HumiraChic

Humera & Meagan Go to Iceland: Day 3- The Golden Circle.. Kinda

2018-07-03T20:39:00.001-07:00

April 13, 2018 was a gorgeous Wednesday in South Iceland. On this particular day Meagan and I performed a partial trip around Iceland's Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a 300 kilometer trip around southwest Iceland that allows tourists to visit Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall. We decided to skip Þingvellir National Park and visited Kerið and Bruarfoss waterfall.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Keeping like the day before we started the trip at the location which was the farthest from our hotel and worked our way back to Reykjavik as the day progressed; first stop: Gullfoss waterfall in Gullifossi, Iceland . This was probably the largest tourist attraction we visited while in Iceland. It was around 45 degrees Fahrenheit when we arrived and the wind was pretty brutal but watching the semi-frozen waterfall churn was soothing. We climbed to the top to see the view over the top of the waterfall then walked over to the gift shop to see if we could find gifts for our family. After fifteen minutes of perusing we decided to check out the Geysir Geothermal Area we passed on our way to Gullfoss.

Gullfoss Waterfall

The Geysir Geothermal Area was also packed with tourists but that is expected when visiting the Golden Circle. We walked around the various geothermal geysers which are all around the park.

The big attraction however is Strokkur- Fountain Geyser which erupts every seven minutes. Meagan and I had never seen a geyser erupt so we waited patiently with our GoPros ready to get the excitement on video. After many false alarms and a lot gurgling it finally erupted. The geyser even erupted about three minutes after we caught it on film as we were walking away. If you really want to see a geyser erupt in Iceland this is definitely a safe bet.

Pretty happy over our first two tourist attractions of the day we decided to find Bruarfoss waterfall in Brekkuskógur, Iceland. This by far ended up being my favorite waterfall we visited while in Iceland and funny enough we almost didn't even find it.

I must start out by explaining that Google Maps works pretty great about getting you to the destination you are intending on visiting, however finding Bruarfoss wasn't as easy as the other sites we had gone searching for. Google Maps put us in the general direction of the waterfall, forcing us to park in a rental cabin area full of locals and trying to find it on our own. Luckily, we stumbled upon three male tourists that were also walking in area we were walking. Feeling bold and confident in Iceland I stopped and asked them if they were also looking for Bruarfoss. Only one of the three spoke English and he said yes and invited us to walk with them while we looked for it. As we walked along a very muddy path in the middle of nowhere, we got to know the three gentleman from Canada that were in Iceland for a video game convention. Two would speak in French while the other translated in English for us. It was very scary according to Meagan because she said the whole interaction was a lot like a scene from the movie Taken which i've never seen so was completely oblivious to it. I instead marveled at how sweet they were to us; taking our hands to help us walk through the mud and constantly asking if we were okay or needed help. Finally after walking about half an hour we walked/slipped down a muddy hill to find the most beautiful waterfall i had ever seen. The best part was that there was only three other people there enjoying the waterfall, barely any tourists around we really got up close and personal with Bruarfoss.

We climbed down near the bank and touched the icy cold water, we hopped from rock to rock near the rivers edge so happy we had not given up and found the waterfall.

Meagan feeling how cold the water is.

Humera and Bruarfoss

After spending an hour with our Canadian friends we decided to head back to the car and visit Kerið. Kerið is a volcanic crater lake that is over 6500 years old. Before we left for Iceland visiting Kerið was honestly the only item on my bucket list. Visiting Iceland had been Meagan's idea but i had seen enough amazing Instragram photos that I had decided it was a must on my list.

The water was semi-frozen in the middle but still had a blue/greenish color from the water that had melted.

Kerið

We walked around the crater and eventually made our way down to the bottom which is 55 meters deep and according to my Fitbit 77 flights of stairs on the way back up.

Feeling like champs for seeing so many amazing and different natural wonders in one day we headed back to our hotel in Reykjavik wondering how we were going to ever top the amazing day we had just had.

Humera & Meagan Go to Iceland:Day 2- Exploring the Rekyjanes Peninsula

2018-05-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Day two starts out early on the morning of Thursday April 12, 2018. Meagan and I had a 10 AM appointment at Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa, however, first we needed to shower and drive an hour to our destination.

Showering, such a simple task until you add geothermal heating into the mix. I should start by explaining that the cold water out of the tap in Iceland is pure and people are able to drink straight from it without a filter. Our hotel uses geothermal heating to heat the hot water which meant the water smelled like rotten eggs as you showered. No joke, I had PTSD after returning because smelling my body wash in the shower reminded me of the gross smell of the Iceland shower; I had to go buy new body wash to cope.

After lots of 'girl complaining' to each other about the water's smell, we got in the car on a windy, overcast morning that felt like 45 degrees Fahrenheit and drove out of the capital down the Rekyjanes Peninsula towards Grindavik, Iceland.

Upon arriving at Blue Lagoon we raced to park and get in as quickly as possible because a bus full of tourist was also unloading. Laughing from excitement we walked through the pathway to the entrance of the building. The sides of the path we lain with Icelandic moss covered lava rocks piled about seven feet high.

No matter the rushing to get inside the check-in line was almost out the door. Patiently waiting you could hear languages from all over the world excitedly chattering. By far the most touristy destination on our Iceland Bucket List we were too excited to care about the crowd because we were at one of the twenty-five wonders of the world.

Once checked in, changed and showered we headed out to to the geothermal pool. Only wearing our swimsuits we stepped outside into the cold. The water is an ice blue and steam rises off it as the hot 99-102 degree Fahrenheit water is exposed to the cold spring day. The water is rich in minerals such as sulfur and silica and is said to help cure skin diseases.

Geothermal Pool at Blue Lagoon

Water around the main building at Blue Lagoon

After spending a good hour in the water, we decided we had pruned up enough to have gotten our $100 worth to get in. We showered, changed and decided to head to Gunnuhver Hot Springs.

Gunnuhver Hot Spring

Gunnuhver Hot Springs are located near the south western tip of the Rekyjanes Peninsula in Möðruvallavegur. Named Gunnuhver after legend states a female ghost was laid to rest in the area around four hundred years ago. The mud pools take form where steam from boiling geothermal reservoir water emanates, condenses and mixes with surface water. Accompanying gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide make the water acid. This causes alteration of the fresh lava rock to clay.

Continuing our exploration of the southwest peninsula of Iceland we headed to the Bridge Between Continents next. On our way we stopped to watch the waves beat against the coast of Grindavíkurbær.

It was a fun experience to watch the Iceland weather change every few hours. While many question why anyone would want to spend their vacation in the cold wind the first two days, I thought experiencing the good and bad weather of Iceland made the trip authentic.

Coast of Grindavíkurbær

When we arrived at the Bridge Between Continents in Reykjanesbær, Iceland it was pretty sparse of tourists. The Bridge Between Continents is a footbridge over a large fissure that provides clear evidence of the presence of a diverging plate margin. The bridge was built as a symbol for the connection between Eurasian and North America tectonic plates.

Bridge Between Continents

We walked over the bridge into the fissure which was composed of black sand and foot prints from the visitors before us. We looked at the rock formations before we decided to take 'basic' photos of us holding the bridge up.

Basic tourist photo of me 'holding' the bridge.

We decided to end the day with a visit to Thrihnukagigur volcano. Sadly, this is one of those times when selecting a location on Google Maps didn't get us where we wanted to go. Google Maps basically took us to the base of a massive volcano using a dirt road. The entire journey consisted of a lot of Meagan saying, "Are you sure we are going the right way?" and me replying "Google Maps says so." We arrived at our destination confused and really unsure about where we were. Not really sure if we even saw the volcano we went back to our hotel still happy because we had seen so many breath-taking natural wonders that day.

Humera & Meagan Go to Iceland: Day 1 - Downtown Reykjavik

2018-05-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

What became an adventure of a lifetime in Iceland all started with a impulse buy by my best friend Meagan. Frantic to find an adventure buddy, originally planned as a solo mission for her, she sent a text expressing she had done something bad. Laughing to myself, I knew this had to be good. She explained the impulse buy and that she didn't know if going by herself was something she could do. Totally understanding, I text my Mom and said, "Meagan and I are going to Iceland," while I simultaneously text Meagan saying I wanted to go. What started as a boring Thursday in March, ended with me dreaming of the things I would see in Iceland.

Exit to Iceland sign in Keflavik International Airport

We flew out of Chicago April 10, 2018 at 7:30 PM with IcelandAir. We slept the flight away, since we were landing in Iceland at 6:30 AM April 11. After exiting the airport, we were greeted with a very windy and cold morning storm. At the rental car office we were warned to be careful when opening the car door because the wind can blow it off. Feeling like fish out of water, Meagan and I headed to our hotel. We checked in, took quick naps and then decided to explore Reykjavik.

Hallgrimskirja

Our first stop in Downtown Reykjavik was Hallgrimskirja, the church of Hallgrimur, is a national monument located in the center of the capital. Built in 1986 in honor of Icelandic poet Hallgrímur Pétursson; the church's seventy-three meter high tower provides a breathtaking view of the capital. The concert organ takes up most of the back wall and was added in 1992.

The inside of Hallgrimskirja, the concert organ's pipes.

Downtown Reykjavik is comprised of houses and small multi-story buildings converted into shops and restaurants. Sadly, it's very touristy, full of souvenir shops, bars, and classy restaurants, however it also has many Icelandic specialty stores that carry Icelandic toys, clothing, knickknacks, and traditional snacks and treats.

Outside of Lækjarbrekka

The weather did not make exploring by walking easy. After walking up and down the hilly streets we decided to head back to the hotel to rest up for day 2.

Steep walk up the street of Bankastræti

Things All 20 Somethings Do

2014-04-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've recently become increasingly aware that I'm getting old. Yes, I know i'm only 27 but I've come to notice that I can't stay up past 11:30 or even out past 12 without waking up at 9am the next day. I do the more responsible thing, like get to bed by 9pm so I can make it into work at 6:30am. I cook more and count calories, I make time for the gym and my friends are getting pregnant on purpose. If you're a 20 something, not in college, then you can definitely relate to some of those things. I've also noticed that there are a couple of things that you do now that categorizes you as a 20 something like the following:

1) You are addicted to BuzzFeed and Thought Catalog. While you like to stay current on actual real world event you still like to read trashy pop culture articles. I'll openly admit I read any article about Jennifer Lawrence and even took to quiz determining if we were soul mate besties (I scored a 70!).

2) You read Young Adult Novels or Nonfiction by Comedians. We all do it and we are all ashamed of it but it's hard to find a book genre in your 20s. You don't want to read the romance, mystery or political books for adults because they bore you and you don't feel like you can relate to books for the 30 and over crowd. So if you're not reading young adult novels like The Hunger Games Series or re-reading Harry Potter, you read nonfiction autobiographies by comedians like Bossy Pants by Tina Fey, Is Everyone Hangout without Me by Mindy Kaling or Lies that Chelsea told Me by Chelsea Handler.

3) You Binge watch TV. You spend Monday through Friday at work, you work 10-12 hours a day. You live by yourself so after going to the gym, cooking dinner and cleaning up you want nothing more then the watch TV. However, if you're like me your schedule is to crazy to consistently keep up with your favorite TV shows, so you binge watch three or four episodes at a time on Netflix.

4) You Quit Caring about New Social Media. You have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest and it's hard enough to keep up with them all. Your Twitter account is basically retweets and none of your own originally wittiness anymore, you use Facebook to keep in touch with people and not stalk your ex's and you actually do the things you pin on Pinterest. You don't know what Vine is, you refuse to use Snap Chat because you think it for sending inappropriate photos only. Plus, Bandoo, Tinder and Viber all sound like new slang that annoying teenagers use like the word "ratchet."

What Google Told Me about Taking a Hike: Starved Rock Hiking Trip

2012-10-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Since Fall is short lived in the Chicago area, this high maintenance diva decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and explore what Illinois has to offer as well. Now I'll be completely honest, before trekking out to Starved Rock National Park I had to do a couple of Google searches.

First, was "What to wear when taking a hike in the fall." My Google hits advised layers and comfortable clothes. I decided on wearing my Uggs, yoga pants and my favorite Indiana University long sleeved t-shirt.

My second search was "What to pack when going on a hike." This time I was advised to pack food, clothes, and first aid. I decided on a hoodie, two granola bars, two bottled waters, and my camera.

See below for some of the photos I took. If you live in the area I advise that Starved Rock in the Fall is the best time to visit. The colors were breath taking and it was just so peaceful.

Disney Vacation Day 4: Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom Character Dinner, Electrical Parade, & Fireworks!

2011-07-18T04:42:00.001-07:00

I was very excited to visit Animal Kingdom because the last time I went the park was newly opened and very crowded. This time the park wasn’t as crowded as I expected it to be. Plus, the staff is extremely friendly and helpful; unlike at Magic Kingdom where they are on edge and super mean (I’ll save my rant for another post).
The day was pack with lots of activities! I hope you enjoy the photos!
Here are some photos from the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride!

The Festival of the Lion King Show at Animal Kingdom.

Flights of Wonder Show!

Dinner with Winnie the Pooh and friends at the Crystal Palace!

Fireworks!

Electrical Parade

Day 3: Taking a Break in Downtown Disney

2011-07-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Since our first two days were very intense he decided to have a relaxing day in Downtown Disney. We started the day off with Winnie the Pooh Movie and shopping.

That night we went to Cirque du Soleil. I thought the show was awesome. Many people told me that the show was their favorite, while others said they didn’t like it. Sadly, there are no pictures of it because they don’t allow photography.

Here is a picture of us after the show, but you can’t really tell because the humidity fogged up my camera’s lens.

Day 2 Disney World Vacation: Hollywood Studios

2011-07-17T06:46:00.001-07:00

We went to Hollywood Studio better now to many at MGM Studios until they changed the name. This is my favorite park because I am really into movies. Hollywood Studios does a great job of letting you see how the magic is made with places like Pixar Place and the Animation Building!
Here are some photos of a few of the days highlights!

Cars! It’s LIghtning McQueen and Tow Mater!

We were third row at the Beauty & the Beast Musical. It’s one of the best shows! Plus, it’s not to long so that younger children don’t’ get bored.

We met Princess Jasmine and Genie!

The girls went on Star Tours, the Star Wars ride and loved it!

AND of course we had to meet Mickey Mouse!

Disney’s Fantasmic is awesome! Definitely worth the 90 minute wait.

I am Officially a Nutcase! Disney World Day 1

2011-07-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

So you’re probably wondering why the girl who wrote a whole blog post claiming Disney and Taylor Swift made her delusional would go to Disney World. Well, I am still asking myself that but at least I have tons of photos to share with you! Here are a few highlights from Day 1 in Magic Kingdom!

What's the obsession with Pokemon?

2011-06-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Lately, my close friends have heard me make many comments about my brother, Jay playing Pokémon. It's quiet funny because for a while they thought I was joking. They thought "playing Pokémon "was secret code or a slang term they didn't quiet understand. Strange enough, it isn't. I have spend multiple nights and days watching/listening to my 18 year old brother lay on the floor of our family room with his best friends and play Pokémon. I watched him sell his Xbox which I thought he loved more then his IPhone to buy a new Nintendo DS (it's cool PS3 is better anyway).
I am totally okay with the idea of my brother playing Pokémon instead of first person shooter games like Call of Duty but what I don't understand is what is so great about Pokémon that it obsesses people over thirty and to play. Did you know there is even a Pokémon Video Game Championship? Evidently, players from all across the US and Europe gather together to 'battle.'
Let's look at it psychologically. Pokémon is a fantasy game, it falls under the same category as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. The legendary Pokémon story lines also give it a mythological edge. There is also the idea of obtaining a collection. People love the idea of collecting things thats why some people are hoarders.
What I question the most is why do people not stop playing after a certain age? You figure with most things in life, Pokémon players would just evolve and start playing something more age appropriate. I believe the reason this doesn't happen is because there has never been an actual age limit applied to Pokémon. Like most things in life people aren't afraid to say "you're to old/young to do that."
I'm going to assume that as my brother and his friends gets busy in college they will stop playing but for now I hope he continues to play and enjoy life while he can because life after college sucks.

Top 5 Reason Why I Want to Suffer from Amnesia

2011-06-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

5. So I can forget the fifteen minutes of my life that I wasted watching Jersey Shore. I’m sorry but I can’t stand Snooki. She is gross and gives me nightmares. I don’t even know the names of the other people on the show. It’s depressing to think that MTV got rid of music videos and replaced them with My Super Sweet Sixteen, Teen Mom and Jersey Shore. What’s even more depressing is that their target audience is so brainless that they have to air shows like this in order to keep them happy.

4. Re-watch Lost again. Okay so I’m totally addicted to Lost but lets be honest it’s just not that great the second time you watch all the episodes. I still have a tons of questions that need to be answers. Maybe it would be best if I got amnesia so I never re-watch Lost and suffer with unanswered questions.

3. To forget the hours of Dora the Explorer I’ve heard over the years while babysitting. I know many adults that claim they need years of psychological treatment to get over the damage Dora and Boots have caused them. I personally feel that I need to be heavily medicated in order to get through an episode. Dora like Pokémon is an anomaly that I will never fully understand what the actually appeal is for the average toddler.

2. To forget the Colts lost Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. I live in Chicago so you can only imagine the torment I felt. Having to show my face to my friends was pure humiliation. If you don’t understand why let me explain. Remember Super Bowl XLI when the Colts beat Chicago (29-17)… well you might have forgotten but Chicago fans haven’t. Enough said.

1. To read Harry Potter anew! Lets be serious you saw that coming right. I am pretty predictable and if you know me then you’ve probably heard me say, “I wish I could get amnesia so I could read Harry Potter anew!” I feel that my time reading Harry Potter wasn’t fully appreciated. As a twelve year old I wasn’t fully aware of the amazing cultural phenomenon I was apart of. And I truly don’t regret being apart of the pandemonium and thralls of fans that waited years for each book to come out. I remember standing in line for the book to be released at midnight and then ensuing all-nighters reading a 400 plus page book. I would be sad to lose those memories but I would do it in order to regain the feel of “awe” the books gave me. When I read each book I remember finishing them and thinking to myself, "Wow, that was genius." (Except for book five I remember feeling like that book was pointless.)

Look I made a cake!

2011-05-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

If you know me, then you know that baking and cooking are a favorite hobby and my stress reliever. The nurturing side of me enjoys feeding people yummy food, it’s the way I like to take care of others. So, for Memorial Weekend my Sister, Mother and I decided to make a birthday cake for my Niece who was turning 12. I know you’re thinking what’s the big deal, you’re just making a cake. Well here is the photo of the cake my niece said she wanted….
Understand now? Before my Niece picked out this cake, I had the idea to make a cake that was a symbolic representation of the beautiful summer day she was born. Basically, I was thinking flowers and butterflies. Instead we meshed both together.
We started out by baking a six inch and 9 inch butter cake and frosting them with my Mother’s secret chocolate frosting recipe. After that we covered them with white fondant.
Then we stacked them on top of each other.

The next step was the tricky part. We had to start putting on the zebra stripes. Coloring fondant black is really hard. My sister and I decided to roll out the fondant, cut out the stripes and then paint the stripes with black food color. While my sister adding the stripes, my Mother added the topper. Instead of making the fondant ribbon like in the picture my Niece wanted, we decided to put real flowers on the cake with 3D butterflies. We thought pink roses and white carnations would look great!

While they did that I worked on the 3D element of butterflies and jewels hearts that would come out of the roses. We bought iron on butterflies that are normally for clothes and stringed then onto silver wire. We got the jewels from the jewelry section of Michael’s.
My Mother made her secret buttercream frosting recipe and colored it pink to pipe around the cake. After piping and adding the butterflies and jewels this is how the cake turned out!

3 Things I Hate About Chicago Guys

2011-01-09T09:41:00.001-08:00

Before I start ranting about the opposite sex, I think I should explain the type of background I come from, so you understand why these three things drive me crazy! See my dad is very romantic! I grew up watching my dad buy my mom flowers for no reason, surprise her with jewelry, and do sweet gestures like cook dinner or clean the kitchen for her. I also grew up in the South. I know all about southern hospitality and how gentlemen should behave around a lady. I’m not asking for a guy that puts his coat over a puddle so I don’t have to step in it, but it would be nice to have the door held open for me, or somebody to actual listen to what you’re saying.
So with that said one can see why these three disgusting guy habits bother me. Let the countdown begin! Coming in at #3:

3. Cursing like a Sailor

I am not a prude, I get upset and use profanity like everyone else. When I’m stuck in Chicago traffic, one should feel bad for the person in front of me. However, using profanity constantly is annoying and I was raised in a place where a Gentleman didn’t curse in front of a women without feel ashamed of himself. Cursing for now reason and all the time also makes a person look uneducated and trashy.

2. Acting like a Chauvinistic Pig

I absolutely hate when guys act like women are completely incapable of doing anything. In my house the two toolboxes in the garage belong to my mother. When guys make comments about how women can’t drive or act like women belong in the kitchen is sexist. Living in Chicago I don’t know how many times I have been told “I didn’t know what I was talking about because I’m a women.”

1. Egotistical Morons

The “I’m so awesome I’m God’s gift to women” act is so annoying! Can you seriously stop talking about yourself for one minute and maybe ask me about myself. I have recently met so many guys that literally only talk about themselves and when I try to say something about myself they redirect the conversation back to themselves. For example last night I was talking to guy friend of mine on the phone and literally said “Ponies and dragons are real, I believe it.” NO RESPONSE! Didn’t hear a word I said!
So, if you are a nice guy that’s actually willing to listen to what I have to say, believes I’m a capable human being that doesn’t belong in the kitchen and you don’t have a potty mouth come and find me!

Where'd you find out about formspring.me?

2010-12-15T05:09:00.003-08:00

From @Shaby1 he's always answering questions/ being stalked anonymously.

Ask me anything

which celebrity has influenced you the most/is your iconic figure?

2010-12-15T05:09:00.001-08:00

I can't say a specific celebrity because it's a mix. So for clothes I like to duplicate a lot of Blair from Gossip Girl, hence my obsession with headbands and button up sweaters. But for hair and make-up I really like Kim Kardashian. Also, anything classic like pearl necklaces, diamond studs,and a simple bun are my favorite accessories like Audrey Hepburn.

Ask me anything

Have you ever been in love?

2010-12-01T18:46:00.001-08:00

I think that there are many different types of love. But i'm assuming that you're asking about romantic love.

Sadly, I haven't been in romantic love. I wish I could say yes I've had that can't eat, can't sleep, can't think or function, your stomach flips when you think of them, head over heels type of love but I haven't.

Ask me anything

I Voted... I Think.

2010-11-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday November 2, 2010 I get off work and head over to my designated polling place only to find out I'm not on the list! Then they make me point out where I live on a map. Hey, look I'm at the correct spot and yes I've voted here before. So after establishing that, they check the 'book' again. Nope i'm still not in it. So then the Judge calls somebody and then makes me fill out some paper work and then sends me to go vote. But here is the confusing part, instead of running my ballot he puts in an envelope and tells me that if i'm "approved" then they will run my ballot. This was aggravating because he made me feel like if you aren't lying about you SS number or driver license number and really are an American citizen then you can vote. If i had blond hair, blue eyes and a nice southern twang holding a basket of home-made muffin he would have treated me like I was lying! But because I have tan skin and a name he can barely pronounce then I'm lying about being an American citizen.

I know you're probably saying "hey, he was just doing his job and going through the proper paper work." Yes, I know that but there is a way to talk to people. It's not my fault I wasn't on the list like I was supposed to be. He could have just apologized for the situation, kindly explained the procedure for the situation and I wouldn't be so upset now, screaming racism on this blog post. Somethings can be prevented.

This is a perfect example of some of the random crazy situations I get into. I bet it's like a one and a million chance that a registered voter walks into their polling play and isn't on the list. But that's just my luck.

Top 5 Books of All Time

2010-10-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

I love to read. I am not claiming to be a expert on what makes an "Award Winning Newberry" or Pulitzer Prize Winner in Literature; but I do know that I rather curl up on the couch and read a good book then watch TV. I've created a list of my top five favorite books of all time. Most likely if you find these books on my shelf they are worn and the pages are falling out. It's probably the second or third copy of the book because I've read it so many times. So, since I love countdowns and lists lets count it down! Coming in at #5....

#5. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Williems
I know you weren't expecting a children's book to be on my list but as a preschool teacher this book is comical and adorable. Children absolutely love it and I love it because of the joy it brings them when I read it to them.. They love reading along and acting out the book. If you're not aware, author Mo Williems use to be a writer and illustrator for Sesame Street, winning 6 Emmy Awards.

#4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
I love the Harry Potter series because I believe it's the "Star Wars" of my generation. It's done so much to get children to read again! I love all the books but I picked this one specifically because I'll never forget how I finished it and thought "wow, she's (J.K. Rowling) is a literary genius." I spent my youth waiting for her to publish the next installment in the series but I was also waiting for her to mess up and do something to make me no longer love the books. I just didn't think it was possible for somebody to have that much 'magic' in their writing. I know many people who refuse to read the series but the book isn't just a fairy tale, J.K. Rowling does an amazing job pulling from Greek mythology, The Bible and teaching that love is more then just an emotion.

#3.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This book is an American classic. If I was a high school English teacher this book would be the only reason I would put up with teenagers. I don't know of anyone who has read this book and not liked it. The one funny thing about this book is it took me forever to figure out that the main character Scoot Finch is a girl! LOL The background and characters written by Harper Lee illustrates Alabama and the unspoken truth of how politics and life were and are there in a coming of age tale.

#2. Personal History by Katharine Graham
I had to read this book for my Introduction to Mass Communications class at Indiana University and thought it would be a complete bore. It is the personal biography of Katharine Graham, editor of the Washington Post from 1963-1979. She was at the Washington Post during the Watergate conspiracy and the decided to publish the content of the Pentagon Papers. When you begin reading you learn that she grew up in a "castle" and grew up around Albert Einstein, Auguste Rodin and Marie Curie. I told myself while reading it that "if she complains once about her bad childhood was or her misfortunes I putting the book down." However she doesn't and instead illustrates an interesting look at how the role of women have changed and what it was like for her to be a powerful woman at a time when men only viewed women as a house wife, secretary or nurse. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998.

#1. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levvitt, Stephen J. Dubner
There is no other book like this book. The sequel to this book doesn't even live up to it. If you know me then you know that I repeat the statistics back to other people so I sound smart and then tell them that they should read Freakonomics.. LOL I can't really describe why I like this book so much, it sat on my book shelf for six months before I finally decided to read it. It definitely makes you think and look at things in a different way.

I know that many people will look at this list and dislike it because it leaves off the classics like Shakespeare, Jane Austin, Ernest Hemingway, or because it leaves off the modern writers like Stephen King, Nicholas Sparks, Dan Brown, and Stephanie Meyer (some would argue that she is a good writer). Don't get me wrong those authors are all amazing and I have much respect for the classics and love them but I wanted my list to be different and not the same five books you see listed on everybody's Facebook page. These five book are special to me in their own way and that's what I love about books, they mean something different to everyone.

The Unwritten Rules of the Road: Chicago Edition

2010-10-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today, while I was driving to work, before I could even have a sip of my Venti Coffee with Skim Milk & no sugar from Starbucks, I was almost killed! The driver of a black Envoy was on their cell phone and driving. So when they decided to merge into the extreme left lane they couldn't be bothered with checking their blind spot which I happened to be speeding through at the moment. So, when they decided to merge I was right next to them! How they didn't see me I don't know! How could they not hear me? My bass is always blasting, plus I was honking! My first instinct was to swerve into the emergency lane as much as I could so she wouldn't hit me, to honk and show her the pretty blue nail polish specifically on my middle finger.

This near brush with death made me think about how this never would have happened if people who didn't regularly drive on the express-ways and highways in the morning would just stay off. I know you're probably wondering how I knew they weren't a 'regular.' Well, it was obvious because they weren't following the "unwritten rules of the road."

#1. GET BLUETOOTH! I know I am going to sound like Oprah, but do not talk, text or email while driving! I understand you do it all the time and have never had an accident but you don't realize while you're on the phone, you are breaking for absolutely no reason. It's fine if you're in the right lane, everybody knows they drive 55-60 and are break happy but you dare get into the extreme left lane and break for no reason. That's pretty ballsy. Please remember this: You will get passed and shown lots of middle fingers. I've actually known someone who has throw carrots at a perpetrator.

#2. DON'T LEAVE A HUGE GAP! Yes I know tailgating is rude but if you decide to be nice and leave just the smallest amount of space, merging traffic will cut right in. I am not just talking about one car, once people discover you're the weak link in the morning traffic chain, then you will get cut-off all morning.

#3. BE VIGILANTE, DON'T GET PULLED OVER. I honestly hate that person that was wreckless and decided to get pulled over by a cop at 7:00am because that means everybody has to stop, look at you and then drive away. Chicagoens are nosy people, slim chances are we might know you and then have to ridicule you about it later.

#4. DON'T DRIVE UNDER 75 IN THE LEFT LANE! "Regulars" knows that if you're driving through Chicago suburban traffic in the morning nobody goes to speed limit. Each lane has a designated speed. The far right is 55-64, the middle lane is 65-70, and the left lane is 75+.

Wreck at 55N/355 Junction in July.

I know these rules sound ridiculous but trust me, I'm not the only one complaining about the jerk that went 65 in the left lane. I know because they are following me as I pass them. And here's a tip keep your POS car out of the left lane, I don't feel like dealing with your engine stalling and causing major traffic delays for the rest of the day!

If You Give a Shopaholic a Muffin

2010-10-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

If you give a Shopaholic a Carrot Cake Muffin from Panera Bread she will guiltily eat it. While she is eating it she will remember that she shouldn't have because she has to work StyleChicago.Com's Art of Fashion Runway Show October 22, 2010 and needs to look nice in her black satin dress. This makes her think of how she needs to take her dress to the dry cleaners.

While she is at the dry cleaners seeing the Asian cashier wearing a face mask, reminds her that she needs to buy a new OPI nail color. While in Ulta purchasing "OPI- Teal the Cows Come Home" she sees a women getting her hair cut. This reminds her that she needs new shampoo and conditioner. She heads over to the Professional Sebastian section and picks out the Light Series.

The new hair products make her think of how she should do her hair for the event. She remembers that large flowered headbands are in style and custom orders a headband from Ora.

While she is ordering her headband online, her dad calls from Europe, which reminds her of Dior and how she needs new mascara.

While in Macy's she learned that Dior quit selling in 13 Macy's across the country and she happened to walk into one of thirteen. She decides to buy the Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir.

While checking the mail for her headband, Glee Season 1 arrives on DVD! She forgot she ordered it! This will remind her to update her IPhone with new music.

While updating her IPhone she decides to get a snack. While she is looking for a snack she thinks of the Carrot Cake Muffin she had from Panera Bread.

Let's not Jinx it... and have a Top 5 List Instead

2010-10-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

A side from the fact that I had a pretty intense week at work, my life was pretty boring this week. I know I should be thankful considering the majority of the time, the craziest things happen to me! Like for example one time I was at a stop sign and a deer hit my car. Yes, I know it happened on Gilmore Girls but it also happened to me. However, I've decided since my life is pretty lack-luster right now I will entertain you with a list of the "Top 5 Most Random Facts about Me"

5. In the fifth grade I got second place in a writing contest conducted by the state of Georgia. I didn't get first because the girl who got first wrote about how she was homeless.

4. I play Zelda Ocarina of Time all the time. I have beaten the game 100%! All the heart peaces, Skulltulas, bottles and weapon upgrades, it took me about seven years but I did it.

3. Musophobia. I'm terrified of rats. When I was 4 years old I was really sick with a high temperature and kept hallucinating there was a rat in my bed. My dad loves telling this story.

2. 547 is the number of times I have played "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay in my ITunes Library. Let me explain why. Let's take a trip back to the summer of 2008 the song was number one on the ITunes Chart and I finally gave in and decided to read Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. "Viva la Vida" and "Miss Independent" by Ne-Yo are being played on repeat on my IPod while I am reading in the DePaul Library instead of studying. Now, if you've taken psychology and you understand classical conditionin g then you understand what I did. I associated the feeling I have for Twilight/falling in love with Edward Cullen with "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. So, every time I hear "Viva la Vida" the feelings I had while reading Twilight come back to me.

1. I use to call my mother "Seema Auntie." I'm not a brat, let me explain to you why. My sister Dede and I are a year and 8 days apart in age. Around the time I was born was also the same time that my parents started noticing that Dede was developmentally delayed. When I was five months old my family took a trip to Pakistan to visit family, while we were there my mother's sister offered to raise me. I lived in Pakistan from the age of five months till I was three years old. When I returned to America with my Aunt who I thought was my mother to my real family I basically called my mother "Seema Auntie." Then one day she finally told me "Shut up! I am your mother." I never called her "Seema Auntie" again.

Old Blog

2010-10-10T07:22:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that before I had this blog I had another blog that I wrote for my Advertising and Society class at DePaul. The blog was about advertising but as I got less and less discouraged about finding my dream job in the industry I quit writing on it. However, if you want to take a look at older posts I've written here's a link to it.

http://hsheikh7986.wordpress.com

Ciao

Humera

Disney & Taylor Swift made me Delusional!

2010-10-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that I am a very social person but when it comes to letting somebody into my world, I can be exclusive and shy. If you’re reading this you probably know me from DePaul and we took a Communications Studies class together. So, you will be familiar with the attachment theories about secure and insecure attachment styles. If you don’t know what I am talking about here’s a quick lesson. Either you are secure- you have high self-esteem, are trusting, have lasting relationships, and you’re comfortable with sharing your feelings or you are insecure. Insecure people are broken down into the three groups ambivalent/anxious, avoidant/fearful and dismissive/disorganized. Ambivalent/anxious types are reluctant to become close to people, worry their partner doesn’t love them, and become very distraught when a relationship ends. Avoidant attachment styles tend to have difficulty with intimacy and close relationships, do not invest much emotion in relationships and experience little distress when a relationship ends. They often avoid intimacy all together. Dismissive/disorganized attachment styles are so unlikely to be in a relationship that there is no data about what they are even like in a relationship. Hello, my name is Humera and I am avoidant/fearful. And I would also like to say being able to know that is probably the worst thing about being a communication major because knowing all of this doesn’t help your relationship, you still fall into the pattern, the only thing communication majors do differently is over-analyze everything ten times more! Now with the close-relationships lesson over we can continue on about why Taylor Swift and a couple of other factors have turned me into a delusional basket case.

You should also know that I love the book/movie “He’s just not that into you.” I seriously walked around believing that if you met a guy and he was into you he would call, want to talk you or want to hang out with you. I found out the other day that isn’t true! My friend who is a guy basically told me that guy’s are lazy and are not going to make the effort unless you do. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?! Girls make the effort- we talked to the guy, we gave him our number, and we allow the guy access to stalk us on facebook, what more need we do! I seriously had the hardest time wrapping my brain around his statement. I still completely don’t understand it and will probably never find love because of it (I know I sound avoidant/fearful).

After thinking about it, I finally got angry and tried to pin-point where I went wrong. They say your attachment style is based on your relationships as a child. My childhood was wonderful, no complaints, I was raised on American values and Disney. Hmmmm Disney…this is all Disney’s fault! I continued to think, that means Disney is full of crap (and racist, it seriously took them that long to have a Black Princess and she was a frog most of the time! WTF). Disney movies always end with a happy ending and they start making you delusional. I seriously had a child tell me, who she was going to marry, how many children she was going to have and what she was naming them! I don’t even know what I want for dinner! It’s Disney! I watched Disney and look where it got me, I am an avoidant/fearful basket case that thought I would just know when I met Mr. Right because it would be a magical moment where birds sing and deer dance and owls suddenly come out during the day and fly around you. Then I thought to myself it can’t be all Disney’s fault, I mean seriously I haven’t watched a Disney Princess’s movie in a while, but I do listen to Taylor Swift everyday…

Taylor Swift’s music is all about finding love, your knight in shining armor rescuing you, being in high school or about boys named Drew, Stephen or Corey. You can’t help listen to it and get super happy or want to barf. I get super happy and think to myself, “I hope one of her songs is describing my love story.” If what my guy friend says is true then Taylor Swift is full of crap too.

I am not denying love, I love lots of people and I believe it’s possible to feel that strong about someone. What I am saying is that because of Disney, Taylor Swift and romantic comedies, the idea of how to find that person has become completely distorted.