Baltimore

 

Sometimes we all need a break from the realities of life. So this past weekend, I took an adventure to visit my best friend, Helen in Baltimore, Maryland. I didn't know how much I would appreciate this trip when I booked it back in September, but it happened to fall during the weekend after midterms so I was aching to get out of town for a few days. 

Although I was only there for the weekend, Helen & I managed to pack in a ton of adventure time. I snapped a few shots on my iPhone while I was out and about, so I thought that I would share them with Stellar Piece.

Day I: Friday, November 2

When I booked my trip, I knew that I wanted to make the most out of the time that I had so I snatched up a flight for 6:25 am on Friday morning. When I arrived, Helen took me to her apartment and we ventured out to Hampden. While we were driving around, I was immediately impressed with the architecture, which was full of brick and interesting shapes. The weather was quite cold for my wimpy Floridian frame so I donned a circle scarf for most of my trip.

I ate a delicious Reuben sandwich for lunch at Cafe Hon & Helen and I walked around and checked out some different shops. Some of my favorites were Hampden Junque, where I found an awesome cat phone, and Trohv. We went to the movies downtown and watched Looper, which I thought was a great film even though I don't think anyone should ruin Joseph Gordon-Levitt's beautiful face.

After a full day of exploring, Helen and I went back to the apartment to do what we do best: eat, watch movies, and sleep. All in all, a successful first day.

 

 Day II: Saturday, November 3

Saturday was a perfect day for catching up on the sleep that I had missed during midterms. After leisurely waking up around noon, Helen and I went to Fells Point where we visited the very quaint Baltimore Tattoo Museum. We enjoyed a pre lunch snack at Stuggy's, where we split the most amazing Crab Mac & Cheese hot dog. We stumbled upon a pub crawl which included full grown, bearded men who wore bells on their legs. I don't really know what that was all about.

We headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch which was super cool because the restaurant was inside of what used to be a power plant. After lunch, Helen took me to Federal Hill to see the American Visionary Art Museum. It was full of quirky art and they had the craziest gift shop, where I bought a lovely little skull bracelet.

Later that evening, Helen took me out for a 'Treat Yo Self' dinner at an italian restaurant in Little Italy. We ate the most amazing garlic bread, beef carpaccio, and I had the chicken parmesan. Then we went back to the apartment, got super cozy in pajamas, and watched Mike Birbiglia's film, Sleepwalk With Me.

Day III: Sunday, November 4

We got an earlier start on Sunday so I could make the most out of my last day. I ate the yummiest French toast at a little cafe and we headed out to Mt. Vernon. We checked out the Walters Art Museum and some little shops around the area. Helen tried to take me to see the Peabody Library but unfortunately it wasn't open on the weekends. Luckily, I got to peek into the window and it was absolutely beautiful.

For lunch, Helen took me to the Papermoon Diner which was quite extraordinary.It was full of random collectibles and the food was delicious. We took a little drive through Towsen to kill some time before heading to the airport. Parting ways with Helen was hard because I don't know when I will be seeing again, but I am glad that I got to experience what she does on a regular basis.

For most people, the worst part of a trip is when you reluctantly come home and are forced back into reality. For me it was quite the contrary because I was excited to reunite with my boyfriend and my dear friend, Jacquelyn. Monday was surprisingly un-Monday because I got to catch up with Jacquelyn, who I hadn't seen in a full week & I got to spend lots of time with Jake, who I missed an extraordinary amount for only being away for two days.

Needless to say, it feels good to be back in the Sunshine State.

         Love,

             Aisha

What are your latest travel plans?