Happiness Begins With Me!

Check out my blog on my cousin's website:  http://keepahappyhome.com/2012/03/26/happiness-begins-with-me/ I really hope you love it!

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My Motto!!! 

Philly Pictorial Reflections

Hanging Out!!

Touring the city!!

Rocky Steps :)

Returning to FL

Jim's Steak House

So what better way is there to close a visit to Philly then a visiting the infamous Jim's Steak House off South Street? And that's exactly what I did. Its my last day and I awoke tasting the delicious, oily, legendary Philly Cheesesteak. We couldn't get there quick enough. Like a real tourist I excitedly waited in the cold for nearly 45 minutes for my cheesesteak with peppers. "Upstairs to the left" one of the employees shouted, directing me upstairs to the sitting area. And like a kid in the candy store, I rocked amd smiled as I took my first bite :) I had my first real Philly Cheesesteak!!! and it was DE-LI-CIOUS :)

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city of brotherly LOVE

So part of my Philly trip (outside of spending time with my little brother) was me looking for closure. And while it didn't happen the way I expected it to, it happened nonetheless. God is AMAZING because he always has the master plan and knows best. And in hindsight, as I come to grips with me achy heart, I realize this was the best way for it to happen.

Thank God for FREEDOM!!!

William Penn of Pennsylvania

Today we toured Philly on the Philadelphia Sightseeing Tour Bus! It was a little ambitious of us to choose to ride the top level of the double decker in 40 degree weather but it was well worth it. 

We learned of the cities history and the Quaker foundation on which William Penn's built the city. He had 3 focuses which still hold true today- Freedom of Expressions, Freedom of Religion and 

Freedom of something else I can't remember. lol! (sorry) 

Moving on... they showed us the initial city limits, first churches, homes and market places that are still standing and in use since before the war. We also saw the building that was Franklin's home, printing press and first city post office while  he was in Philly back in the 1700's. We didn't get a chance to visit the Franklin Institute, Constitution Center, Liberty Bell or Please Touch museum, but we did see them and learned about the cool facts and exhibits they each behold. When I return, visiting each of those will be first on my list!!! We did however climb the Rockie Stairs :)))) That was fun! And when you reach the top, the view of the city if breathtaking. It's not a complete skyline view, but it's a panoramic view of many scopes of the city! 

We ended our night with Tootoo's pizza and wings and lounging at the Landmark- a lounge in downtown Philly off Market and 34th in the Drexel University Area. We enjoyed laughs, drinks and great conversation with our friends!

What a day :)

I be SHOPPPINGGGG!!!

I'm so ashamed. I've been in Philly for less than 24hrs and I've overspent in the mall already. I'm heavily considering taking some items back. These items are definitely a keeper though!!!

It's my fedora hat! I finally found one that I LOVEEE and looks well on me :) And that's a Steve Madden sea green hidden platform pump. I just couldn't resist that color!!! I'm such a classic sheik chick when it comes to my closet and these were fine pieces :)

Now I must get dress. The hat will probably make it out for our day of tours since it's so windy!!!

~ Chiao

G-Town Philly + Billy = Home

Its about 4:30, I just touched down in Philly about 3 hours ago to visit my brother Billy and it feels like home already. As he pulled up to the airport terminal to scoop me, my attention immediately drifted away from the cities windy chills to the warmth of my brother's hug. In an instance, this big foreign city that I've never visited became home to me. After riding around downtown, enjoying a great lunch at a cute Southern Amerian cusine restaurant name Jones and riding through the hills to get to his place- I now realize I still haven't taken in the scope of the city. I've been blinded by the comfort of my loved one!

It was an amazing feeling when I realized the truth in the statement "home is where the heart is". Typically as a tourist I would have a heightened senses for the new city I'm in carefully taking in the structure of the buildings, make up of the highways, diversity of its citizens and uniqueness of the area. But ironically, on this occassion I've been been completely oblivious and everything feels strangely familar instead of interestingly new. I contribute that to me feeling as if I was home. And I attribute that feeling to the presence of my brother.

I'm so excited to be here and I can't wait to soak up all this trip has to offer. For the next few days I'm not vacation- I'm just at my home away from home :)

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Charlotte- My Connector!

I always love traveling and stopping through random cities by flight because there isn't a more diverse place then the airport. This is the one time when all people of all ages from all different kinds of walks gather in one place with one common mission- to reach their destination. Some are traveling for business, others for personal reason and the rest for vacation. As I walk the isles of the plane and the concourse of the airport I see worrisome parents with their active children, I hear business men and women partake in executive discussions. Theirs your carefree voyagers who looK as if they've done this a million times and your novice travelers that I over hear marveling at the sight of the planes outside and snapping pictures of billbords. The enthusiasm mixed with fear that rest on everyones face is classic. Never will America find another place where all people are seemingly equal dispite our differences!!

I was inspired to write since my connecting flight to Philly today was in Charlotte and it is one of 3 of my favorite places to visit; even if it is only for a breif moment of walking through the airport. Its so refeshing as a black woman to walk into an establishment and see a myraid of my black brothers and sisters working hard and being afforded equal earning opportunities. To see a sea of blacks- well intermingled with other Americans- that are happy and productive and without looks of settlement or weary discourse on their faces. The sight of such justice makes my world a better place. When I see this, I think to myself 'We made it, finally! Thank you Jesus'. And for the first time in a long time the world seems right!

How amazing this would be if I could see the same successfully functional diversity everywhere; all the time!

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Choice + Chance = Change

New opportunities and ventures are afforded to me daily and while I'm ready to cease some, I'm not so sure about others. It's amazing the experience we go through when being pushed and elevated. I'm almost a little fearful of the change that my choices and chances would bring. So here goes nothing!!! Let's see what happens :)