Just a Little Traveling…

In September, I spent the last weekend reconnecting with my dear friend Lucy and her husband Randall in Ohio’s state capital and largest city. They bought a beautiful house and moved to Columbus right after they got married last year (check out my blog post on their destination wedding in Cancun!). Lucy works at White Castle Corporate, which is headquartered in Columbus. A lot of other stores such as Express, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Big Lots are based here.

My trip started out a bit rocky. I originally was supposed to fly into Columbus on Friday evening. At first, the flight was delayed 45 minutes because of the stormy weather in Chicago. When we all boarded the plane, the pilot informed us that we weren’t going to leave until the runaway was open. The storm was right above the airport, and all planes were grounded for the time being. A few moments later, lightning struck nearby which caused the plane to lose power. It came back on fairly quickly, but now the situation was to assess if lightning did indeed hit the plane. We then disembarked the plane and was told that it would be another hour for maintenance to come and see if there was any damage. With the storms progressively getting worse through the night, our flight ended up being cancelled. Luckily, I was able to get onto a flight the next morning and flew into Columbus around 11am. What helped was that Columbus is only an hour plane ride so we still had a full day for many activities.

When I arrived, Lucy picked me up, and we stopped for breakfast at Bob Evans. We then went to her home and spent some time with Randall and their cats, Millie and Rocco. They live in a northeast suburb called Westerville; it is within the city limits of Columbus. Lucy provided a step stool that I used to access the bathroom area and sink. In the late afternoon, Lucy and I explored the Easton Town Center, which is a popular shopping complex in the city. We walked around the different shops while sipping our teas from the Koko Tea Salon and Bakery. The sun was shining and the air was humid. After Easton, Lucy and I went back to pick up Randall and the three of us drove through the next door suburb called New Albany, which is known for their million dollar homes. We were amazed to see how big these houses were especially those with 4-5 car garages. Following that, Randall and Lucy took me to the Hoover Dam (not to be confused with the one in Las Vegas). The couple was dog-sitting this weekend so we decided to bring her along for the fun. It was quite enjoyable walking along the dam and seeing the sun set in the background. Our evening was topped off with a hearty home-cooked Indian dinner and a thriller movie, The Curse of La Llorona.

Sunday morning started off with brunch at the Milestone 229 restaurant. I anticipated a long wait considering it was downtown but surprisingly, unlike brunches in Chicago, they seated us right away at a table outside. After our meal, we took pictures along the Scioto River and marveled at the Columbus skyline. On our way back to Westerville, we drove through the city a bit and even went by the Ohio State University Campus. OSU is a big ten school and their rivalry with University of Michigan is very well known. My flight back to Chicago departed at 4:30, but a relaxing weekend wouldn’t be complete without chai and biscuits.

Lucy and Randall were very gracious hosts. I felt right at home with them and definitely plan to come back hopefully in the near future!

One of the gigantic houses in Albany Park

Columbus’s Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

White Castle Headquarters

Ohio State Capital Building

Ohio State University Football Stadium

Ice Tea at Koko Bakery and Tea Salon in Easton Town Center

In celebration of Kaveri’s birthday, Kaveri, Ivory, Lucy, and I journeyed to Maine in late June for some much needed R&R. We have been looking forward to this trip for many months!

While we were ready for a real vacation, the trip started off a bit rocky. Mine and Ivory’s  flight was delayed from 6:45pm to 9:15pm so we did not fly into Portland, Maine until after midnight. We then picked up the rental car and finally reached our bed&breakfast in Kennebunkport at 1:30am. Kaveri was already there and Lucy’s flight was the next morning. One thing I noticed when driving to the inn was that the streets were narrow and not properly lit at all. Be alert!

Our residence for the weekend was the Inn at English Meadows. We had our own private bungalow behind the main inn and were served a gourmet 3 course breakfast each morning. My favorite course was the cinnamon pecan pancakes. In the afternoon, we were treated to delicious homemade cookies and lemonade. Our host, Elizabeth, was very friendly and hospitable. She provided the step-stools I needed with no issue. We really had a lovely stay, and I strongly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a relaxing getaway to Maine. It is also conveniently located; a lot of the popular restaurants/attractions in Kennebunkport is either just a 10 minute walk or 3-5 min car ride over.

We started Friday off with breakfast at the inn and picking up Lucy from the airport. Most of our day was spent in the Portland area.  For the later part of the morning, we caught up on each other’s lives at Tandem Coffee. Then we strolled to the Eastern Promenade which is a waterfront trail complete with views of the ocean and boats on the harbor. The weather was cloudy and in the low 60s. Kaveri especially enjoyed sitting right on the dock and touching the Atlantic Ocean. It was a peaceful time. Lunch was at the Great Lost Bear in Portland; I had a Thai grilled chicken wrap with decadent sweet chili peanut sauce. Following our meal, we explored another side of the Eastern Promenade. Then, we quenched our thirst at a soda and cocktail bar called Vena’s Fizz House. I had the cucumber reviver fizz, which consisted of cucumber, pineapple, mint, agave, lemon, bitters. As refreshing as it sounds, I could taste more pineapple and not as much cucumber as I hoped. The rest of the afternoon and early evening was spent souvenir shopping and walking around the downtown Portland area. Our day ended back in Kennebunkport with dinner at Alisson’s Restaurant. You can’t go to Maine without having their famous lobster of course; my meal was a lobster bisque lobster roll. The lobster bisque was drizzled on top of lobster chunks in a grilled roll – tasty!

On Saturday, the sun was shining and summer was in the air. It was a great day to go whale watching! We bought our tickets through First Chance Whale Watch. The boat tour was 4.5  hours long and most of the time involved travelling to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and back. But the blue waters were so calm; I felt such serenity being on top of them. And yes, we saw humpback whales, and in fact a whole bunch!! Some were breaching at the surface where you can see their blowholes. I loved when they would do their deep sea dives. To get a better view of the whales, I had to stand on the bench, but I held on to my friends for support.  It was such a breathtaking sight and an unforgettable experience. The relaxation continued with soothing massages, facials, and foot treatments at the Cottage Breeze Day Spa and Boutique. After the massages, we stopped for coffee at Mornings in Paris and ice cream at Rococo. In terms of accessibility, there are curb cuts for wheelchair users, but brick paths are not conducive for smooth travel. There are also no Ubers or Lyfts in the area, so it was beneficial for us to have rented a car. After recharging at the inn, we drove up to Cape Elizabeth to visit the Two Lights Lighthouse. We came at the perfect time for the sun was setting; the sky was painted with beautiful shades of pink, purple, red, orange, and yellow. The views of the water on the cliff with the lighthouse in the distance was magical.  Dinner was at the Duffy’s Tavern and Grill back in Kennebunkport; I delighted in fried haddock tacos.

After breakfast on Sunday, Ivory and I headed to the airport for our 1pm flight back to Chicago. But first, we dropped by Holy Donut for some handmade potato-based donuts. What a satisfying end to a wonderful trip to Maine! I definitely want to go back again, and I hope you have a chance to visit the “Vacationland” as well!

Two Lights Lighthouse at Cape Elizabeth

Cape Elizabeth – we got there just in time for the sunset

We saw humpback whales! If you look closely you can see two of them.

Whale-Watching in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

Strolling the shops in Downtown Portland

Drinks at Vena’s Fizz in Downtown Portland

Views at the Eastern Promenade

Sitting on the pier at the Eastern Promenade

One of the courses of our gourmet breakfast at the inn: Eggs Benedict Florentine

We had our own private cottage at the bed and breakfast! Pictured on the left

Our Bed and Breakfast for the weekend: The Inn at English Meadows

Dinner at Alisson’s- Lobster roll drizzled with lobster bisque on top

During the first weekend of April, I travelled to Boston, MA again to visit my sister, Savannah. She is a grad student at Harvard University, and I was excited to bond with her and see the prestigious Ivy League campus for the first time. This was the fifth time I have been to Boston, and I must say it was the best Boston trip yet! When I went previously, I couldn’t see a lot of this diverse city because I was either here for business or other obligations. Savannah and I covered pretty much all of Boston in one weekend and she even got some time to study.

I flew into Boston Logan International Airport around noon on Friday. From there I took the Silver Line shuttle bus to South Station and transferred to the Red Line, which took me to the Shawmut stop that’s just a few blocks from Savannah’s house. Savannah lives in Dorchester, which is one of the Boston city neighborhoods. In Chicago, we refer to the subway as the “L”. Boston’s subway is known as the “T”. Though it was simple to get to Dorchester from the airport, I couldn’t help but notice over the weekend how different the public transportation system was from Chicago’s. For instance, the T in Boston was slower and came late so you have to give yourself extra time to get one from destination to another. It is also not as accessible as it is in Chicago. The Green line converts to a train and streetcar but it has steps you have to walk up to get to the seats. I was able to navigate the Boston transportation system without much issue but it may not be easy for others.

Savannah first showed me the Harvard  University campus in Longwood/Boston, which is where the medical school and the Chan School of Public Health is. The main campus is in Cambridge. We then went to dinner at the Laughing Monk Cafe, which is a popular Thai restaurant nearby. My entree was the crispy sweet and spicy basil chicken. Tasty! Following dinner, we headed over to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston’s Seaport District. The museum was right by the water and they had a “First Friday” event where you can sip cocktails, dance, do art, and visit the various galleries. I especially enjoyed looking at their new exhibit, “Huma Bhabha: They Live”. Huma Bhaba is a Pakistani American artist who is known for her sculptors. To end the Friday night, Savannah and I met a couple of her friends in Kendall Square for drinks at the Smoke Shop BBQ.

Saturday morning started with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and scrambled eggs at home. Then we jumped on the red line and green line for the hour trek to Cambridge! Before that, we stopped and strolled along the Charles river for a while. Savannah then took me to the main Harvard campus and showed me Harvard Square, a plaza right outside the campus in the center of Cambridge and has various shops and restaurants. We popped in for sweets at Milk Bar, which is a bakery known for their cookies and “crack” pie. Savannah had to study for a few hours so I explored more of the campus and Harvard Square myself while making sure to soak in the sunshine and perfect spring weather. The last hour was spent reading in the Harvard bookstore. Our Saturday evening was topped off with pasta at Al Dente in the North End. I delighted in lobster ravioli while Savannah savored her gnocchi. Boston’s North End is famous for their Italian restaurants. Seafood in Boston also is a can’t miss, especially their lobster rolls!

My flight left on Sunday afternoon, but Savannah and I had plenty of time to check out Boston’s Back Bay area and enjoy brunch at the Friendly Toast. The wait can be easily up to 1.5 hours so we put our name in the no-wait app. That way when we arrived, we only had to wait 10 minutes for our table. Make sure to request floor seating so they don’t place you at high top tables. This restaurant is vegetarian friendly (no pun intended!) and offers a unique menu. After brunch, we walked through the Financial district, the Boston Commons, and relaxed in the Boston Public Garden before I had to go to the airport. I never get tired of coming to Beantown. It’s one of my favorite cities, and I look forward to coming back again real soon for Savannah’s Master Graduation!

Boston Common – the Massachusetts State House on the left

Boston Public Garden

Brunch at the Friendly Toast in Back Bay! I had the Doughnut Stop Believin’ – A breakfast sandwich on French toasted donuts filled with scrambled eggs, veggie sausage & cheddar cheese.

Lobster Ravioli from Al Dente in the North End

Harvard Square! This is the heart of Cambridge and the Harvard campus

Harvard buildings

Milk Bar – the line was long but the “crack” pie slice (brown sugar butter pie) was delicious!

View of the Boston Skyline along the Charles River

Strolling along the Charles River

Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art Special Exhibit: “Huma Bhaba – They Live.”

Thai Crispy Basil Chicken from the Laughing Monk Cafe

Harvard University Longwood Campus in Boston. This is where the Chan School of Public Health is.

My mom Nancy and I drove up to Madison to spend quality weekend time with my sister Kristine in early March. Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and is a 2.5 hour drive from Chicago.

Saturday began with brunch at the Cafe Hollander. The majority of the day was then spent visiting Kristine’s work, called Epic, which is a big healthcare software company known for their electronic health records system. I was expecting to walk around a giant singular office building. Instead Epic has multiple campuses with a variety of story-themed office buildings. There was the “Oz”, “Wizard Campus”, “Storybook Land”, “Alice”, “Barnyard”, “The Chocolate Factory” and more! You have to see it to believe it. It was quite an adventure going through the different lands and learning about the odds and ends of this organization. One of the coolest parts was checking out the 15,000 seat auditorium in the “Deep Space”. This is where they hold their monthly staff meetings. After ooo-ing and ahhh-ing in Epic, we saw the movie Bohemian Rhapsody at the Silver Cinemas in Market Square.

On Sunday, we toured the Madison state capitol building, which was just a ten minute walk from Kristine’s apartment. It was an enjoyable experience learning about the history of the capitol and state government. Did you know that Madison was the first state capital to adopt the electronic voting system? We then checked out a used bookstore in downtown Madison called “A Room of One’s Own” and ate pizza slices at Ian’s. Being with family is a treasure and I really cherished our time together in Madison.

Kaveri, Ivory, and I were excited to spend the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend in New Orleans, more commonly known as NOLA. What a great way to start off the new year!

Ivory and I first flew to Houston on Saturday morning to meet Kaveri there. Kaveri picked us up from Houston Hobby airport and the three of us embarked on a five hour road trip to New Orleans. Kaveri’s friend, Carol, drove from Arkansas to join us on our New Orleans adventure. I spent the earlier part of the week worrying that our flight to Houston was going to be cancelled (there was a winter storm this weekend and Chicago got over 6 inches of snow), but our flight remained on time and we made it there safely. NOLA was cold as well – when we first got there it was in the low 40’s, high 30’s. Later in the trip, temperatures rose to about 50 degrees; it was disappointing that it wasn’t much warmer.

We all stayed in an Airbnb in the St. Claude neighborhood, which was a ten minute drive from the French Quarter. The French Quarter is the historic heart of New Orleans. Anyone who visits this vibrant city should not miss the action here! Our host was gracious and accessible, and our home for the weekend was comfortable. Kaveri brought a step stool from her home that I was able to use in the Airbnb. The setup of the house was shotgun style where all the rooms were on one floor. There were stairs that led up to the front door and out in the back.

After reaching NOLA on Saturday evening, we ate dinner at Dat Dog. It’s a local counter-serve chain restaurant serving many different types of hot dogs with various toppings. The location we were at was right outside the French Quarter. I had the smoked apple sage vegan dog, which was probably the tastiest hot dog I’ve ever eaten. We then dropped by Bamboula’s for some live music and a quick drink.

Our Sunday started off with brunch at the Ruby Slipper Cafe. It was very busy so we stopped at Who Dat Coffee Cafe for masala chai while we waited for our table to be ready. The phrase “Who Dat” is a cheer used by fans of the New Orleans football team, the Saints. In fact, the NFL NFC championship game was playing this day, and the city streets were bustling with Saints football pride. The Saints fought a hard game against the St. Louis Rams, but it was the Rams that ended up going to the Superbowl. After brunch, we accompanied Kaveri on an excursion of getting her first tattoo! We then munched on beignets at Morning Call. A lot of Saints fans were here watching the game. The cafe was located in a public park called City Park. We enjoyed watching the sunset and taking pictures of the park’s scenery and the wolf moon. To avoid the dinner crowds, we decided to pick up Vietnamese food and have a quiet dinner back at the Airbnb. I had a shrimp banh mi, which is the Vietnamese version of a shrimp po-boy sandwich. It was quite fresh and delicious.

The first item on our list for Monday was brunch at Elizabeth’s. My yummy entree was their fried chicken and waffles. The waffles were made of cornbread doused in cane syrup instead of maple. After brunch, we swung by District Donuts for donuts and drinks and headed to Slidell, Louisiana for the Cajun Encounters Swamp Tour! To get in the boat, you would have to step from the dock down onto the floor of the boat and take a seat. What I did was take a step onto the seats and then I sat down and positioned my legs towards floor. The 2 hour tour took us through the Honey Island Swamp. It was very breezy along the river so we bundled up with our winter jackets and huddled together. Though we didn’t see any alligators, we did get our fair share of wild pigs, raccoons, and herons in. Following the tour, we got dinner to go again and headed back to the Airbnb. I delighted in crawfish etouffee from Oceana Grill. After dinner, we went to the Pirates Alley Cafe, a bar in the French Quarter known for its absinthe. Absinthe is a highly alcoholic beverages with wormwood and has a reputation of causing hallucinations if taken in high amounts. I was perfectly content with my mojito and hurricane drinks. We then strutted to the one and only Cafe Du Monde for a late night snack and coffee. The thick beignets were drowning in powdered sugar. One bite and you best be careful not to get it all over your face and clothes.

We woke up early Tuesday morning for the drive back to Houston. But first, we made sure to pick up some Cafe Du Monde beignets for the road. The weekend flew by in a flash. Though I wish we were able to immerse in more of its culture and history, we really had a good ol’ time in New Orleans.

Passing by the Mercedes Benz Superdome

Our Airbnb

Good ol’ shrimp and grits served with a biscuit and side of cane syrup butter

Beignets at Morning Call – these were lighter than the ones at Cafe Du Monde

Taking in the sunset at City Park

Breakfast at Elizabeth’s

Streetcar!

City Park had a lot of trees with Spanish moss

Vegan dog made with apples, potatoes, and sage topped with grilled onions, tomatoes, sriracha mayo and special sauce. Yum!

Walking around the French Quarter

Piping hot beignets dunked with powdered sugar from Cafe Du Monde

NOLA’s famous Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter

Swamp Tour – can you see the wild pig in the back?

Drinks at Pirate’s Alley Cafe, known for their absinthe

A view of the swamp from the boat on the swamp tour

Can’t leave NOLA without trying some crawfish etoufee!

The madness of work and city life over the last couple of months prompted me to make a quick weekend trip to Tampa, Florida in early December 2018. I was visiting my best friend, Alice, who moved to Tampa earlier this year. Alice and I met in high school and have been buddies for 15 years and counting! It’s always an adventure with her, and I am truly blessed to have her in my life. This trip was a much needed break from the wintry cold in Chicago. The weather was in the high 70’s and low 80’s, and it got down to the 50’s at night. I stayed with Alice in her apartment and she had a stool for me to use.

After Alice picked me up from the airport on Friday evening, we had dinner at Whiskey Joe’s Bar and Grill. One of the things that Alice enjoyed about living in Tampa was everything was in close proximity of each other. The airport was only 10 minutes away from her home as well as her work and the downtown areas. The restaurant was on the Ben T. Davis Beach and extends right on the water of Old Tampa Bay. My entree was the barefoot baha tacos, which were fried mid-atlantic mahi with shredded cabbage, corn salsa, and special Whiskey Joe’s sauce. It was quite delicious but the filling was bigger than the tortilla so everything kept falling out!

The first item to do for our Saturday of exploration was a stop at Waffle House for breakfast. Their waffles are my favorite, they have just the right thickness to them. Plus Waffle Houses are nowhere to be found in Chicago, so whenever I come to a place with one it’s essential for me to go there.

Our original plan was to spend the first part of the day in Clearwater. However, when we were about 8 miles away from the beach there was a down power line, which put traffic at stop and go. We decided to turn around and go to St. Petersburg instead. Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete make the Tampa Bay area and are within 30-40 minutes of each other. We checked out a farmer’s market in St. Petersburg, walked around by the harbor and explored Vinoy Park. We even got a glimpse of dolphins along the bay! Our last activity in St. Petersburg was dessert and drinks at Swah-rey, which is a dessert bar.

We then reviewed the situation in Clearwater to see if traffic “cleared” up (no pun intended). There were no more hang ups, so we headed back to Clearwater to watch the sunset on the beach. Clearwater is very pretty; it reminded me a little of Honolulu.

Dinner was at Armature Works in Tampa. It’s a a trendy food court with outdoor seating along the Hillsborough River. Both Alice and I had a karage chicken rice bowl, which is Japanese fried chicken with rice, spicy mayo, scallions, and seafood seasoning. Yum!

It was raining in Tampa on Sunday morning when Alice took me to the airport for my flight back to Chicago. My flight was on time thankfully, but Alice said Tampa gets a lot of rain, including thunderstorms mainly in the summer. Which means that I will plan on coming back to Tampa in December again next year. This trip was awesome!!!

In early May 2018, I had the privilege of venturing to Anchorage, Alaska for the 2nd time in two years. This was another business trip where I staffed a medical education conference. Anchorage is quite an adventure and I never could get used to the beautiful snow-capped Chugach mountains in the distance. They were everywhere you turned; it looked like a painting. Thankfully, I didn’t run into any wild bears, but I did get my fair share of moose in! Anchorage was just getting out of their winter season, so there was still a bit of chill in the air.

The conference was  held at the Sheraton Anchorage. I had no issues with my accommodation request; the step stool was available upon checking in at the hotel. The flight was a whopping 8 hours, which included a layover in Denver.

I flew in on a Wednesday afternoon and left on Saturday evening. The conference ran from Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning. After I got to the Sheraton, I met with my counterpart, Jackie, to do some last minute conference preparations. Dinner was at the Haute Quarter Grill. Last year, I remember having sauteed prawns with a seared risotto crab cake – it was divine! Sadly, they took it off the menu so I had to settle with a seafood pasta. The pasta was drenched in a white wine cream sauce with shrimp and scallops. It was tasty but pretty heavy in the stomach.

Overall, the conference went very smoothly. We had a higher number of attendees than last year, and the physician leaders were appreciative of our efforts in making this a success. The hotel staff was responsive to our needs and displayed a great level of customer service. There was one incident where Jackie’s husband brought fresh halibut for me to take home; he stored it in the hotel freezer until I was ready to take it. What happened was that the halibut was accidentally discarded by the hotel kitchen staff. Our conference contact person diligently arranged for the hotel to replace it by having someone pick up an order of halibut at a nearby market.

Unfortunately, I fell ill on the first day of the conference and it lasted for the entire time I was in Anchorage. The leaders at the conference suggested I might have caught the flu before I left Chicago. As much as I yearned to go to my hotel room and rest, I couldn’t abandon my conference duties and pushed through with Dayquil, liquids, and Kleenex. The overnight flight back home was hard; I was unable to get any sleep. It put a damper on the entire trip, and I’m afraid it was enough for me to no longer have a desire to visit the “Last Frontier” again. It’s a sad conclusion for me to come to especially since it would have been exciting to get a chance to see the Northern lights.

On Memorial Day weekend 2018, I headed down to Las Vegas, NV for Lucy’s bachelorette party!! In attendance were myself, Ivory, Kaveri, Lucy’s cousin Ashley, Paige, and Natalie who were both Lucy’s sorority friends from college. Lucy was marrying her sweetheart Randall in August (check out my blog post on her destination wedding in Cancun!), and the 7 of us gathered in Sin City to celebrate. Ivory and I were the party planners and hosts for the weekend.

We flew in Saturday morning and flew out Monday afternoon. Our itinerary for the trip was jam-packed into 2 days. I booked a 2-bedroom villa for the group at the Marriott Grand Chateau. The hotel was right off the strip and close to popular tourist attractions such as the Cosmopolitan and the Bellagio. Our villa came equipped with a kitchenette, washer/dryer, and even had a separate living area! After checking into the Marriott, we stashed the suite with snacks and decorated it before Lucy arrived. When I asked for a step stool, the hotel initially gave us push-back and said they may not be able to provide one because of liability. They did say they would see what was available and call back. Natalie is an attorney in Washington D.C., and she was prepared to fight with the hotel if they would not oblige with the accommodation request. Fortunately, they were able to locate a step stool for me to use.

Our first activity was getting our nails done at Beautiful Nails and Spa, which was a 15 minute drive off the strip. We relied on Ubers as our main mode of transportation during the trip, especially when we had to get to a show or dinner reservation on time. We then came back to the hotel and changed into black dressy outfits for a night of fun! The bride-to-be wore a red dress. Dinner was buffet-style at Tamba, which is an Indian restaurant. Even though I’m Indian, I have a lower spice tolerance than others so the food was disappointingly too spicy for my palate. I instead filled up on dessert. One of the servers there gave us a round of tequila shots in honor of Lucy but didn’t mention that the shots were not free until the bill came. We grudgingly paid it for that was not a smooth move on his part.

The Las Vegas Boulevard strip was really long and bustling with so many people; walking from one place to another takes a lot longer than it seems when looking at the strip on a map. A building right across the street actually meant walk a block to the corner, go up the long escalator, take the sky-way bridge all the way to the other side and go down another escalator. I was prepared to walk. Little People tend to have difficulty walking long distances at one time as it can cause soreness and tingling in our legs. For me, living in the city of Chicago has enabled me to get my exercise by walking everywhere. Therefore I was able to walk a lot in Vegas without having to take many breaks. There was one part where we easily walked 2 miles by the afternoon; it took 15 minutes just to get from one end of the Paris hotel to the other. We topped off our Saturday night with the Magic Mike Live show! This is a can’t miss attraction in Vegas. It was a great time!

Sunday was a full fabulous day. We started off with mimosas and brunch at Ocean One Bar and Grille . Lucy got us matching T-shirts to wear for the day. They read “Dulhan Tribe”. ‘Dulhan’ means bride in the Hindi language. Before the trip, we each purchased a Go-City pass through Groupon, which included admission to 3 different attractions. One of them was the High Roller, which is the tallest observation wheel in the world. We were treated to amazing views of the strip, the city and the mountains. Another highlight of the trip was the ax throwing activity we did at Axe Monkeys! Everyone enjoyed that; I was thrilled to have hit the target just once with my smaller axe. The regular axes they had were too heavy for me to throw and hard to grip. After the axe throwing, we headed back to the strip for some gourmet nachos at Nacho Daddy and a mind boggling time at the Mentalist show. At the request of the bachelorette, our final expedition, which was not on the itinerary, was an adventure to a strip club called Hunk Mansion. All I can say about this is that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

On our last day in Vegas, we ate delicious egg sandwiches at the Eggslut cafe. It took an hour for us to wait in line but it was worth it. I wish there was one in Chicago! We then spent the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel and by the pool until we each had to leave for our flights back home. Lucy’s bachelorette party was a big success, and she was very happy to have it with all of us in Las Vegas. I recommend everyone goes to Vegas at least once in their lifetime so they can experience it for themselves. Even though I wasn’t blown away with the city as much as I expected, it was still a very exciting and memorable trip.

Tattoos of the groom’s face on our wrists

Axe Throwing at Axe Monkeys!

Magic Mike Live Show

The drinks were almost taller than me!

View of the Strip from the High Roller

High Roller Views

High Roller Views

Our dazzling bachelorette Lucy

Decorated and ready to party!

The Strip

The week before my Mexico trip in August, I traveled down to Mystic, Connecticut to run a medical education conference. I work for a national healthcare membership association that represents osteopathic physicians (DO’s). Every year, the southern New England states hold an annual 4 day conference where physicians earn continuing medical education credits (CME) in order to maintain their board certification for practicing medicine. At this conference, I work at the registration table, attend the board/membership meetings, and serve as the representative and support for the co-sponsoring state societies. A few co-workers join me to assist with other areas of the conference including working with the speakers, hotel/meeting logistics, setup, food and beverage orders, etc. I always look forward to coming here every August as I love the New England area and the physician volunteer leaders from here are truly a pleasure to work with.

Mystic, Connecticut is a little historic town right along the east coast. You probably are familiar with the Julia Roberts movie “Mystic Pizza.” It was filmed in Mystic, and the restaurant still exists here. And surely, what I remember most from visiting is the food! Below are some pictures of the seafood dishes I tried. The conference was held at the Hilton Mystic, which is right across the street from the Mystic Aquarium and Seaport Village, which has a variety of shops and restaurants. I also enjoyed the views of the Mystic river and seeing boats docked on the water.

My co-worker, Mandy, who was working directly with the Hilton Mystic on the setup of the conference requested a step stool for me to use in my hotel room. The request was made a couple of months prior to the conference when the staff hotel room reservations were made. Closer to the conference date, the hotel contacted Mandy saying that they would not provide a step stool because it was a liability issue. Mandy explained that I needed a stool to access the hotel room sink and bed, and that it was essential for me to have one. She also pointed out that hotels are obligated to provide these types of accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but they still did not budge. Even after escalating the issue to the Hilton corporate office, they would not cooperate and refused to help us. We ended up ordering a stool online and shipping it to the hotel. I eventually got what I needed to ensure a comfortable stay, but there was absolutely no need to have endured all of this trouble. After the conference, I emailed Hilton corporate myself and gave them a recap of the problematic customer service received over the step stool request. They offered me a free night stay at any Hilton hotel for compensation, but I explained that it doesn’t solve the problem for the future if other people have these types of requests when staying at their properties. If you find yourself in the same situation and the hotel does not want to accommodate, click here for some tips on enforcing your rights and making sure you get what you need.

The conference was a big success; we had a great turnout and everything went smoothly. We received positive feedback about the presentations and the location. The hotel meetings and banquet staff were friendly and available whenever we needed them. Besides the step stool mishap, the only other downsides were that we had some phone connectivity trouble in our hotel rooms. It also took about an hour from the airport to the hotel making the cab rides easily cost $100 each way. The closest airport was T.F. Green Airport (PVD), which is in Providence, Rhode Island. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my time here, and we’re already gearing up to start planning for next year’s New England conference!

Shrimp Paella

Mystic River

View of Mystic River

Sea View Snack Bar along the river

The Hilton Mystic hotel

Mystic River

Hot lobster roll with fresh greens

Seaport Village

Grilled salmon with kale, butternut squash, and farro risotto

Seaport Village

Dinner the first night – S&P Oyster Company

In August 2018, I traveled down to Mexico to witness the wonderful marriage of Lucy and Randall. I have been friends with Lucy since college; she is a very loving person, and I am fortunate to have been a part of her and Randall’s journey together. After the wedding, my friends Kaveri, Ivory, and I took a day tour of the Mayan ruins in Chichen – Itza. It was such a neat experience, and this trip was definitely a highlight of the year. Full story below.

Part One: Destination Wedding in Cancun

Lucy’s destination wedding was held at the Moon Palace Resort and Spa in Cancun. Her family is from Maharashtra, which is a state in Western India. The wedding was a traditional Maharashtrian Indian wedding with some Bollywood flair, just how Lucy likes it. The resort was all-inclusive where meals and drinks were free. There were open bars all throughout the hotel; even though the food was mediocre, I really enjoyed my mango mojito! Moon Palace was beautiful and also very big. The hotel rooms were divided into sections labeled by a different animal. We stayed in “Jaguar”; it took a good 5 minutes to navigate our way from the lobby to the room. The room came equipped with a mini-bar, balcony, and a Jacuzzi.

In preparation for travelling to Mexico, Lucy requested a step stool for me through her weddings specialist. The specialist also set up our shuttle pickup from the airport to the resort and was available for any travel-related questions. It was my first time going out of the country, so I made sure not to forget my passport. We also had to fill out a tourist card upon our arrival before going through customs. When we got to the hotel, we had to undergo multiple check-in processes to make sure we had everything we needed. Each time we met with someone, I reminded them that I needed a step stool for the room. It took them some time to bring one up because the resort is so huge, but they were able to provide one without any issue.

The wedding itself was a lot of fun. During the first night we were there, a welcome dinner was held so the guests can all meet each other. The next day, there were a few pre-wedding ceremonies. In the morning, we did a puja (a form of ritual worship) for the Hindu God Ganesha right on the beach. In Hinduism, we pray to Lord Ganesha before starting anything important and auspicious. He is revered to be the “remover of all obstacles.” Cancun in August was hot and humid, it got up to the high 80’s, and it was tough to handle especially in the Indian outfits we wore. After the puja, we applied turmeric paste onto the bride and groom. Turmeric gives the skin a fresh clean glow and this is done so the bride and groom can look their best on their wedding day. Then we had lunch and there was an opportunity to get mehindi (henna) done on our hands. In the evening, there was dinner and the sangeet, which is a night of music and dance. The next day was the wedding ceremony and reception. Lucy got us all custom made sarees from India to wear for the ceremony. I was thrilled to see how happy Lucy and Randall were the entire weekend. They are such a wonderful couple and their wedding is one for the books.

Part Two: Tour of Chichen-Itza

After the wedding, Ivory, Kaveri, and I checked out of the Moon Palace Resort and took an early morning cab to the Westin Resort and Spa in Cancun. The tour bus for the Chichen-Itza trip was picking us up from the Westin, so we decided to stay there on the last night of the Mexico trip. We booked the tour through Viator, which included round trip transportation from the hotel, a guided tour of the Chichen-Itza archaeological site, a lunch buffet at a local Mayan village, and an opportunity to swim in the Cenote Ik Kil, which is a natural fresh-watering hole made from underwater caves. It was refreshing to get away from the touristy side of Mexico and get a glimpse of authentic Mexican culture. It was a 2 hour bus ride each way; the travel guide informed us about the history of the Mayans on our journey there. Seeing the Mayan temples and architecture in person was an eye opening experience. I mostly enjoyed learning about the significance behind the ancient carvings in the various structures. It looked like it was going to rain any moment, but thankfully, the clouds passed right over us so we were able to remain dry for most of the trip. I recommend everyone to put this on their bucket list of places to travel to, it’s a must see UNESCO World Heritage site!

Part Three: Trouble at the Westin

When Kaveri first made the hotel reservation back in April, she requested a step stool for me to use in the room. We did not hear anything from the hotel, and when Kaveri followed up the week of our trip, they said that they will try to have one available but to ask the front desk when we check in. The 3 of us checked into the Westin around 6:30am on the morning of our Chichen-Itza tour. We again asked the front desk for a step stool to be brought to the room, and the staff person said that it will be taken care of. The hotel had all day to bring one up since we were gone for the tour.

By the time we returned to the hotel, it was around 7pm. We were exhausted after a long day and were looking forward to spending the rest of it chilling at the pool and in the hotel room. However, the staff still hadn’t brought up a step stool. I also was having issues checking into my flight back to Chicago the next day. Kaveri called the hotel front desk regarding the stool while I spoke with the airlines. A little while later, the hotel brought us a plastic foot stool that toddlers use to help them get on the toilet. It did not enable me to reach the sink because it was not high enough, and as an adult, it could not bear my weight when standing on it. This foot stool did not not work for me. Kaveri took it back to the front desk and asked if they had a regular stool or step ladder that I can use. The front desk said they will contact housekeeping to see if something is available. In the meantime, I dragged a chair into the bathroom and had to stand on that to use the sink. The housekeeping staff then came to our room and apologized for they did not have anything else available and that they were unable to go out and purchase one this late at night. We explained that this was a huge inconvenience but would deal with it since we were only staying there one night. Kaveri asked if there was anyway we can be compensated for our difficulties. The housekeeping manager said that he will check with the hotel manager and have her contact us.

The hotel manager on duty called us and said the best they could do was offer us a late check out and 20% breakfast in the morning. Instead of rectifying the situation and ensuring we were comfortable moving forward, she tried to cover up the hotel’s mistake by finding out who to blame rather than taking responsibility. She also tried to lay the error on us for booking our room through a third-party hotel system. Kaveri argued on the phone with her for a half an hour saying that by not providing a step stool, the hotel was discriminating against us. She reiterated that 20% off breakfast was a “20% apology” and it showed that the hotel had no concern for my needs and that they were not willing to make it better for me. I use a step stool every day, and without one, I can’t fulfill basic necessities which average-sized people don’t have to think twice about. The manager did not seem to understand that. After much back and forth, she brought up a gym stepper that people use for stepping exercises and asked if that would work for me. I was able to reach the sink, so even though it worked, I explained how frustrating this entire evening was for us and that she needs to do everything she can to make sure other Little People don’t run into this problem when they stay here. The stepper may not work for others as it did for me. Though she apologized, she held on to the 20% breakfast offer. Kaveri sent the Westin hotel several messages on Twitter complaining about the bad service we received. A different hotel manager met with us the next morning and apologized for the trouble we went through but explained that they didn’t receive enough information from us to get what I needed. I learned that the next time I stay at a hotel to specify to them what kind of stool will work for me and how many inches high it should be ahead of time. Check out my blog page for tips on how you can avoid this situation yourself in the future. In the end, we did get free breakfast but I hope that it raises awareness for them and that they will ensure that requests like these are met in a timely and proper manner.

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