#germany

And the train keeps going. Next stop for us was Germany, where we spent the most time during this adventure -- and made some of the best memories. We took the train from Paris to Frankfurt, where my mom's uncle and his German wife picked us up and hosted us for 5 days at their home in Hochheim (super tiny town!). My great aunt was born and raised in this home so it's over three generations old and has been their home for almost 70 years. It was so awesome to transition from the busy city life to being immersed in a true, European small town. This is one of those towns that everyone knows each other. When you call the nail salon, you greet the person by saying your last name and you're immediately recognized. My great uncle and his wife know almost all the restaurant owners and who's who. The town is completely walkable; no metro, only a few bus lines. 

Our stay with them was so memorable because we got a change from the hotel feel/ living out of a suitcase to a much more home-y and cozy experience. I think what I'll miss most are the breakfast spreads my great aunt would have laid out for us in the mornings. All different kinds of cheeses, fresh bread, soft boiled eggs in the cutest little holders, and a German delicacy: poppyseed cake. We stayed there for four days and explored more of Hochheim as well as Mainz, where we went to the Gutenburg Museum.

That was one of my favorite places we went this whole trip because of how cool it was to learn the history behind print. Obviously being a writing lover, I was captivated from the start. Even cooler, we entered this vault that holds the world's oldest copy of the Bible. Sadly no cameras were allowed but it was even better in a way to soak it all in even more. That's actually been a trending nugget for this whole trip. Not to go off on a tangent but -- we only have wifi in our hotels/ the houses we stay in so during the day we're completely phone less which at first was really unknown, new, and outside my comfort zone. A few days later, and I've gotten so used to it and it's proved to make the trip that much more memorable. Instead I've been journaling during the day when we're out and have down time, and really taking the time to soak in every moment. 

A few days later, we left small town life for Munich! Munich was amazing. I'm so glad we made the stop here as well. The city is so alive and filled with so much history. We did a full day tour on a double decker bus which was perfect. The city is filled with castles, $2 sausages, BEER,  and such intricate architecture. Fun fact too is that there are no skyscrapers allowed to be built in the city because under the Catholic law, no building can be higher than their oldest church. So all of the skyscrapers are actually right outside the city lines. 

Other than that, Germany definitely lives up to its stereotype about having mean people. Sadly. The people have been so rude!! :( it's crazy but it just opens your eyes so much to the level of care and customer service we get in America. The grass isn't always greener! 

Finally to end things off, the absolute best part of Germany was hands down meeting 4 of my second cousins that I had never met before. It's so amazing the connection that family brings that is unlike any other. Within one hour of meeting all of them on different occasions, it was like we had been friends for a lifetime. I'm so blessed to finally have met more of my family-- they're truly people I want to do life with on a consistent basis. And hopefully have them visit us here in the Bay! 

Alright, let's get to the photos now. Next stop: Salzburg, Austria.       

                                

#paris

Ah Paris. Just writing the name gets me giddy. I want to start off this post by saying that the phrase, "Paris is always a good idea" now has new meaning to me because I was able to actually put that into practice on our trip. We didn't really have plans to hit up Paris on our trip since the journey has been so packed with train trips and city stops, BUT, the day before our flight my mom and I had this moment of smiling and looking to one another and saying, "Should we fit in Paris too?" And oh, am I SO glad we did. The first time I went to Paris I left feeling like this was one of my favorite cities in the world. I loved being able to go back a second time and seeing if this remained true. Did it? Big, fat yes!  Paris is magic. Paris is romantic. It's mysterious, illuminating, and simply draws you in. Every time we got off the metro and walked up the steps we were surrounded with an entirely different landscape. All of course included busy streets, colorful buildings, and most of all - people chillaxing. I know I mentioned this in my last post but it continues to ring true the more of Europe I see and explore. People value their time and well being so much. They close up shop when they feel like it, they sit down for an hour- long coffee break if they're in the mood. Anything goes. The sense of consumerism we have in America is completely blown to pieces in Europe, and it is so refreshing to be a part of. 

What I loved most? The eating of course, come on! Every morning my mom and I were on the hunt for better pastries from the day before. Because it just kept getting better and better. Huge shout out to my friend and fellow food blogger, Shikhalamode for all the amazing suggestions -- we tried almost everything! [i do have to note though that I thought Angelina was way over priced and not amazing food.. That being said, go for the experience! Oh and Strasbourg had better drinking chocolate ;)]. End rant. The food was all amazing. I'm iust glad we did so much walking every day so I'm not going home a fattie. 

The other part of the trip I loved was taking a boat ride tour across the Seine one of the afternoons. The sun finally came out while we were on the water and it was so relaxing after 5 hours of walking to simply bask in the sunlight and admire all the beautiful landmarks across the river.

I cannot wait to come back to Paris. Especially in better weather. That being said, the city was so good to us and I'm left smiling from ear to ear when I think about our time there. 

                        

#strasbourg

And we're back. Next stop on the EuroTour was Strasbourg. I can't even begin to describe how much I love this town. Strasbourg is in Alcace, a region of France that has a lot of German influence so you get a totally different feel here -- worlds apart from Paris. I feel so lucky to have seen such different parts of France, from Paris to Strasbourg to Nice and Cannes... this country never ceases to amaze me with its vibrant character and the "joie de vivre" that is so evident in the inhabitants. When my mom and I arrived in the train station, she turned to me and said, "I feel like I'm at home." This resonated so much with me because I felt the exact same way. We both fell in love with France on our last Europe trip and to feel the same way our second time here was so comforting. Even though it was still freezing, we both got this second wind and had a little night on the town and went exploring after dark. It was so magical. There were swans swimming in the river, moonlight reflecting off the cobble stones, and every café was booming. Truly out of a storybook. I told a friend the first comparison that came to mind to describe Strasbourg was: "Man in the Iron Mask" meets Disneyland. Haha! But truly no better way to explain it. The town is so tiny too that you can get around by foot almost anywhere. One of those places where you want to get lost and just soak in each quarter. I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life! We spent 2.5 days here and just left to take the train off to Paris. Can't wait to come back here. Thank you Strasbourg, you have a piece of my heart.

     

#oscars2016 round up

We interrupt the travel diaries to bring you a very special installment of my annual Oscars Round Up! Guys, Oscar Sunday is only ONE week away so the countdown is officially on. This is the first time I won't be home to watch the entire show with friends and fam since I'm in Europe (not too shabby), but I will do whatever it takes to watch so I'm not too worried. With that being said, for this year's round up of all things Oscar-related and my predictions, I decided to come at you in true reporter style -- behind the camera. So sit back, relax, and get ready for the big night. Let me know what you're most excited about![[ special shout out and major thanks to my amazingly talented friend, Elmira Saalabi for shooting and editing this film]]

Naseem Talks - Oscar Countdown from elmira saalabi on Vimeo.

#zurich

First stop on our European adventure. We were here for only 2.5 days and I'm up fighting my jet lag so I thought why not get a head start on my first post from the trip. Best way to fill you guys in on each city we head to is a little blurb in addition to my photos. So here goes: Zurich: industrial, extremely hipster restaurants and bars, FREEZING this time of year, waterfront, amazing public transportation, grocery stores have everything you could ever ask for, reminds my mom of Tehran, reminiscent of UES meets Venice Italy for me. 

                                           Next stop, Strasbourg! 

#unwritten

2016's been exciting so far to say the least. As I'm writing this I'm waiting to board my plane en route to Switzerland. My mom and I are about to embark on a little European adventure, just us girls. I feel so blessed to have the time and the means to travel like this right now and take three weeks to literally get away and get soaked in an entirely different world. I've been wanting to immerse myself in Europe for such a long time now and to be able to do so for an extended period of time gets me so pumped. We'll be making a loop starting in Switzerland, passing through France, then to Germany, then closing out the trip in Austria and hopefully doing a few day trips to neighboring countries in between.

I'll be blogging photos and memories from each city we stop in so feel free to follow along on my journey with me. As the year unfolds (can you believe it's mid February already?), I've been thinking a lot about this blog and what my hopes are for it personally as well as for you the reader. I'm currently working on a revamp, hence the new domain (officially all mine!) as well as the new look and feel. My main goal is to inspire you and myself. I think that term is thrown around so loosely that we tend to roll our eyes and often forget what inspiration even really means.

That brings me back to why my blog is called "undefined & unrestrained." I want to inspire myself and you who might have happened to stumble on my blog to BE you and DO you. Every. Day. One thing that really makes me tick when it comes to social media and this new phase of technology advancement that we're in is the amount of comparison that brings along with it. Most notably for women but definitely for men too. For myself personally, seeing others' coming and goings, endeavors, and various life milestones has been a wonderful thing thanks to social media. However, let's not to ourselves. I think we can all recall a time where it's made you stop and think. "Should I be doing this too?" "Am I not on the right timeline?" "Am I supposed to be going down this career path to fit in with the rest of my demographic?". These questions can be suffocating. They can cause anxiety and ultimately steal your joy. One thing I yearn to encourage you with (and myself since this is much easier said than done on a daily basis) is to embrace the undefined. To live a life that's beautifully unrestrained. To allow the adventures and fleeting moments of passion that you are seeking to fully engulf you. Not what you see on Instagram that makes you get down on yourself for not having X amount of likes or followers.

In this next chapter of my life which is one that is TRULY undefined since I have no clue what's next I am doing just that in embracing the unknown. I have this newfound excitement for what is to come and a new patience, if you will, for taking each day as it comes and finding the small pleasures that each day brings; instead of trying to skip steps and follow this established timeline that the media or our peers have set before us.

I encourage you to tear up that timeline you have written down, physically or in your mind. Find the joy in being yourself and doing what makes you happy. You might be the only one doing X but that's what you're passionate about, do it. For instance, there were times when I thought at my age it's too late to think about taking an extended trip. What about my timeline? Job? What about what my life is "supposed" to look like right now? And then it just hit me. Throw those questions out the window. Take a deep breath and look outside. We're so surrounded by a beautfiul world that is begging to be discovered. Whether that looks like taking time off to travel or quitting your job to pursue a hobby that's become a passion... if that's what drives you, do it. Because at the end of the day, all of us simply want contentment. I've realized even the richest people in the world can be the most depressed. Yeah, we've all heard this but really let it sink in.

And maybe you haven't figured it out yet. Those passions, that calling. Trust me, I haven't. But instead of stressing out (my usual M.O.) I'm finally learning to roll with it and embrace the undefined. Not to end on the cheesiest of all notes but as Natasha Bedingfield so perfectly puts it, "The rest is still unwritten..." -- I'm finally grasping the beauty in that lyric. As someone who has thrived on living a life where my next step/ direction was always sort of laid out before me, I'm starting to slowly get it now and accept the beauty in the unknown. 

With that, I hope some sort of spark has been lit for you. Thanks for following along my journey as I chase what's next. 

#NYE - My Year in Travel

I was lucky enough to cross off so many things on my bucket list in 2015. The biggest of which was traveling more. Not only was I eager to check out some of the big cities in the US that I had been hearing so much about, but also to take a long "Eat Pray Love" excursion. I'm happy to say I successfully accomplished all those dreams and was able to visit Austin, Portland (twice!), Seattle, New York, Vegas, and Bali this year. It's funny that to some people this might not be a big deal at all -- in fact I have some friends who travel for a living! But for someone like me who was also working full time and on a "early 20's in SF paying rent" salary, it's so awesome that I was able to make all this happen for myself.

Not to mention the reward of feeling so accomplished and well cultured after this year as well. I've come to realize that I seriously have a travel bug and I am beyond blessed that I can say goodbye to 2015 knowing that I got to make some huge travel dreams come true this year. I'm sure you've all seen my past posts with more photos from each trip and if not, feel free to scroll through to take a look! Above is just a snapshot from each trip.

I'm already thinking about next year and the spots I want to cross off my globe! Where are you all dying to visit?! Happy New Year everyone <3 See you in 2016!

#2015 in Retrospect

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared my 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here's an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 830 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 14 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

#thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I can safely say that with absolutely no hesitation. This year was one of the most memorable to date because our family was lucky enough to be able to spend the long weekend with 10 of our nearest and dearest family members. Both my grandmothers were here staying with us along with my aunt and uncle, their two kids, and each of their significant others. On top of that, our cousins from my dad's side of the family were with us too. It was so special to me because both sets of cousins (from each side of the family) are the ones I spent the majority of my childhood with. We would count down to family trips to hang out with our cousins from months ahead. To be able to have all of us under one roof was the biggest blessing.

What I'm most proud of though is the fact that this year yours truly cooked and baked EVERY dish (except the turkey). I look back now and can't believe it all worked out but I had the luxury of being home all of Wednesday before Thanksgiving so I started around 7am and worked through the night. Sadly I guess we were too excited to eat the food instead of take photos of it first (shocking, I know)... So I only have photos of our set up and my ham! But for those who care here's our menu -- all of which I made from scratch:

- Honey/pineapple/mustard glazed spiraled ham

- sweet potato and yam drizzled with balsamic brown buttered honey

- green bean casserole

- garlic Rosemary mashed potatoes

- lemon-zested cranberry sauce

- balsamic brown buttered gnocchi with andouille sausage and mushrooms

- peanut butter brownies

- spiced cardamom banana cake with mascarpone icing (our favorite of the night!)

I loved loved loved being in the kitchen and doing all the cooking this year. It's so rewarding when you see how much people enjoy what you've made and it makes all the hard work worth it. Given, I was about to drop afterwards... I give so much credit to my mom now; cooking is such hard work!

We thought long and hard about how to make our table settings as Pinterest-ing as possible. Thanks to my mom's creativity and some inspiration from her pins, we created table settings that we were super proud of. Yes, all those names were drawn by hand by me!!

See photos below :) I can't even express how thankful I am to have spent this weekend with family, it was so needed. I love those moments where you don't even bother looking at your phone all day because you're with the ones who matter most. What I would give for another evening dying of laughter playing charades with all of us around the fire.... Memories to last forever! <3

        

 

#PDX

Here's another update from the Travel Diaries. My friends and I jet setted off to Portland for Memorial Day Weekend a few days ago. It's safe to say I fell in love with this city. One of my (many) New Year's Resolutions this year was to travel more and specifically to hit up Seattle, Portland, and Austin. I was able to get all three off my list in the first half of 2015 and can say with confidence that Portland jumped to the top of my list in a heartbeat. I seriously fell in love with this city to the point of kind of contemplating moving there for a year.... But I'll save that for another post ;) It's funny because no one told me that Portland is more of a town-becoming-a-city vs. a straight up city. I'm actually more of a city girl (or so I thought), so I would never imagine to fall in love with a town but I absolutely did with Portland. The closest hybrid of a comparison I can make is that it's a mix of Seattle, Berkeley, and Davis all in one. Never have I met nicer people in any other place. To the point where we were like "WOW, why is everyone so nice?!" It was so apparent.

Not only that but the pace of life here is so different than anything I'm used to. Not once did I see a hint of anything "techy" while there. No big tech offices, no one glued to their phone while we were out -- it was literally just this sense of all around chillness that we aren't that used to anymore; especially me living in the Bay.

If you know anything about me you know I am a true foodie at heart. And while the food here was indeed bomb there was so much more to the trip that meant more to me than just the culinary adventures. Which is a lot coming from me! Everywhere we went we were surrounded with lush green nature. And this was legit different hues of green everywhere we went.

On our last day my friends and I were talking about our highlights/ favorite parts from the trip. To be honest none of us could come up with only one since there were so many perfect parts that will always stick with me. I'm including my top three below:

1) On our second day we drove up 30 miles out of town to Multhomah Falls to check out the waterfalls. I'm one of those people who hates waiting and I always just want to "get there." This drive, while so ordinary in theory, really hit me on a personal level. The nature surrounding us was so unbelievably beautiful. On my left was this vast body of water surrounded by mountains (so Pocahontas-esque) and on our right was all this moss-covered nature that just had so much character. Being surrounded on all sides by so much beauty just made me realize 1) how amazing God is to create breathtaking sights all around us -- literally had to fly up only an hour to set my eyes on this, and 2) a realization for me to stop rushing. It sounds so corny, that saying, "to stop and enjoy the ride." I always joke that quote shouldn't apply to me because I hate road trips and always get car sick, lol, but really I want to start living that out more in my life when it comes to mentally just enjoying the ride no matter where we are. That car ride and staring at that beauty as I drove to the falls really made me realize that every part of our journey has bits and pieces of beauty that we need to take in and enjoy.

2) Another one of my favorite memories of this trip was the fact that I ran into so many people that I knew while I was there. It's funny because I don't even run into this many people in SF on a daily basis but within 48 hours I saw 4-5 people I knew. Old co-workers, family friends, and acquaintances from all parts of my life. I was on a random residential street on our first day in Portland literally someone screams out my name while she's driving. I turn around and it's one of my old family friends! It was so awesome. I love small world occurrences like that and running into people I know when it's super random so that made the trip so entertaining :)

3) Finally, my other favorite part of this trip was just being able to walk in silence with my friends at certain points and soak it all in. Something I love so much in a friendship is when "awkward silence" isn't even a term in your vocabulary anymore. When you don't feel the need to fill the silence with filler conversation. That's something I loved so much during this trip because it was so evident that we were so comfortable with one another and were all just in our own ways soaking in the sights and beauty. Not only that, but realizing the importance of flexibility when you travel with people. It was amazing because we literally got every single thing on our itinerary done and there was never one complaint among us. We were go go go the whole trip and all of us were on the same page. It's so refreshing. I can safely say this was one of my favorite trips I've taken so far.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the weekend :) Til next time.

                                  

#SEATTLE

Almost a month late but worth the wait! I couldn't resist posting some photos from my recent trip to Seattle at the end of April. I had such an amazing time visiting one of my childhood friends and exploring the city together for a few days. As soon as I touched down, in true "Naseem fashion" we took the train to an old abandoned cinema where they were hosting this 90's music video sing along party. It was amazing. The seating was almost like an indoor drive in where each person had their own little booth and waiters would come over to you and deliver drinks and snacks. We danced, we sang, we were nostalgic to the MAX. It was epic. The rest of the weekend was filled with a whole lot of F O O D. I took the train to Pike Place Market by myself on Friday and explored all there was to see. There was so much action -- someone selling freshly caught fish in one corner, another corner filled with fresh flowers being arranged and sold, and another corner of little shops like a quaint magic store and one with screen prints from the last few decades. The market was like a maze. I felt like I got lost a million times but I couldn't stop going around and around. I walked past the gum wall -- and couldn't help just staring at HOW much gum there was on it! What else? Treated myself to Beecher's mac and cheese while watching the cheese being made in front of me! Got some Seattle coffee, baked goods, and of course the clam chowder. (Hands down the best I have ever had!).

Aside from that, it was so nice to experience a change of pace from what I'm used to with SF. Seattle was definitely similar but it had this really interesting vibe about it. More laid back, more defined. I really loved it. Plus the area my friend lives in is so diverse, everywhere we went had its own charm. She unknowingly found out she lives next to this hole in the wall Vietnamese BBQ spot that Anthony Bourdain swears by. We found this out and went at 9:45pm after having lounged rooftop in her jacuzzi. Perfect Saturday night. Then came home and passed out, haha.

One other really fun part of the trip for me was driving out to Alki Beach. It was so stunning to see this beach because not only are you staring out into the ocean while laying on the sand but your view is of snow covered mountains. It was truly majestic. The mountains there are something else. I felt like I was Maria in Sound of Music with the backdrop of Austria's mountains almost. It was so beautiful. I seriously can't wait to go back, this was one of those cities that grabs you and leaves you itching for more of it. So, so glad I had the chance to go and feed my wanderlust bug that is yearning for more and more travel ;)

                                      

#Oscar2015 Recap

It's finally that time -- my favorite TV event of the year (and a close second to arguably my favorite event of the year in general, other than my birthday): The OSCARS! Now that we've all had a moment to digest the 4-hour event in its entirety (and hope you all recorded the following event on your DVRs last night because of how much it ran over!), let's discuss shall we?

First off, I miss the good old days. I miss seeing the class acts. Leo, Halle, Adrien, Scorsese, Kate. It was sad not seeing them but instead watching the red carpet arrivals with the likes of Dakota Johnson (who?) and Jennifer Lopez (really?). Other than being jaw dropped at Margot Robbie's breathtaking black gown I wasn't impressed with anyone else's dresses. Literally just hers.

But let's move on to the main affair -- the show itself. I thought NPH was a joke. Sorry I'm not sorry. I had 0 expectations from him to begin with and therefore was in love with the opening musical number but after that it was pitiful! PSA: Jack Black you are amazing. Always.

Someone please get Steve Martin or Seth McFarlane back on here! His jokes were trying way too hard or barely trying at all. And the hype around that hidden suitcase/ Oscar predictions bit?? Um. Even poor Octavia Spencer looked so awkward every time he'd ask her if she was still keeping an eye on it. Pointless! (Side note: loved that Octavia brought her fellow Red Band Society cast mate along as her plus one. RIP Red Banders).

Other than that, I thought the show itself and the award winners were for the most part pretty well-deserved. It's funny, Birdman was the first of all the Oscar-nominated films that I watched even before it was nominated. I loved it when I watched it in theaters. I just watched it at home this past weekend for the second time with my parents and it seemed lack luster the second time. Sure, the cinematography was on point and super unique, as well the acting. Let the record show, Edward Norton is my favorite actor and he did NOT disappoint in this role. I'm so happy he even got the Best Supporting Actor nod this year. That being said, I don't know how I feel about it winning Best Picture. I'm torn. But Sean Penn's reveal -- gold.

So, I think this was an AMAZING year for film. I don't think I've ever had a year where ALL of the films are solid A's. Even the films that didn't get nominated for Best Picture (Foxcatcher, Nightcrawler, Wild -- all three were movies I'd consider top tier for what I watched this year). I think that's why I kind of wish something else got some more lovin.

I think Alejandro González Iñárritu is amazing. I've said it before but him and Tarantino are my favorite directors of all time. So I am all for his Director win -- BUT, I almost feel like he should have won in this category for his dramas -- not a dark comedy. When you look at what Richard Linklater did with Boyhood over 12 years, that's amazing directing. I don't think people think about how much of a visionary you have to be to brainstorm a project over a timeline like that. On top of that, thinking about the commitment the cast has to agree to and how much they will change over the course of the project. It was as close it could have been to being a documentary, yet had the exact measure of depth it needed to be a wonderful film. It's so sad when I hear people say their only gripe with it was that it "wasn't dramatic enough" -- I can't tell you how many people have said that to me. I feel like that's such a shallow way of looking at film. It's almost exactly like what "Birdman" was telling Michael Keaton at the end of the film: people only care about the action in movies these days. We've been accustomed to grow "bored" when watching a real movie about real life. I think that's what Linklater did so masterfully in Boyhood is depict what actual life is like. And the stages of "boyhood" for an individual. Male or female, I think anyone could relate to this film and what true growing pains are like. That's what I loved about this movie. I wish it got more attention at the Oscar's, but super happy for Patricia Arquette at least!

Another film that I thought was AMAZING this year was Theory of Everything. I didn't expect the film itself to get much hype, but I highly suggest watching to movie to anyone. It was not what I expected. And Eddie Redmayne - WOW. I hadn't even heard of this guy but after this film I was in awe. Most well-deserved award of the night went to him!

What was my highlight of the night? I never thought I would be saying this, but Lady Gaga's Sound of Music tribute brought me to tears and goosebumps. This is my favorite movie so the fact that they did a surprise tribute was the most exciting thing of life. Lol. Also, new update: Lady Gaga can SING. Woah, Nelly!! I was jaw dropped. She did an amazing job and I have a newfound respect for her. Finally, to top it all off with JULIE ANDREWS gracing the stage. Done. Done. I can stop watching now. It was the best part of the night for me. She always brings a smile to my face. Oh, and .. why don't they make movies like this anymore?

Finally, my favorite category at the Academy Awards is Writing (go figure). So I'm always super stoked to see who wins Best Original Screenplay & Best Adapted. To be honest, I was pretty surprised that Imitation Game won. I haven't seen it or read the book so it could be on point, but it was a bit of a shock to me. Best Original -- Birdman, that was pretty interesting to me as well. Not shocking, as I predicted it, but I feel like reading a script like that wouldn't wow me. It's seeing all the pieces fall into play together on screen with that genius talent in cinematography that made the film what it was. I feel like when it comes to writing, you need something more. I was personally rooting for Nightcrawler, which I thought was genius in its writing. I was blown away by that movie. As creepy as it was, the writing took me to another world. I secretly wish that would have taken home the win.

Other than that, my favorite scream-worthy moments of the night?

- Terrance Howard's acting audition for the whole audience -- and lo and behold he was getting emotional over.... The IMITATION GAME?! I can't explain how hard I laughed at this

- John Travolta's caress of Idina's face (this reminded me of Face/Off and how scary he was)

- Learning Common's real name (and that John Legend is a made up name?! Ew. Let down.)

- Common skipping over Oprah when Glory won Best Song, and then going back and hugging her to save face

- Steadmond's face the entire night

- J. Lo being super into Patricia Arquette's female equality speech (relax, bro)

- Finally, poor Ellar Coltrane trying hug Patricia (running from back row!!) and her skipping over him. HAHA poor guy

That's all from me. What did you guys think of this year?!

#beautyprivilege

"Beauty privilege is very real. None of us are imagining it, and if we aren’t born genetic lottery winners, our only option is to compensate with style, grace, and charm. Of course, none of that shit comes cheap. That’s kind of the whole point. It’s all meant to be aspirational and exclusionary. We’re supposed to feel depressed by our skin, agitated by our bodies, and anxious about our invisibility. That’s the insidious subtlety of social control. The worst part is that we know in our rational minds that it’s all bullshit, and yet we’re still plagued with self-loathing when we can’t live up to unattainable beauty standards. No matter how much self-acceptance we achieve, we can still look in the mirror and instantly catalog all the things about ourselves that we don’t think measure up. It’s maddening. It makes us feel like hypocrites even though it’s not our hypocrisy." - The Coquette

#preach

#bestoftheyear

It seemed only fitting to follow up my goodbye to 2014 post with a look back at some of my favorite memories of the last year. So much has happened in one year that it feels like January was forever ago, but then on the other hand it's all flown by so fast that I am shocked we're at another NYE. As I'm sitting here by the fire, cozying up with my Anthropologie candle, I couldn't be more content. I'm loving that I get to spend my evening blogging about my fondest memories instead of worrying about getting dolled up and having high expectations for some night out. Call it getting older or what you will, not sure what it is — but this year I feel so at peace just staying in, baking cookies, and reflecting on how awesome the year was. So without further ado, here is my top 8 (in no particular order, except maybe the top two, haha).

1) Moving to SF

This was definitely the biggest highlight of the year as I'm sure many of you know by now with the past blog posts and whatnot. It was always a dream of mine to experience life in a city, on my own -- being free to explore and truly find myself amidst the hustle and bustle of a city that's not too big and not too small. It's been one of the best decisions I ever made. I have learned things about myself and the world around me by choosing to step outside my bubble and what I've always known. I can't wait to begin year 2 in the city and go on even more adventures.

2) An impromptu trip to Vegas & partying with the Backstreet Boys

This was also a blog post in itself so I won't get into the amazing twist of fate that is this epic tale. But I will note again that this one's up there in my top memories of the year. My friend and I decided almost 48 hours before that we were heading on this spontaneous adventure together. What happened later was epic and will always be one of my top memories in life. Read the entire story here.

3) Soul Cycle

I tried Soul Cycle for the first time this March and it's honestly changed the way I view fitness and working out completely. I have never really been into exercise, it's more of an after thought. I only get into it like a month before a big trip and I'm feeling fat, haha. But this year after trying Soul Cycle for the first time I was mind blown. Not only did I learn so much about how much exercise can change our moods, our perspective, and stress levels — but I also just feel so much more comfortable in my own skin after being active. Every time I attend one of these classes, I leave feeling I just went out dancing in a club and came out of a therapy session at the same time. It's that cathartic. That's not to say I'm a weekly attendee (ain't nobody got money for that unfortunately, haha) but those experiences have actually led to me being more aware and conscious about how important it is to stay active and fit. I finally joined a gym and looking forward to continuing to keep at it in the year to come.

4) One of my best friend's weddings in Hawaii

This summer I was so honored and blessed to celebrate the marriage of two of my oldest and closest friends in HAWAII. The summer was spent prepping for the big day with tons of dress fittings, a girls trip to Napa, a bridal shower, and resting for a week in paradise leading up to the big day. I've attended close to 10 weddings in the last two years so I know how chaotic and stressful of a time it can be. For some reason this one holds such a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because of how close of a bond I share with both the bride and groom. As well as how much humility and character I saw in the precious bride from day 1 til the end of the wedding. It was also such a honor to be up there with her with such an intimate group of us bridesmaids, only 5 of us including sisters from each side of the family. It so awesome praying together, sending email threads of devotionals before the big day, dying of laughter together at the bachelorette, and witnessing one of the most powerful ceremonies. In Hawaii of all spots! True paradise.

5) Turning 25

This one was huge. I didn't think I would feel any different because I honestly never do when I initially have a birthday. But for some reason this one was much different. I went into it not having any expectations (a first for me) and it ended up being the best birthday I've had to date I think! Not only was I overwhelmed with love and affection on the day of, but the entire week was so special to me. I heard from so many people I hadn't even seen in so long and I was able to celebrate with those nearest and dearest to me. On top of all that, I really felt like this time, turning one year older made a lasting impact on me. I genuinely feel a year older and I feel the weight of being at that season where I am a quarter-century. It's just been such a defining time. I'm making more life changing decisions and choosing what/whom I want to invest in even more. I've let go of so many old mindsets and I just feel such a wave of contentment. It's such a good feeling. I can't wait for the year to unfold.

6) Ten year elementary school reunion

This day was so awesome. I had gone to school with the same ~40 people from first to eighth grade. From age 6 to 14! It's insane. Flash forward ten years later and I decided: we. must. reunite. Although we didn't get as big of a turn out as I wished, it was such a precious time. With only 10-12 of us, we had an intimate lunch and just spent time catching up and reflecting on old memories. It's insane how you can feel distant with certain friends that you do life with daily. And then with others, you can not see one another for close to 10 years and when you do it's as if NOTHING has changed. That's how it felt with this group. It's also something that no one will ever understand, you know? That bond. We did close to nine years of life together. Every day. The bond we share.. having legitimately grown up together.. is one that's unshakeable. I'm so glad we reunited and just the fact that I have stayed in touch with a few of these friends over the course of more than half my life is a feat in itself.

7) Brunching

I'm sure by now most of you know how much I love food. Like an insane amount. Sometimes I worry it's an obsession but I deny it. Oh well. Anyways. SF is known for having one of the finest food scenes in the nation so as soon as I moved up, I've had a bucket list of all the places I've wanted to dine at, specifically brunch (my favorite meal, of course). It's been so amazing to try so many incredible dishes. I know I am truly lucky to live in a city where I can take advantage of that on the weekends. Being an avid Yelper, it's been the best feeling to mark off so many of these legendary places with more than thousands of reviews off my bucket list. It might seem so random to some, but amazing food hands down makes my list of top memories for this year :)

8) Spontaneous nights out with my co-workers

I couldn't think of just one memory for this one because there are so many nights that stick out to me when I think of this past year. One of the best parts of being a part of a start up like the one I work for is that everyone is relatively in the same age range and that everyone is always down for the most spontaneous things. I can think of numerous nights were we all decided to go out and karaoke after work, or hit up my favorite 90's night and dance until the club kicked us out. What else? Hot dogs from a hole in the wall at 1am, epic concerts where we were front row singing along.. the list goes on! We're so fortunate to have a company who values team morale and community so much that we're always doing something on the weekly. Even if it means staying in the office playing video games until midnight.. we always manage to have a great time together. These memories made my year so much more exciting and full of life.

Happy New Year, everyone! <3

#goodbye2014

Oh how I love the holidays. I love them so much that I genuinely feel sad when the year is about to end because of how fast they've flown by. My family is the same way and Thanksgiving & Christmas especially are two of our favorite nights of the year, so this year was amazing to say the least. We've had the fireplace going all month long and this year the house was decked out in Christmas decor (some of which I helped design/decorate myself this time around!). Our home has been filled with the smells of freshly baked cake and pine cones -- I'm so sad to see it all coming to an end in just three days. But with that comes the start of a new year. One that I couldn't be more excited about. It's funny because I feel like in only a year I have changed so much in such tiny and huge ways. One of which is my reaction to change. I couldn't be more excited about what is to come this next year. This was such a defining year for me — full of so much growth in such different areas of my life. Personally, professionally, spiritually, and emotionally. I have so much excitement and passion going into 2015. There were certain goals I had going into this last year and I met almost every single one. I was able to travel more than I ever have before -- some trips were only for a weekend but the people I spent time time and those memories will remain with me for a lifetime. I also was able to attain a dream I had for years which was to move to SF. I promised myself I would only do it once I had a secure position and that door finally opened December of last year and come this February it will have been officially a year of me being an SF resident. I cannot believe it. In addition to that, I was just offered a new position at work which I will transition into right after 1/1. I am so thrilled about this change and it could not have come at a more opportune time. I can't wait to make even more connections this coming year and see what life in SF brings me.

My hope for 2015 is even more growth in all of these areas. In regards to relationships, I'm working on actively seeking out purposeful and fruitful people who will lift me up. Friends who consistently have one another's best interest at heart and aren't afraid to be raw with one another, even if it hurts. I don't want to be afraid of cutting out toxic relationships. I don't want to be feel obligated to go somewhere out of "FOMO", and I don't want to have to feel "sorry" for saying no to anyone/ not going to something. There is absolutely no need for you to explain yourself or prove yourself to anyone. I want this year to be spent productively and in a way where I am constantly being sharpened. It's honestly SO refreshing.

I'm looking to travel even more. I'm hoping to save up for an "eat, pray, love" excursion of my own and do some soul searching. I want to visit all the US cities I've had my eye on. And even if that means only 1-2 places this year, I think that's perfect because at least I'm starting somewhere. I don't want to get complacent or comfortable.

I want to blog more. I know we always say that and even for me, it was an epic fail keeping up with the blog at the end of this year but I don't want to apologize about it. Instead, I want to simply DO. I never want to stop doing. I feel like at times as a blogger we can become so consumed with what others are thinking or what they expect the blog to "be." I'm not going to remain fearful of that. I'm confident in this being a true peek into my life -- not simply a fashion blog or TV blog, but a hodge podge of everything. Why not? I want this to be my creative space where I can share a bit of myself that not everyone gets to always see through a unique medium. Through writing, through photography, through art.

I wish you all the very, very best year to come. Whoever you are reading this at this very moment. I happened to just go through my "Year in Review" on Wordpress and I saw that I had over 1,000 visitors from over 20 countries this year. That BLOWS my MIND. Whether someone stumbled upon this by accident or whether you check this out often, I thank you! Thank you for going on this journey with me and keeping up with my life:) It's truly humbling.

I couldn't be more excited about this upcoming year and the projects I have dreamed up. Let's get to work!

#BeYourself

Be You. One of the shortest sentences one can form. Yet one of the most powerful assertions. So what does it mean to be you? What if you don't know who YOU are? Today at work we had a mini offsite for our team that was meant for some team bonding and brainstorming. With only 10 of us, we all went through the book Strengths Finder 2.0 to see what our top five strengths are (or "themes" as they call them). It was so beneficial to go through this with them because when you're working so closely with a team, often times you're left disappointed, confused, or just plain annoyed because you don't know how to deal with them. Maybe you're wondering why they react certain ways to specific situations -- or why they don't react at all. It was so eye-opening to share our results with one another because now I know exactly why they operate the way they do. And most of all, where their top strengths lie. This way we now know how each member of the team can best utilize these strengths to contribute to the team. 

I highly suggest reading this book and taking the assessment (within a team at work, with your significant other, or just for fun between your family or group of friends). As soon as I finished I wanted to share my results with those around me and curious to hear the results of my good friends. 

Just for my own reference so I never forget these (and because I'm sure you readers are dying to know all about me!) ... lol, I'll be sharing my top 5, as well as the tidbits from each that stood out most to me. It's interesting because we actually had to read this book for a course I took in high school and I still have it at home. I was comparing my results to the ones I got today (almost 7 years later) and 3 of my 5 strengths have remained the same. The other two are completely new! And in a new order too. Here it goes: 

1) Empathy

People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.

What stood out most: Chances are good that you are attuned to the full gamut of human feelings. Whenever your own or someone else’s life becomes emotionally barren, you search for people and activities to fill the void. You bring people together. Because of your strengths, you frequently detect impending conflict sooner than most people do. Your keen awareness allows you to sense what others are thinking and feeling. Simply put: You have a gift for helping people find common ground. By nature, you pay attention to what others think. You make them feel valued. Typically people sense that you appreciate what they say. This probably explains why many people enjoy spending time with you.

2) Harmony

People who are especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.

What stood out the most: You realize everyone sees opportunities, problems, solutions, and events differently. While you have opinions, you refrain from imposing them on others. You are good-natured — that is,you have a pleasant, cheerful, and cooperative disposition. Chances are good that you accomplish everything that others are counting on you to do. This is one reason why people admire you. 

3) Connectedness

People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

What stood out the most: Driven by your talents, you sense that everything in life is somehow interrelated and interdependent. This idea fortifies you to calmly face most of life’s challenges and difficulties. ... By nature, you naturally build bonds that unite different types of people who have separate and often clashing agendas. You naturally identify with someone’s situation. You have a gift for helping people discover what they have in common. 

4) Consistency

People who are especially talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.

What stood out the most: You might worry that chaos will reign when regulations or standard operating procedures are not uniformly enforced. Because of your strengths, you may have a reputation for straightening up certain types of things such as your desk, home, and personal items. Perhaps you have a detailed plan or schedule for cleaning, organizing, and maintaining your physical environment. By nature, you like creating familiar patterns of behavior. (dead on!) 

5) Communication 

People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

What stood out the most: Instinctively, you very much enjoy the animated give-and-take of a lively discussion. You yearn to spend time with your friends. Their absence saddens you. It’s very likely that you are sometimes open and honest about who you are, what you have done, what you can do, and what you cannot do. Maybe your straightforward explanations and stories help listeners see you as you see yourself.

Perhaps your words and examples move them to action. Because of your strengths, you like to
amuse people with your stories. Your stories probably provide people with pleasant distractions from their daily routines and worries. Chances are good that you select the right combination
of words to convey your ideas or feelings. You probably express yourself with ease and grace.

----

That's me! Reading these strengths and diving deep into discovering them is one step closer into figuring out who I am and now the challenge is to BE me with no hesitation, fear, or care about who will accept and and who wont. It's liberating. 

#sfdigs

I think it's safe to say it's finally time for an update from the Tiger's Den. (Yes, I named my apartment -- because, why not?). It's been almost six months now and the details are all slowly coming together. There's still a lot I want to add to fine-tune my vision, but lets be real, this get expensive! The great thing is that I was able to find a lot of my accent pieces from Target (Nate Berkus collection for the win!). Everything else is things I had from home or from when I was in college. I think the only thing I splurged on was my Anthropologie comforter.  Other than that, my accent wall is in still in progress but I'm so pleased with the first four pieces that came together. Not to mention the people some of them came from!

Flower print taken by one of my biggest inspirations, Delbarr Moradi //"Let's Stay Home" off Etsy -- probably my favorite piece in my room so far. Describes me to the T  // (Thank you, Elms, for the find).

Breaking Bad vintage wall art from Vietnam via my soul sister

#wheninvegas (AKA: The Time I Kissed a Backstreet Boy)

Sometimes in life, the spontaneous decisions end up being the most memorable. I'm not talking about going out on a whim and doing something stupid without any wisdom (i.e. the YOLO mentality that so many teens have today), BUT sometimes a little adventure with wisdom is worth it all.

It all started when I went to go see the Backstreet Boys reunion tour this May. I've been a huge fan of them since I was like 7 yeas old, and I even went to see their reunion tour (the one without Kevin *tear* back in 2009). It just didn't do me justice. As soon as I heard they were coming back -- WITH Kevin -- I knew it would be epic. To put it simply, the show was amazing. Everything I could have hoped for. But for some reason it wasn't enough. At the end of the concert as we were leaving we saw this sign for an after party with the boys for $75. I think we were all so out of it/ tired/ on a high from the show that none of us really made a proactive decision to go to the party. The day passed, I go back to work; back to reality. For some reason that Tuesday at work I just had an itch. I wasn't done and wanted more BSB (cue my inner jr high fanatic, but that's what I felt!). Anyways, I randomly decided to check their tour dates that were still to come. Lo and behold, they were headed to Vegas for a show Friday and Saturday night. Mind you, I had never been to Vegas either and it was kind of like the stars just aligned -- I. Had. To. Go. Hand shaking, I took out my phone and texted a few of my girls to see if anyone would even be remotely down to join me on this adventure. After a few "are you crazy's?!" one of my really close friends texted back with a simple "YES." And the rest is history.

My friend Sep and I embarked on this entire fiasco, staying up til 1am that Tuesday night, booking tickets/ picking hotels/ dying of laughter at our spontaneity. Friday couldn't come any faster, but as soon as I got out of work that evening, it was on. We flew out and the plane ride itself was the beginning of a story that seems like it was almost out of a movie.

We ended up upgrading our seats a few rows so we moved up quite a bit. As soon as the plane was about to take off this woman comes rushing in, trying to catch the flight. As she's catching her breath she realizes her seat's been taken (right across us). Funny enough, the seat next to me was empty so she takes it. We don't talk the entire flight but as soon as we were landing, I peered out the window and was admiring the lights on the Strip. She asks, "Oh is this your first time in Vegas or something?" And I replied and told her surprisingly it was. She proceeded to ask if we were going to see any shows while there and I said, "Yeah, don't judge us but we're actually here to see the Backstreet Boys tomorrow night." She laughed and said, "Wow same here. I actually was just at their other show in the Bay Area last weekend too." Right then, Sep and I knew we had found a friend. Another believer, if you will ;) We went on to have a little bonding sesh and then found out the good stuff -- drumroll please -- she ended up being best friends with the Backstreet Boys' head of security. The second she said that I was like, ok this is it. We have to make something happen right now. Sadly she didn't offer any backstage access or a chance to get in the concert for free or any of my other fantasies so I gave up. We get off the plane, head out, and that's that. Suddenly, she asks us if we want to share a cab since our hotels were so close. We said sure and get in the cab. During the drive I noticed her texting a LOT. As soon as we were about to arrive at her stop, she turns to us and says, "What are both of your full names?" *Cue stars in eyes.* She goes on to say, "It's your first time in Vegas, I want to make it memorable — I'm getting you meet and greet passes to their after party tonight.

I kid you not, we were both like kids on Christmas morning, shocked with no words to express our joy. As soon as she got out of the cab and left, I started screaming like a true 11 year old girl. Our driver got back in the car and had to ask if everything was ok. LOL. We were beyond giddy. Now mind you, we had bought tickets to their concert and after party for Saturday night but this was Friday. So it wasn't even on our agenda but we just went with it. (In addition, we didn't even have a meet and greet ticket, just access to the party party, which we both had no idea what it would entail).

Even more funny, we come to realize that this after party is being held in our hotel. The hotel we randomly decided to pick out at 1am a few nights before. We check in around 11pm, get ready in a hurry, and rush over to the club. The line was out into the casino floor, but we went up with confidence and poise. In that moment I felt like true VIP royalty. As soon as we mentioned our connection's full name (after a minor glitch), it was like we were Obama and the First Lady. They opened up the velvet ropes, gave us every VIP/ backstage ticket possible and led us up the stairs through the elevator to the roof of the club.

And then it happened -- we met the boys. They walked in and for a second it almost felt like just seeing your friend out at a club and reconnecting. They were so friendly and down to earth that it seriously felt like we knew them. In that moment all I could ask myself was, "Ok what do you say to BSB?" And we just walked up to them as if they were our best friends -- "Hey guys!" -- to which I was greeted back with a "Hello beautiful" from Howie D. We took our photos, had a few moments with them (which of course, I couldn't contain myself long enough and blurted out a "I've been in love with you since I was 8" to Kevin).

The crazy thing was, maybe 2-3 people after us, they decided to shut down the photo taking since it was taking too long. The line still had maybe 50+ people in it. Again, divine favor or WHAT?! From that point on, the guys were literally partying with us in the club. We stayed out until 3am, watched Nick Carter DJ, and danced the night away. Which of course included following them around til we got a selfie with each and every one of them. And of course, I went in for the kiss with Kevin. Mind you, interesting point to note is that I was actually air kissing him but he leaned in for complete contact. [I can die happy.] It was epic to say the least.

We were on cloud 9. And this was only night one. Way to enter Vegas with a bang right? The rest of our trip consisted of hotel admiring, walking, pool lounging, eating, napping, and even me reuniting with a really good friend that I hadn't seen in ten years since our 8th grade graduation. It was perfect. The next night we went to the concert which was almost even better than the first one I went to. YET AGAIN, our lives were made when AJ decided to run off stage during one of their songs and run into the audience. Which row does he run to? Of course us. We were two away from the aisle too so he legit was in our faces, singing .. and holding the girl next to me. Like, I couldn't write this if I tried -- it was so so meant to be for us. And I'll leave it at that.

Finally, the last part of the whole trip -- which makes the above occurrences so much more worthwhile was when it was time to head to the after party (this was the one we actually had tickets for). We ended up making a stop at another club before the party, thinking it would be fine since the night before they strolled in around 1am. Long story short, we get back to the after party and see a pretty empty club. Barely any action and a slump in the all-around mood. We find out - they came for ~20 minutes, took a few photos, and left because it was their "mellow night" and they were tired of partying from the night before. No Nick DJing, no selfies with AJ, no kissies with Kevin. Imagine our dismay. Here we were, so confident from the night before, ready for part 2 with our boys -- and they were gone! All of these girls who had tickets to the after party were standing there in disappointment. I was on the edge of tears but kept telling myself, "Wait. Last night happened to you. Remember that."

And with that, we realized how kindred our decision to take this trip was. Everything that happened from start to finish was golden. It will seriously be an experience I treasure for a lifetime with a friend that was the perfect travel partner. In a sense it brought us even closer to share a memory like this together. It was seriously perfect. And while I'm pissed I had paid for a ticket to a party when they barely even showed up, the spontaneous memory I hold of how Friday night went down is probably one of the best moments I have to cherish. And makes for an epic story too, right?

The cherry on top of all of it was the way my cousin put it, "Imagine if you told 8 year old Naseem that this would happen to her one day." And that kind of just let it all sink in. As sad as one might think it seems, it truly was a "dream come true" in a sense. I wouldn't trade it for anything :) :)