A Decade on the Mainland: Five Things I Like About Living in the Northeast

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This month marks my tenth anniversary of living in the U.S. Northeast!! Hard to imagine that I moved to Philadelphia for college way back in July 2006, and moved down to DC for my first job in June 2010. As a kid from the West Coast (okay, far West Coast), I always imagined that at some point, I’d eventually move back closer to home, either all the way back to Hawaii or to California. Ten years later though, and I’m still loving it here in the Northeast! Here are the top 5 reasons why I absolutely love being out here in the Northeast:

#1: We have seasons!

A massive tree changing colors in Philadelphia's Washington Square Park.

A massive tree changing colors in Philadelphia’s Washington Square Park.

In Hawaii, we have two seasons: summer and winter. And really, the only noticeable difference between the two seasons is that it rains much more often during the winter in Hawaii.

Compare that with the four seasons that we have in the Northeast.

I’ll still remember the first time I saw snow: December 7th, 2006. It was my freshman year of university, and I had just finished my last afternoon class for the day. Walking back to the dorms, snowflakes started falling!! I had seen snow before then, but always from a distance. I’d never seen it falling from the sky, let alone touched it. Definitely an unforgettable feeling.

And it’s not just the snow during the winter that I enjoy.

I really do enjoy the culture that comes during each season. Endless outdoor activities during the summer, apple and pumpkin picking in the fall, holiday parties and drinking warm drinks in the winter, and seeing the trees and flowers bloom and come back to life in the Spring.

I admit that I really don’t like the humidity and heat during summers in the Northeast, but thankfully the gross weather lasts just only a few weeks in July and August. I’ll put up with that if it means I can experience the rest of the seasons!

#2: It’s so easy to travel around the Northeast!

Flying over Central Park en route to La Guardia. Thank you British Airways Avios points for making flying to NYC a viable option.

Flying over Central Park en route to La Guardia. Thank you British Airways Avios points for making flying to NYC a viable option.

One thing that I absolutely did not like about Hawaii is that it was so expensive to travel inter-island, let alone traveling to the U.S. mainland or anywhere outside of Hawaii. Spending $200 on a 30 minute flight is certainly not uncommon in Hawaii.

Contrast that with traveling between cities or exploring other parts of the Northeast. First off, the sheer variety of options you have to travel in the Northeast is unparalleled to any other region of the U.S. Whether by driving yourself, taking a bus, riding Amtrak, or catching a flight, there are a ton of options for getting around in the Northeast. Best part of all is that it’s pretty affordable to.

For as little as $1, I can travel to pretty much any city that Megabus goes to from DC. Or, if I’m willing to live a little, tickets from DC to NYC on Amtrak, when booked far in advance, cost just $49 one way, not bad for a 3.5 hour journey (and a great way to avoid the traffic on 95). For example, even though I’ve never lived in New York, I’ve probably visited the city at least two dozen times since I moved to the Northeast a decade ago. I would’ve never imagined I’d be visiting New York that many times when I first moved to the Northeast.

#3: There’s so much to see and do, and if you’re ever bored, there’s another city to explore!

Watching Ariana Grande in Concert at Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center.

Watching Ariana Grande in Concert at Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center.

I think those of that live in the DC area are seriously spoiled with the sheer number of activities we can do in the city, that are unique to DC. From exploring the EU during embassy day, or doing something offbeat, there’s so much to do just in the DC metro area.

I’m a big fan of music, and one thing that I hated about living in Hawaii was that few bands ever visited Hawaii, for obvious reasons. In the Northeast however, pretty much any artist will have a stop in any of the cities from DC to Boston. I’ve driven up to Philadelphia to see one of my favorite singers, Ariana Grande (!), went to New York to see my favorite DJ Armin van Buuren perform, and have gone to Baltimore to see Justin Timberlake in concert. Simple day trips that living in Hawaii would’ve never been possible.

#4: We have public transportation systems that are actually a viable means of getting around.

At just $7.75 each way, the fastest, affordable and relaxing way to get to midtown from JFK is on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).

At just $7.75 each way, the fastest, affordable and relaxing way to get to midtown from JFK is on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).

The first time that I ever rode on a subway was way back in the Spring of 2002. I had gotten 2nd place during Hawaii’s National History Day Competition, and I was eligible to go to DC for the National Competition, which was being held at the University of Maryland College Park. During that week at UMCP, my family and I rode the subway from College Park to the Smithsonian to tour all the monuments. I remembered everything about that first ride: waiting on the platform for the train to arrive, shuffling onto the subway, trying to “surf” the subway while it was in motion, and looking at the metro map and being amazed by all the places I could go on the subway.

Fast forward ten years and I’ve pretty much used all of the public transportation systems in the Northeast: Boston’s T; New York’s MTA, LIRR and NJ Transit; Philadelphia’s SEPTA and Regional Rail, and DC’s Metro. Each system not only has an extensive rail network, but has an even broader bus network that is fairly simple to follow. Yes, I know that people have died using the Washington Metro, and personally I feel like the DC metro has gotten considerably bad and unreliable when I first moved here in 2010, but I still appreciate the fact that if I ever had to get rid of my car, getting around by public transportation wouldn’t be completely unfeasible.

#5: My life is here.

My humble apartment in Arlington, Virginia, where I've lived for the past five years!

My humble apartment in Arlington, Virginia, where I’ve lived for the past five years!

Probably the biggest reason why I like the Northeast is that my life truly is here. Although I was born and grew up in Hawaii, I’ve spent significant time (defined as more than three months) in Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Shanghai, Tokyo and Taipei. In each city that I lived in, one of the central themes that kept coming back to me was that people (aka your friends and family) truly make a place home. Having gone to college in Philly, I still have a number of close college friends living along the Northeast that I still see fairly regularly. Something that I wouldn’t be able to do if I lived in another part of the country.

When I moved to DC, I literally knew nobody. Fast forward six years and I’ve cobbled together a professional and personal life that I truly feel would’ve never been so awesome if it weren’t for the people that I’ve met and befriended along the way. As much as I’ve considered moving to another city, my ties to DC, to the Northeast, are an aspect of life that I’m not yet ready to give up on.

Summary:

When I first moved to the Northeast ten years ago, I would’ve never imagined that I’d still be here. Along the way, I discovered so many unique aspects of this part of the country that I still appreciate. But above all, what’s gotten me to stay and make this place truly feel like home are the friends whom I’ve met along the way. Thank you for making this west-coaster feel at home in the Northeast!

Three Days in Toronto

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Heading to Toronto for the first time? Here are my suggestions on how to spend three days in and around Toronto.

Take in the views at the CN Tower

Visiting the CN Tower was one of the first things I did on my trip to Toronto, but at $45 for an adult ticket, the ticket may be expensive for some. If you go, you’ll need to book your ticket a minimum of 24 hours prior to your visit. If I had to do it over again, I’d try to time my visit up the tower to be around sunset.

Downtown Toronto from the CN Tower

Downtown Toronto from the CN Tower

Toronto Harbour from CN Tower

Toronto Harbour from CN Tower

At the CN Tower

At the CN Tower

Tour a Brewery

Located right next to the CN Tower, the Steam Whistle Brewery. For $15, you’ll get a tour of the brewery and a souvenir of your choice.

Steam Whistle Brewery

Steam Whistle Brewery

Tour of the brewery

Tour of the brewery

Learn about Toronto’s history and architecture at Casa Loma.

I’m a huge lover of history and architecture. Although a relatively young city compared to cities in say Western Europe or parts of Asia, Toronto’s Casa Loma provides a great introduction to how the city of Toronto developed during the 19th and 20th century.

View of Casa Loma

Flags inside Casa Loma

Flags inside Casa Loma

Discover Toronto’s Neighborhoods

Toronto is a city of neighborhoods. And given that it’s a relatively flat city, it’s really easy to walk around this city without feeling overly bogged down by climbing up and down steep hills. During my visit to Toronto I mostly explored the neighborhoods around my hostel.

Poutine in West Bloor Village

Poutine in West Bloor Village

Street art in Toronto

Street art in Toronto

Visit St. Lawrence Market.

Whenever I visit a new city, as much as possible I’ll try to visit a city’s main local market to get a glimpse of everyday life. Main markets have a tendency to be a little touristy, so I’ll also try to see if there’s a local neighborhood farmers market near wherever I’m staying. During my visit to Toronto, I visited the St. Lawrence Market. It’s huge!

While there definitely were a fair bit of tourists, it also seemed like a lot of locals were at the market that day.

Entrance to St. Lawrence Market.

Entrance to St. Lawrence Market.

The market was voted as the number one food market in the world by National Geographic!

The market was voted as the number one food market in the world by National Geographic!

Black Rice at St. Lawrence Market

Black Rice at St. Lawrence Market

Delicious Canadian Bacon sandwich at the market!

Delicious Canadian Bacon sandwich at the market!

Visit Niagara Falls

One of the great things about Toronto is how close it is to get to Niagara Falls from the city! I’ve always wanted to visit Niagara, and the Falls is just a quick 90 minute drive from downtown. Check out this great resource on how to get to Niagara Falls: How to Get to Niagara Falls.

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls

Check out the largest Chinese Mall in North America:  Pacific Mall

The Greater Toronto Area is home to Canada’s largest concentration of Chinese Canadians. Over in Markham, a suburb of Toronto, sits the Pacific Mall, the largest Chinese Indoor Mall in North America. Visiting this mall truly feels like you’re back in the endless maze of shops throughout Hong Kong. You’ll find pretty much everything you can imagine at this mall.

Entrance to Pacific Mall

Entrance to Pacific Mall

Mango Boba at Pacific Mall!!

Mango Boba at Pacific Mall!!

Markham is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Toronto.

Best Views of the City:

Unlike Chicago’s skyline that runs along Lake Michigan, Toronto’s skyline runs perpendicular to Lake Erie. For the best views of Toronto, I’d recommend going out on the water and exploring Toronto’s Islands. The view from Billy Bishop Airport is also pretty amazing!

View of Toronto from Billy Bishop Airport.

View of Toronto from Billy Bishop Airport.

View of Toronto from Casa Loma

View of Toronto from Casa Loma

Where to Stay:

Toronto has a range of accommodations to choose from. For those on a budget, I’d highly recommend staying at Planet Traveler. Located near the University of Toronto, the hostel is a short 10 minute walk to the Queen’s Park subway station, and is near a bunch of different neighborhoods worth exploring, including Little Italy and Chinatown.

Planet Traveler Toronto

Planet Traveler Toronto

Get Around:

If you’re looking to just stay in the city, Toronto has an extensive public transport system that’s pretty easy to use. If however you’re looking to head out to Niagara Falls and explore Toronto’s suburbs, you’ll need to get rent a car.

Toronto's streetcar network is one of the most extensive in North America.

Toronto’s streetcar network is one of the most extensive in North America.

How to Get There:

Toronto is serviced by two airports: Toronto Pearson, located in the nearby suburb of Mississauga, and Toronto Billy Bishop, located in Toronto Harbour and just a few minutes drive from downtown. Billy Bishop is serviced solely by Porter Airlines; all other airlines fly through Pearson. Toronto is just a quick 90 minute flight from most of the US. East Coast. Billy Bishop Airport.

 

If you live in a city that Porter services, I'd highly recommend flying Porter! Great service, and gets you right into the heart of Toronto!

If you live in a city that Porter services, I’d highly recommend flying Porter! Great service, and gets you right into the heart of Toronto!

Things to Do Around DC

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Downtown DC from above.

Downtown DC from above.

This week marks my sixth year anniversary as a resident of the DC area! As much as I love to travel, I truly believe that you can experience that feeling of adventure and discovery right in your own backyard. I put together a list of over 50+ different and off-beat activities that, despite this being my 8th summer in DC, I (mostly) have yet to experience. Moreover, I’m a fan of art, history and being outdoors, so a lot of these activities are geared towards those types of activities.

Whether you’re new to DC, been here for years, or just looking for something new to do. Here’s my list of 100+ mini-adventures around the DC area that you can start doing today!

Northwest DC

  • Adams Morgan
    • Participate in the Sunday Drum Circle at Meridian Hill Park
  • Columbia Heights
    • Monday Night Trivia at Wonderland
  • Farragut Square
    • Visit the White House. Request a tour through your state representative or senator.
    • White House Garden Tour
  • Federal Triangle
    • Visit the FBI Education Center
  • Georgetown
    • Twilight Tour of Potomac or Stand Up Paddleboarding at Key Bridge Boathouse
    • Check out the Soundscape at Dumbarton Oaks Garden
  • Logan Circle
  • Shaw / U Street
    • Thursday Night Trivia at Nellies
  • Woodley Park
    • Go on an Elephant Trails Tour at the National Zoo

Southwest DC

  • Waterfront / Navy Yard

Southeast DC

  • Anacostia
    • Kayak on the Anacostia River at Ballpark Boathouse
    • Visit the Frederick Douglass House and admire the views of the DC skyline
    • Visit Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens
    • Check out the Anacostia Community Museum

Northeast DC

  • H Street
    • See a demonstration of Ethiopian coffee making at sidamo coffee Ethiopian 2pm Sunday

In Maryland

  • Annapolis Area
    • Have a dinner al fresco on Wednesdays during Dinner Under the Stars
    • Go sailing around Annapolis
    • All You Can Eat Crabs at Harris Crab House on Kent Island (M-F)

In Northern Virginia

  • Arlington
    • Friday evening concert at the Air Force memorial
    • Walk around Roosevelt Island
    • Watch planes at Gravelly Point
    • Night time at the pentagon 9/11 memorial
    • Arlington House at Arlington Cemetary
    • Visit the DEA Museum
  • Fairfax County
    • Lunch buffet at Woodlands
    • Rent a canoe at Burke Lake Park
    • Peking Duck at Peking Gourmet Inn
    • Bull Run – Picnic at The Winery

 

2016 EU Embassy Day – Where to Eat and Drink

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Eat your way across Europe during EU Embassy Open House Day!

Feeling overwhelmed with which embassies to visit during this Saturday’s 2016 EU Embassy Open House Day?

Included on this list are countries whose websites have additional information on what they’re planning for this Saturday’s open house. I’ve listed below what you can expect to eat and drink at each embassy. Here’s what I found:

Austria – Bratwurst, Eggenberg Pils and Stiegl Radler will be served (bring cash). Wine tasting seminars available throughout the day for $12. 3 sessions available. RSVP on Eventbrite.

Belgium – Free Belgian chocolates and cookies. Belgian fries and waffles for sale.

Czech Republic – Food and music also available, no specifics mentioned on the website. Sports themed day.

Denmark – No specifics on food or drink, though you can get a free tour of the ambassador’s residence. Tickets are available on a first come first serve basis and are available at the embassy.

Finland – Free food, no specifics mentioned on the website. Fun fact: this is the greenest embassy in the US.

Germany and France – German Biergarten and French Cafe in the Ambassador Gardens. No specifics on whether food and drink are free. Like the Czech Republic, the Germany and France embassy day will be sports themed, specifically on soccer. Julian Buscher from DC United will also be at the event.

Greece – Food will be served, but no specifics mentioned on the website. Flavors of Greece, music, dance and special exhibition from the National Geographic Museum.

Hungary – Hungarian goulash, sausages, stew and other foods made by the embassy chef available. Froccs, a popular summertime drink, and Hungarian Brandy will also be served. Hungarian Viszla’s will also be at the embassy!

Italy – Neopolitan pizza, ice cream and espresso from Lavazza and desserts from Ferrrero. From what I recall, you had to pay for the pizza last year.

Netherlands – Poffertjes (dutch mini pancakes), stroopwafels and kaas (cheese) will be served, not sure if it’ll be for free.

Poland – Food available, though no specifics mentioned. Interestingly, the embassy this year will have a video game theme showcasing Poland’s budding video game industry scene.

Slovakia – Taste Slovak drinks and foods, no specifics mentioned.

Slovenia – Slovenian beer and wine, prekmurska gibanica (layered cake), Slovenian sausages, potica (walnut-roll cake).

Spain – Live paella cooking class and free tasting. Sangria, Spanish wine and beer, and food from participating restaurants.

London March 2016. The UK doesn't make my list of embassies to visit during the 2016 EU Embassy Day.

London March 2016. The UK doesn’t make my list of embassies to visit during the 2016 EU Embassy Day.

Recommendations:
So where will I be attempting to hit up this Saturday? And why?
Belgium – for the Belgian waffles and chocolates
Hungary – for the goulash and stew
Slovenia – for the interesting sounding desserts
Spain – for the Sangria and other Spanish wines
Austria – for the wine tasting seminar

Conclusion
28 embassies, six hours, and endless lines of people! EU Embassy Day is truly a day when DC itself becomes an amusement park. You might not be able to skip the lines with a fast pass like at Disneyland, but with some planning, you’ll know where it’s worth waiting and where it’s worth skipping. Have a great EU Embassy Day!

Additional Resources:
Shortcut to Europe: EU Embassy Open House 2016
EU Embassy Map