Did you know that it's possible to spend a WHOLE day shopping? I did not until I spent my first day of vaca going from mall to mall trying to find all of the things on my shopping list. I have never been one to love shopping or spending a lot of money so this was not a preferred way to spend my day. Don't believe me? Ask my friend Jen. I am pretty sure she is still laughing at me for refusing to pay $.25 for salsa at Lisa Radial's Cafe 4+ years ago. I wouldn't consider myself cheap but is it fair to throw out the adjectives frugal and/or practical? Therefore, I was proactive and created a list of the following items I needed to purchase:
New dress to wear to Jen and Brennan's wedding festivities-- depending on the dress (maybe) new shoes
I anticipated that it would take 3 hours tops to find everything on my list. Boy was I wrong! I managed to find everything except for the dress. All the dresses I tried on were either not cute, too expensive, too small, or too big. This should not have been a big shocker because the past week I have felt like a few extra lbs had barged into a party (my body) uninvited. Actually I should say that they were invited because I have recently left myself go. I've been eating french fries, cookies, white flour, chips, etc as if there are no consequences! I initially cut myself some slack because I was certain that this feeling was just in my head but the jig was up after I had tried on my 6th dress. I just kept thinking of one of my favorite inspirational quotes...
Instead of having a breakdown at Oakview mall, I decided to not feel bad for myself and actually do something about my status! I can't expect to wake up tomorrow magically looking and feeling better if I keep eating for a family of four. I am not going to commit to a strict diet because I believe in better lifestyle changes. Isn't life about the choices we make that can either positively or negatively impact ourselves and others? This includes what we put into our bodies. That's why I am going to CHOOSE to not live a lifestyle that contributes to America's rapidly growing obesity rate.
Although I arrived to Chicago last Sunday afternoon, I was back on the road on Tuesday night after work to head to Omaha with my good family friend, Jane. Contrary to my last visit, this trip has been planned for a while. My two good friends from undergrad, Jen and Brennan, are getting married to each other this Saturday. I think it's fair to assume that this might be the wedding of the year because it's not everyday that you know and admire both individuals saying "I do"-- I can't wait!
I decided to come back to Omaha a few days before the wedding festivities will commence so I can have a minute to regroup before my upcoming academic school year. During the fall I have to teach 9 sections of classes to first-year college students. As you can imagine, I literally crawl home every Friday evening after work because first-year college students always keep me on my toes. I know I may get presented with "the most corny award" but I am so thankful that I am in a position where I love my job and the people I work with. In fact, yesterday I told one of my closest friends from work, Courtney, that I have missed seeing her and the rest of our colleagues the past two weeks. I've kinda been MIA due to the time I've spent working from home and traveling. However, I often talk to my students about the importance of creating work-life balance in their lives. So I decided to put my money where my mouth is, packed my bags, and embraced the country interstate roads that were going to take me home.
Jane and I had a relatively smooth ride. Since I live in the city, I sometimes forget the beauty of nature and wide open spaces. Aren't the pictures below peaceful and beautiful?
We talked about our experiences moving from Omaha to Chicago, we listened to some great music, we smiled when we passed the Megabus on the interstate, and we took the time to be quite/relax and live in the present. The only bump in the road is that Jane may or may not have gotten a speeding ticket.
Once again, my aunt deserves a medal! We finished braiding my hair in record time and I was able to meet up with some friends on Saturday evening.
My good friend from high school, ET, picked me up from my parents' house (just like she used to back in the ol' days) and we headed down to Roja in the Old Market because I was craving a margarita. Doesn't this picture look delicious?
It was so nice to catch up with ET. I always enjoy seeing her and all of our good girlfrans from high school. PS- did I mention that I went to the best an all-girls high school in Omaha? Some people think that's so weird and crazy, but I couldn't imagine having it any other way!
ET and I were expecting some of my college friends and sister to join us so we ended up getting a table for 7. It took them some time to meet us and I although I felt bad for our waiter because he wasn't getting much business from us for an hour, I am pretty sure that he felt bad for us because he wasn't convinced that we had 5+ other friends.
However, our friends did join us and we caught up and enjoyed Roja's reverse happy hour.
JT and ET
Kriha and Hochstein
Kani and Catherine. Don't mind Kriha in the background.
The boys teased ET for her "old school" phone
Kunu Bear and me
After we spent some time at Roja's, JT (Jenny) suggested that we go to O'Connor's. I appreciated Jenny's suggestion because I was guaranteed to run into someone I knew. I jokingly said to the table "I can't wait for the high school reunion" and Kani chimed in by stating "I swear O'Connor's is like the adult Jay." The Jay is a bar where many of my undergrad friends and I spent way too much time at back in the days!
Just as I expected, I saw some of my favorite people the minute I walked into O'Connor's.
Pretty Ricky and me
Kwap, me, and Jen
Jenny and me
Love this picture- high school friends, college friends, and family!
Loving the bright summer colors!
Kriha and me
Overall, I had a low-key but fun night in the Old Market. Kani decided to stay the night at my parents' house and her, my mom, and I stayed up for over an hour chatting. Although I love living in the big city, I will always have a special place in my heart for good ol' Homaha, Nebraska!
I promised that I would share pictures of my hair braiding process. I apologize that I am not the most presentable in all of the pictures but I warned you that I go sans makeup during the process.
Took the Megabus from Chicago on Tuesday at 11:15P.
Arrived to Omaha at 8A on Wednesday tired and not a happy camper. Look at my roots. I needed to get my hair re-braided!
Unbraided my hair on Wednesday and had it professionally detangled because it was that much of a hot mess.
It took over 4 hours to detangle, shampoo, and straighten my hair. Look how long it is.
My aunt and I braided my hair for 2 hours on Thursday night. We made some progress but didn't get too far.
However, it was well worth the wait because I love my new hairstyle! We finished on Saturday afternoon.
Hey y’all. I hope everyone has more exciting plans than me
this weekend. FYI- If you haven’t had the chance to catch up on my recent blog posts, I am currently back in Omaha due to my former serious bad-hair status.
Thankfully, I have been able to work from home during the day and unbraid/braid
my hair during the night. Although
I hate the process of sitting down for days while having someone constantly
touching my head, there are some major perks. I’ve listed my top 5 below:
1.Mama’s
cooking- One of the things that I miss most about living in Omaha is having
easy access to my mom’s cooking. I have tried to recreate her dishes many times
but nothing compares to what she produces. Let me tell you, Mama can make a
simple PB & J sandwich taste like something you’ve never experienced
before. She is in the process of writing a book for me that includes some of
our family’s favorite recipes. My father often jokes and says that her fine
cooking is what led him to start dating her, in addition to her other great
qualities. Therefore, I better
grab an apron, run to the kitchen, and learn a trick or two from my wise
mother.
2.My aunt’s
updates on my family abroad- My dear aunt has been braiding my hair for
more years than I count. Every single person who encounters her quickly discovers
that she is a very lively person and she loves to tell stories. Considering
that we are both sitting down for consecutive days (yes you read clearly, it
takes DAYS to do my hair) braiding my hair, you can imagine that I have the
opportunity to hear many stories. The stories can range from what’s happening
at her work, her reaction to issues around the world, and reason number
456,975, 098,123 I need to find a good husband. However, most of the stories
are regarding my family abroad. She always makes it a point that I am aware of
what is going on with my cousins, aunts, grandparents, and old neighborhood in
the Congo. I love it because it
allows her to do what she loves to do the most (tell stories) and it allows me
to never forget where I came from.
3.Catching
up on all of the latest movies- When my aunt is not telling a story, we are
watching a movie. My aunt refuses to let me pay her for braiding my hair but
she expects that I always come to her house with a stack of movies. Throughout the years I have discovered
that a good ol’ Tyler Perry movie always motivates her to braid faster. So you
better believe I am always looking for which new Madea movie is out.
4.My “No
Visitor Policy”- You’ll notice that in my last post I ended by stating, “See
you never outside world.” I wish that I was being dramatic in that statement
but it’s no joking matter. My sister, Kani, and I developed this policy when we
were in grade school. We promised one another that we would never bring anyone
around when the other was getting her hair done. No one needed to see us
screaming and yelling when my mother was trying to detangle our hair that was
in braids for months. Somehow over the years Kani and I have made an exception
to this policy. We will allow my our best friend/basically sister, Sara
stop by the house. Don’t worry,
Kani, I corrected myself and made it clear that Sara is “our” friend. As much
as I tease Kani for always making it a point to tell the family how she is so
thankful for “our friend Sara” every Thanksgiving, I am glad that we adore one
another’s friends. Prime example: I didn’t scream at her when she brought KP
over for dinner the other night when my hair was still in a crazy fro because
it’s always great to see KP.
5.Embracing
Being All Natural- In addition to rocking my hair all-natural, I give my
whole face a break. I go sans makeup for days! It’s great not having to worry about what I look like
because of my “No Visitor Policy” but every once in a while I will be forced to
leave the house for one reason or another. The other day my dad FORCED me to pick up my cousin at
Panera despite the fact that I didn’t have the chance to get my hair washed,
braided, and straighten yet. To all my fellow sisterfrans out there….you know
how mad I was about this. No body likes to go out in public lookin a mess! To
make matters worse, I asked my dad to lend me a hat and “conveniently” this is
the only one he could find.
Once again, my life your entertainment!
So there you go, folks. You now know the perks of braiding my hair. I am off to eat another home-cooked meal courtesy of Mama and then my aunt and I are going to pull an all nighter! I know it's Friday so I am going to share a Youtube clip about hair to kick off your weekend. Enjoy!
I am always reminded of the saying "beauty is pain" every few months when I have to re-braid my hair. One day, I am determined to build some kind of device that unbraids, washes, straightens, and re-braids an individual's hair pain-free in 3 minutes. I kid you not y'all, not only will every single black girl all over the world love me... I am going to give my neighbor Warren Buffet a run for his money because my product will be in more households than you can count. Side note: did you know what Warren Buffet is from my neck of the woods, Omaha!?
So back to my saying, "beauty is pain." On Tuesday afternoon I decided that enough is enough with my hair. My mama would be so ashamed if she knew that I have been rockin this hair to professional conferences, weddings, and social gatherings. I really wanted to find someone in Chicago to braid my hair but I couldn't justify paying beaucoup bucks when I could have it done for $Free-ninety-nine back Homaha. So on Tuesday afternoon I did one of the top 5 things I hate to do the most. I purchased a last minute Megabus ticket to Omaha.
I have tried to like taking the Megabus because who doesn't love traveling a great distance for a price that's cheaper than taking a cab from downtown Chicago to Lincoln Park? HOWEVER, I JUST CAN'T HANDLE IT! Perhaps this is the inner millennial in me who wants to get from point A to B in an instance. Or... maybe it's my privileged identity as an middle-class United States citizen who can't stand being surrounded by a group of snoring individuals (including myself) who haven't showered in over 9 hours. Either way, I take full ownership that it's completely unfair of me to complain and I recognize that it's an unearned privilege that I have the opportunity to complain because some people don't even have the option to take the bus.
In the meantime, I am still on this Megabus impatiently waiting to get back to Homaha and silently screaming in my head, "beauty is pain!" However, it will be over sooner than later and I can't wait to show off my new look. I will make sure to upload pictures of my hair-braiding process in a few days.
This past weekend I traveled to the Twin Cities for my friend Katie' s wedding. Instead of giving you all the details, I will let my pictures do the talking.
My awesome date, Mike
How beautiful is Katie's dress!?
Mike, me, and the soon-to-be newlyweds
Tim, me, Mol, and Mike
This explains Mike and my friendship well.
Cheers to the happy couple!
The girls
The boys
Mike, me, Tim, and Jen
As you can tell, I had such a great time! It was so good to catch up with some of my dearest friends and Katie was hands down one of the most stunning brides I have ever seen. Also, the most touching part about the whole celebration is that it was apparent to everyone that she was marrying her best friend.
Whether you are looking for the next great suggestion to share with your book club or have questions about your relationships (or lack of), you
need to get your hands on Gary Chapman’s bestselling book, The Five Love Languages (2008). According to
Chapman, each of us has a “love language," a preferred way that we not only
express our love to others but also how we like to receive it.
Basically Chapman states that there are 5 main languages of
love: quality time together, physical touch, gifts, acts of service, and words
of affirmation.
You can easily relate to all of these characteristics
depending on the context, however your love language is made up primarily of
one of these five. I think it’s especially important for couples that would
like to get married/be in a long-term committed relationship to read this book
and have an honest conversation for many reasons. For example, it’s no wonder that a relationship can struggle
when partners don’t share the same love language nor invest the time to
understand the other’s way of expressing love.
Can you guess what my unique way of expressing love to
others is? I will give you a hint and let you know that it is not physical touch. I am sure that those of y’all who know
me personally are probably thinking, “tell me something new, Natu.” If you are
itching to know what your love language is, feel free to take a quick quiz by
visiting this link <click here>. However, make sure to grab the book so you can gain a
better understanding of what your language really means and how it can impact
others. Then make sure to tap your partner on the shoulder (especially those of
you whose love language is physical touch) and sing “let’s talk about love,
baby.”
My friend Maggie and I made plans to go to Tango Sur, an
Argentinean Steak restaurant by our house, on Saturday. Initially, it was going to be just the
two of us but SM decided to stay in town at the last minute so her
presence was a pleasant surprise.
Picture courtesy of google image search
Tango Sur is hands down my favorite restaurant in Chicago
because I am always down for a salad, steak, and a patio hang. Also, it’s BYOB
so this is obviously my kind of a place!
The atmosphere is perfect for any occasion whether it’s a date, girls’
night out, bachelor party, birthday party, or fine dining with some of your
closest friends. The only catch is that there is always a wait because it is
that good. If you don’t believe me, check out that Yelp reviews.
SM, Maggie, and I ended up waiting a little bit over an hour
before we were seated. I was a bit hungry because I didn’t eat much all day
because I wanted to have plenty of room in my stomach for the Argentinean
goodness. However, when we finally sat down and I took my first bite, I thought
to myself… Tango Sur- it’s always worth the wait. Hash tag, winning.
If you love cheese, you will love the Provoleta appetizer
The portions are huge. SM and I shared the El Filet
We drank some good (cheap) wine and shared some good laughs
Every Friday I stop by the Chase ATM by my apartment
to grab my weekly allowance because I was inspired to become financially fit
after I read Suzie Orman’s book, The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, & Broke (2005). Thank you, Chels, for lending me this
book when I first moved to Chicago last summer. I had just graduated with my Master
of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education degree from Miami University
in Oxford, OH so I could relate to every
single word in Susie’s title!
Orman’s book is designed to be a comprehensive, all in one
guide to almost any financial issue that should arise in a young person’s life.
For example, she covers topics ranging from improving your FICO score to
investing for your retirement.Clearly, this book was very handy when I sat down with my institution
‘s HR department to speak about my benefits. Also, it encouraged me to take
additional efforts outside of work to contribute to my personal finances.
The biggest lesson I learned from Susie is that I should use
cash rather than swipe my card all the time. Did you know that there is
research out there (I will cite them one day) that proves that people who use
cash tend to be more cautious about their spending? I totally believe it
because whenever I swipe my card at a restaurant I never think twice about it.
However, it’s always a little painful to hand over a $20 bill to a cab driver
because I can physically see my hard-earned money being taken away from me. So I
figured…why not go old school and give myself a weekly allowance that will go
towards everything I want besides my weekly groceries? This includes money I may
need for dinner club, an iced- grande -diet green tea from Starbucks, new
clothes, gum, etc. When the money is gone…the money is gone and I just have to
count the days till Friday hits. I am usually good about staying within my
limits, but some weeks my social calendar is more packed than others and a girlfran has got to shout T.G.I.F.!
My friend from work, Kiki, convinced me to run a 10k with
her in August. I wish someone took a picture of my confused face when I
initially received her invite through a Twitter message. In fact, I was
convinced she had tweeted at the wrong person because let’s be serious…I
couldn’t fool anyone that I was a “runner!” However, after a great convo with
my colleague and friend which included a reminder that we had completed a 5k together in fall
2011, I decided I would commit. I’d heard great reviews about Hal Hagon’s training program so I printed the schedule and taped it on my refrigerator
door. Also, I should add that I whispered to myself “What the heck did I just
get myself into!?”
The first few days of training weren’t too bad because I
have been going to the gym consistently for the past few years. However, I am
not going to lie and say that I make it every day because sometimes the alarm
clock is not my best friend when it
goes off every morning at 5:00A. Also, the weather has been so ridiculously hot
and I have been very tempted to stay inside my air-conditioned apartment rather
than hit up the hot, big city streets. Side note: I realize that I have been
complaining about the heat a lot lately, but I think these two pictures
give (some) justice to my (first
world) problems.
I didn’t want to go to the gym but I knew that I had no
choice because Hal said I had to do a 2 mile run + strength today. Let me tell
you, the hardest part of my workout is forcing myself to get out of bed/off the
coach and putting my gym shoes on. Once I get past this step, the rest is a
breeze.
This is a bit embarrassing to admit but I can’t help but
smile when the desk worker at the gym greets me when I swipe my membership
card. I can always expect that certain people will always be there and through
this indirect way of knowing one another, I truly feel a sense of community.
Today, my workout was especially rewarding because I noticed
that there was a good amount of people who were signing a new member contract. As I was sweating and listening to my jams, I started
to question what everyone’s reason for working out is. Is it because they want
to lose the freshmen 15 or post pregnancy baby lbs.? Or… are they a victim of the negative
images society portrays about what it means to be beautiful and they
are convinced that if they lose an extra 5 lbs. they will land a date with their dream
boy or girl? Or…better yet, were they inspired by an episode of “Biggest Loser”
and now have the courage to start their weight-loss/better lifestyle journey? There are so many possibilities but the important thing to remember is that everyone at the
gym is “running” for a purpose.
Are you curious to know what my purpose is? Even if you
aren’t, please humor me and listen. I mean you have already ready read quite a
bit of this blog post ;).
The reason I make it a priority to workout is that I believe all of our actions and decisions have consequences. If you want to look
good and FEEL good, you must get up and get going. Also, I don’t want to end up
in a hospital bed one day because I didn’t understand the importance of living
a better lifestyle because it is an investment in my future. I refuse to be the old(er) woman who is staring at the ceiling and
saying to herself “Gosh, I wish I would have taken better care of myself back in the days.”
With that in mind, I am going to continue to push myself to get out of bed and run
with purpose.
The 4th
of July is a very special holiday for me because I became a citizen ~4 years
ago. So I was extremely excited to celebrate America’s Independence with some
good friends. Thankfully, my friend L from work invited me to a BBQ in Ukranian
Village and SM decided to have a last minute BBQ/fireworks viewing at her
beautiful apartment downtown. My plans were perfect because I can’t imagine a
good 4th without BBQ and my bias.
Since my new
obsession is blogging and taking pictures, I had a hard time finding an outfit
that was not only cute/patriotic but also appropriate for the temperature the
weatherman had predicted. I knew it was going to be a hot day in Chicago but
nothing could have prepared me for the heat. Within 2 seconds of being outside
I was already sweating profusely, questioning why I took a shower that day, and
debating whether I would survive two outdoor BBQs. However, I sucked it up and
got on the 80-Cumberland bus because I was really excited to meet up with L,
SM, and Co.
My friend, L.
Party No. 1- Ukrainian Village
I had to
take 2 busses to get to the party in Ukranian Village. Although it was a 40+ min
commute, I didn’t mind because I had been meaning to visit the neighborhood sometime
this summer. Also, the universe was in my favor because the host of the party
decided to move the outdoor BBQ inside. As you can imagine, I was beyond
thrilled when I heard the news. I was so glad that L invited me because I met
some really cool new people, ended up forming a new book club with a group of
girls that I can’t wait to get to know better, and ate way too much food. My favorite
dish was a 100-calorie delicious cupcake that L got off Pinterest and the homemade
white sangria that the host’s cousin brought. If you consider yourself a person
with a mean sweet tooth, check out the recipe on Pinterest because the cupcakes
are that good! Also, I was reminded that the world is such a small town. I went
to this party not knowing anyone except L and within 2 minutes I learned that
the host is family friends with my good friends and sorority sister, Jess from
Eugene, Oregon!
A Taste of Eugene in Chicago
Best low-cal cupcakes ever
SM, Linds, and Kelly
Part No. 2-
Streeterville
My girl SM
has the best apartment in Chicago! Not only does it have a beautiful view of
the Windy City, it is also big enough to host some of our dearest friends. We
talked, laughed, listened to music, made plans for the weekend, grilled on her
sundeck, and watched fireworks from Navy Pier. SM doesn’t know this, but I am
determined to secretly move in someday because I am that obsessed with her
apartment. I always feel so “big city” when I am down there. Speaking of
#bigcityproblems, take the train on a day when everyone is trying to head back
north from the firework show downtown, and you will know what I mean. It was
hot, crowded, and smelly. Thankfully, some of my good friends were right by my
side and helped make the ride back home a little bit more tolerable.
View from SM's apartment
My friend Joelle- from Omaha (Go Bluejays) to Chicago
Team U.S.A.
Linds, Joelle, Bridg, and me
Two fun
parties in one day… Happy Birthday, ‘Merica. It really was a Party in the
U.S.A.
