always, ainy

About a month ago, I took a trip to New Orleans with my friend and I absolutely fell in love with this city. It was filled with history, cute shops, food (that I can't stop thinking about), jazz music, and beautiful views. This was the perfect city to do in just a weekend, my friend and I were on our feet all day and always found something to do and somewhere to go. I am going to start encouraging everyone I know to go visit this underrated city, and in this post I'm going to list what we did and my recommendations!    FRIDAY The best decision we made was to stay in a hotel right downtown by the French Quarter since we were easily able to walk everywhere. We arrived at our hotel around 7 PM, freshened up, then headed out to dinner. For dinner we went to  Creole House , and it was honestly one of the best meals I have had in my life. We ordered the Shrimp Ya-Ya, Spicy Jambalaya Pasta, and Bread Pudding. Our goal for this trip was to make sure we tried every NO...

I have always loved birthdays. Every year, I count down days until it and even declare the entire month of March my "birthmonth". It seems a little extra (and maybe it is); but hey, it makes me excited to get older. My 22nd birthday was a few days ago which happened to be during the first week of quarantine due to the coronavirus. This birthday was just...different. I have nothing to complain about - I got very nice gifts, my favorite food, a cake, and ended the night going on a drive with my best friend. But I couldn't fully enjoy myself knowing there was a pandemic beginning, and that many people were in the hospital as I sat there eating my cake. This post is not me writing about me being stuck at home on my 22nd birthday. It's about the anxiety spiraling inside my head scaring me out of my mind. And how things that used to excite me (like my birthday), don't as much anymore. Everything suddenly seems so unimportant besides our health and safety. If anyth...

It's honestly crazy to think my college chapter ended 2 months ago. The ceremony itself felt so...anticlimactic. I entered the stadium, listened to the speeches, walked across stage, and said my final goodbye. In just one day, my entire 3.5 year journey came to an abrupt stop. The whole day felt so ordinary, like no special occasion going on.  My eyes started filling up with tears when we started driving away from my college town. Right then and there, it hit me. Right after I say goodbye to some of my best friends and packed up everything from my apartment was when I realized things were starting to change. My college friendships were all going to start taking a new direction - no more sitting at the library looking at memes, taking naps together, or eating ramen out of the pan. It was time to enter a more "adult" life.  For the first time in my life, I had no to do list. I went from juggling assignments and job interviews to having absolutely nothing to do....

A year ago, I went on a study abroad trip in Spain. It was my first time in Europe and the most beautiful country I have been to. The culture, food (best churros ever), views, and people made the country so special. I was able to travel to 5 different cities in the span of 22 days. City #1:  Barcelona I loved Barcelona (a lot more than Madrid)! This city gave me a glimpse into Spanish culture, since I was able to see many of the non-touristy areas. My favorite part was taking a day trip to Montserrat, which is a mountain range right outside of the city. We took a cable car up to the peak and were able to see some of the most breathtaking views. I highly recommend spending a whole day here and taking in every moment. As we were leaving Barcelona, we stopped in Girona which was another highlight of the trip. It was a small town with history everywhere we walked. We explored the streets, ate gelato, and hiked up the numerous stairs to get to the top of the Cathe...

The death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the others from the helicopter crash had me more shocked than ever. I was never a huge basketball fan, but I was always familiar by Bryant because of his success in basketball and influence on society. The reactions to his death show that he wasn't just a legendary basketball player, but also a loving husband/father and a positive influence around the world. Life is a blessing. When we get trapped into our everyday routines of work/school, we can sometimes forget what we have been blessed with around us. I believe that everyone has those "little things" that keep them going, and sometimes we can forget to reflect on them. I have come across a few changes to make me appreciate what I have been given, and work towards creating a more positive and purposeful life. Religion: Growing up in a religious family, I felt like I was forced to take part in it which is what drifted me away. The past few months I started reading more i...

Hello there! Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Ainy (well, my full name is Quratulain which means "solace of the eyes" in Arabic). During my last semester of college and recently graduating, I found myself reflecting a lot and figuring out what I wanted to do next. I have a lot of ambitions I hope to pursue, and I realized it's okay to take things slowly one step at a time... I want to travel the world and immerse myself in different cultures. I want to meet people and listen to their stories. I want to study Islam and form my own spiritual connection. I want to put in my all towards my career and make a positive impact on society. I want to strengthen my relationships with my family and friends. I want to build a home with my future husband. I want to mentor students and be an inspiration to even just one person. I want to say yes to things I normally wouldn't even consider. I want to keep working towards being a better person. I used to be an ac...