The Thankful List

Somehow time has gotten the best of me because it is suddenly the holiday season yet again. Thanksgiving is secretly one of my favorite holidays because it gives me a chance to take the time to sit down and really think about all of the lovely things that I am grateful to have in my life. 

 I. I am thankful for my happiness and health.

II. My extraordinary family because through everything, they are the ones who never cease to have my back. Every single member of this family (not all pictured) brings something unique to the table and I'm a better person because of it. I cherish them with everything that I am.

 III. My mama because she's the strongest, most beautiful person I have ever met & I see more and more of her in myself everyday. She has the ability to be so organized and practical and then suddenly she is weird and hilarious and ridiculous and it forever amazes me.  I know she wants the best for me & she supports me in whatever I want to do.

 IV. My daddy because even though I don't get to see him everyday, I know that I can pick up the phone and that he will listen to anything I have to say. I am forever amazed at how cool he is and I hope that some of it wears off on me.

 V. My insane siblings because they endlessly make me laugh. Nothing compares to my morning car rides with Ashton, obsessing over One Direction with Ariana, or hearing Aric randomly say that he loves me. They are my lifelong best friends.

VI. Bentley & Tyson because they are the most human like animals that I have ever met and they make me insanely happy everyday.

 VII. My brand new closet and the fact that my room is finally clean again. After living out of a tiny hall closet downstairs for over 5 years, I am extremely grateful to finally have a walk in closet in my bedroom.

VIII.  My new friends that I have made this year, Jacquelyn & Chanel. They are beautiful, trendy, intelligent girls and I am lucky to be in their company. Jacquelyn just understands me more than most people ever will. She understands that things are better if they are aesthetically pleasing and that everything is better if it has a beard. Chanel is always there when I need to obsess about how there will never be another couple as perfect as Alexa Chung & Alex Turner. I love our little clique and the adventures & conversations we have. We get along famously and I am so thankful to have met them.

IX. My old friends because they are all so brilliant in so many different ways. I am grateful to not have grudges against anyone anymore. I'm glad to be on good terms with all of my friends again.

 I'm thankful for Helen  because she is forever my very best friend in life. She's known me since I was a squirrly, weird, little 9 year old and she still loves me, so that says something about us. She's wildly intelligent and I am so happy to have her in my life.

I am thankful for Michelle because it doesn't matter how much we talk to each other, or how often we see each other, we never have a problem picking up right where we left off. She is completely vile and inappropriate most of the time, but that is precisely what I love most about her.

 

I'm thankful for Lindsey because shes plain old crazy, but I wouldn't change a single thing about her. She makes me laugh constantly and we can make a joke out of literally anything (madman).

I am thankful for Janette because she's been there with me through some serious shit. She's the person who most inspires me to take time to write and she is one of the strongest girls I know. She's like my sister (see Jackie & Debra)and trying to get through life without her is just "retarded".

X. This one is very important on my list. Meeting Jake has completely turned my world upside down. I knew from the very moment that I set eyes on him that there was something extraordinarily special about him.  Getting to know him has been the most exciting experience that I have had thus far in my life. Everyday with him is an adventure. I am thankful that I get to hold his hand, kiss his face, and see his smile on a daily basis. He makes me laugh harder than anyone I have ever met. I am in love with the way his mind works, the words he uses, and his outlook on just about everything in life. He gets me & I get him, that's all there is to it.

As you can see, I have so many things to be happy and grateful for in my life. I believe that it is important to remember these things everyday and never take them for granted because you never know how long you'll have them for.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Remember to eat everything in sight, nap for hours, and give lots of cuddles to everyone you love.

    

                      Love,
               Aisha xx

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?