out of the city on the weekend for a school-related trip. For the rest of my week there, I hung out with my other cousins & we had a couple movie nights & chilled at the house which I didn't mind because it was pretty cold there & I hadn't come prepared in the right winter wear. On one of the days, I also went over to my uncle's house to meet him in person after so many years of talking to him on the phone back when I was a kid. Moss & Oslo were a lot more chill than London was but I didn't mind much & was starting to get home sick.

After coming back to Canada, I realized there are many different ways in which we live compared to Europeans. I also realized how very blessed I am for this being my home. Europe is nice to visit & vacation in but it's such an expensive continent & everything is smaller there: homes, sugar intake, Starbucks venti drinks, space; everything is so congested. I still will be planning a trip back hopefully sooner than later because I'm obsessed with it despite it's differences from North America. I hope to check out Abu Dhabi, Greece, France, Amsterdam & so many more places.

till next time

xoxo

lamrou

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