Travels

A journey of a thousand miles ...

... begins with a single conversation about Lebanon and Kenya. One of the first things we bonded over was our love of travelling. Sammy talked about spending time in Lebanon and  trips to Egypt, while Natasha spoke of living in England, backpacking Europe, and doing research in Kenya, Africa. It soon became clear that travelling would be an integral part of our relationship. We made it a point to go somewhere every year. Whether it's a few hours drive away like our first vacation to Dallas, Tx (to the aquarium we eventually got married in) or across the globe like our honeymoon in Japan. 

These blogs will mostly catalog what we did in the other countries and if I felt it was worth doing. Obviously, I'm highly biased to the things I like, but that's kind of the point of a private blog! Please enjoy our travel experiences through my lens and my words. 

 
21586585_10154655185561331_9015166111472076013_o.jpg
Featured
London 2018
London 2018

We rounded out our vacation with a few days in London (and one in Bath). It was so nice and relaxing to be back in the UK. Enjoy!

Lebanon 2018 - Part 2
Lebanon 2018 - Part 2

This is the second part to our Lebanon trip. It talks about our adventures in Sofar, Sayda, and Baalbek.

Lebanon 2018 - Part 1
Lebanon 2018 - Part 1

This is the first part of our Lebanon blog. We did so much and had so many pictures, I had to break it into 2 blogs. This one will talk about Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Bchallah, the Lebanese Cedars, Batround, the Jeita Grotto, and Harissa. Enjoy!

SF Girl's Weekend
SF Girl's Weekend

While Sami flew to PAX for Labor Day weekend, I headed to SF for a girl’s weekend. We went shopping, checked out the sights, attended the Zine Fest, and hung out in the traditional Japanese tea gardens. It was a great weekend overall with friends.

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

We recently had our 1 year wedding anniversary. It has been an exciting year of change: getting married, getting a new job, moving, going to Japan, getting a puppy, etc. So we really wanted to make the anniversary special to celebrate being together and all that has come with that. So we decided to celebrate over 2 days. The first day we went to Disneyland (I got us annual passes for an anniversary present; Sammy got me a really nice bike. I bike to work everyday so it’s thoughtful and something I really wanted). The second day we decided to go to the local aquarium as a call back to getting married in an aquarium. I thought it was a cute idea anyway. Also, the local aquarium does whale watching adventures in the Pacific Ocean, something both of us have wanted to do for a while.

Date Saturday! OWL and Universal
Date Saturday! OWL and Universal

Sammy and I had a date weekend. We went to our first OWL match, grabbed a butterbeer in Universal Studios, and stopped for dinner in Little Arabia. It was a great weekend out.

GUR! GDC!! FPA Talk!!!
GUR! GDC!! FPA Talk!!!

Blizzard sent me to GUR and GDC. Plus I gave a talk as a part of the FPA. Read how it went

Universal Hollywood! And Sam's Birthday
Universal Hollywood! And Sam's Birthday

We finally got to check out Universal Studios Hollywood. There were some aspects that were disappointing and a surprising couple that were great!

San Diego Weekend
San Diego Weekend

Sammy’s Aunt May came to town for a Mathematics conventions so we had to go see her … and stop at the coast … and stop at the zoo. Overall it was a lovely weekend in San Diego.

Japan Honeymoon!
Japan Honeymoon!

We spent our honeymoon in Japan and it was one of the best trips of my life. We will find a way to go back to the most unique and awesome place yet!

Full photo album: https://imgur.com/a/IzAtPI0

Wedding <3
Wedding <3

The Wedding finally arrived and it truly was the best day. The day I married my best friend surrounded by those closest to me.

3 Year Anniversary Trip: Universal Studios Orlando
3 Year Anniversary Trip: Universal Studios Orlando

We just got back from Universal Studios Orlando and had an amazing 3 year anniversary. Here is my account of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (spoilers, it’s awesome!), Simpson’s Land, Jurassic Park World, and more. Hope you enjoy my retelling of our vacation, and maybe pick up some tips if you are planning on going yourself. Fair warning though: this one is kind of long so TL:DR Harry Potter World = awesome, I got to be a wizard; Simpson’s Land was full of potential but ultimately was a disappointment; Jurassic Park World was awesome but don’t eat there; Go to King Kong, Spiderman, Transformer, all Harry Potter rides; Be cautious of the older rides. J

Dallas Trip
Dallas Trip

We spent a few days in Dallas trying to finalize some parts of our wedding. We were extremely successful in that endeavor. It was a good trip all around, and a special thank you to everyone who drove up to support us.