Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You!

Happy last Friday of 2016 everyone! 

Wow! I can't believe that it's going to be 2017 already. I know 2016 had a lot of ups and downs but I am hoping that this new year is filled with new opportunities to grow in whatever our goals may be and I hope that we can continue learning about one another and continue educating ourselves on things that are happening locally and around the world. Gotta stay optimistic, right!?

Talking about goals, one of my friends had asked me today, what my New Year's resolution was. It was a hard question to answer because l am always looking for ways to better myself and to be confident in what I do. I think ultimately, one of my goals is to continue being active on my blog. It's difficult because I work a full time job and also take classes on the side, so I'm more of a part time blogger than anything. But I would like to continue sharing with you projects that I am working on and possibly do more collaborations with artists/brands. So we shall see what this new year brings! 

In the mean time, I wanted to share with you all a little bit about myself with these get to know me questions that I found online. Enjoy!

1. Age: 26
2. Degree: BA in Global Studies
3. Job: Educational Navigator (helping families to find resources in the community, establish educational goals, etc. It's kinda like a social worker but not really.)
4. Sign: Leo :)
5. Piercings: 6
6. Tattoos: 3
7. Language(s): Spanish, English, Spanglish and learning some Urdu. 
8. You Might Not Know: I am the oldest of my siblings. My brother is 22 and my sister is 20. 
9. Special Talents: I doodle random characters 
10. Sports: I enjoy running marathons. 
11. Hobbies: Painting, photography, going to the gym, painting my nails, going to concerts/shows, traveling, etc. 
12. What I Miss: My family, the beach, and going dancing.
13. Qualities I Value Most: Honesty, compassion, confidence, having an open mind 
14. Favorite Color: Black, dark purple, mint green
15. Favorite Food: I'm open to trying new things 
16. Favorite Song: I don't really have a favorite song, but I am really diggin' "Greenlight" by Pitbull. 
17. Favorite Bands: The Cure, Arcade Fire, The Smiths, Cafe Tacuba, etc.
18. Favorite Concerts: The Cure, Toro y Moi, The Growlers
19. Favorite Flower: Sunflowers :)
20. Favorite Show(s): American Horror Story, Game Thrones, and Jane the Virgin to name a few.
21. Favorite Book: Always Running by Luis J. Rodriguez
22. Favorite Quote: "Tu eres una luchona"- My mom 
23. The reason I started blogging: I started my personal blog, On The Streets with Fati about 2.5 years ago. I had just moved to Omaha from Los Angeles and I needed something to keep me occupied. I know that throughout the transition of moving from home to living the "adult life" and trying to find a job, I got really depressed and home sick. I had the idea of starting a blog before, but I just never did it. My boyfriend, Daniel encouraged me to JUST DO IT. It was easier said than done. It was a scary feeling because I didn't know if people were going to like it/ read it or if I was even good enough to start one. After a few hours of contemplating and getting those negative thoughts out of my head, I just went for it. I started blogging because I wanted to share with readers about my travels, personal style, about my culture, and connect with other like minded people!
24. Fears: This is a bit of a weird phobia but I am scared of waterfalls and giant water fountains. I don't really remember why or how it happened that I got scared of waterfalls but all I know is that whenever I hear one or see one I get really anxious. Don't get me wrong I think they're beautiful but nope, can't do it. Ha-ha
25. Last thing that made me cry: Reading a Christmas card my tia sent me 
26. Last time I said I loved someone: This morning 
27. Meaning behind my blog name: I have always been influenced by city life and by living in LA I had the opportunity to get to know about different events that were going on. I called it On The Streets because whenever I would walk around I felt like there was so much more to see than when you're driving. You don't really get to capture the culture or overall environment. I think it represented me because I'm always going out and looking for events to go to. And 'Fati', well that's short for my name, Fatima. A lot of people can't pronounce my name so I gotta give them some options, but a lot of my close friends called me 'Fati'. 
28. Currently Reading: Good to Great by Jim Collins & Mindworks by Gary van Warmerdam
29. Places I want to visit: India, Egypt, Mexico, pretty much anywhere! 
30. Last place I traveled to: Kansas City & Chicago 
31. Any Instruments I play: I'm a pro at playing the air guitar and air drums! haha I used to play the violin and flute when I was in elementary and middle school.

P.S. I want to THANK YOU for your continuous support and for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate you all very much! If there is anything you would like me to write more about or any suggestions/words of wisdom to help me improve my blog and your reader experience, feel free to comment below!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!

Until next time,

Fati <3

My Experience with AncestryDNA

I've been interested in learning more about my culture and my family history lately that I ordered an AncestryDNA test kit from Ancestry.com. One of the reasons why I wanted to try it out was because I wanted to learn more about my ethnic background. I probably haven't shared this with you all where my family is from but my mom is from El Salvador and my dad is from Burma. I thought it would be cool experience to see where else my family members originated from and get to know their story. 

Before buying the kit, I had to do some research since there are a variety of DNA test kits out there that you can buy. I thought this article gave a pretty good breakdown of the differences, http://read.bi/2g7YTOC.

Below are some of the items that the DNA test kit came with: 

When I opened my package I found a brochure that showed me step by step instructions on how to activate my kit and where to send my sample. I thought it was really easy and self-explanatory.

Once I activated my DNA kit on the AncestryDNA website and entered my 15 number code, I was ready! One of the things I noticed about these DNA testing kits is that some require you to use a cotton swab to collect a DNA sample from your cheek but this one came with a tube where it collects your saliva sample. I'm not gonna lie, it felt weird spitting in this contraption but after a while it wasn't so bad.

Once my saliva sample was collected, I then placed the tube inside the collection bag and into the prepaid mailing box and off it went! Now the waiting game begins.... I will share with you all what my results are in 6-8 weeks, so stay tuned!

Have you ever tried an AncestryDNA test before? What was your experience like? Share with me on the comment box below!

Until next time,
Fati <3

Memories in Chi-Town!

So, I was cleaning out my computer and I found a bunch of old pictures that I took from when I was in high school. As I scrolled down, I started reminiscing about all of the awesome people that I have met along the way and all the places that I have visited especially throughout my college years and throughout my move to Omaha from Los Angeles. As I looked through each photo, a memory popped into my mind. All I could do was just smile or laugh because it felt so real and because some of the pictures were pretty funny. 

I don't know how long I have been taking pictures but I do know that it's been a while. I remember when I was younger my mom would take me after school to our neighborhood Save-On Drugstore, (now called CVS) to buy a disposable camera. Once my film was done, I loved seeing what my final images were going to look like when they got printed. Nowadays, I use a D-SLR camera to capture photos. I love taking snapshots of the different places that I travel to and also doing fun photo-shoots on friends!

Talking about traveling to new places, two weekends ago my boyfriend and I took a weekend trip to Chicago. It was our first time going and I was super excited because I had heard so many great things about it from friends and co-workers. I had researched on Yelp, asked friends for suggestions, and even read some local newspapers/magazines about sights to check out in the Windy City. 

Below are some of the highlights from our trip!

This was a mural that I saw as we drove through one of the neighborhoods when we first arrived to Chicago.

During our trip we stayed at the Hampton Inn Chicago- North Loyola Station Hotel. I really enjoyed staying at this hotel because it was located right outside Loyola University Chicago campus. There were restaurants and other little shops that were walking distance, which made it super convenient. We also figured out that the train station was also walking distance. We purchased a CTA Ventra card which cost about $10-$28 depending if you want a 1 day pass, 3 day pass, or a 7 day pass. We decided to get a 3 day pass since that was about how long we were gonna stay. 

Before we hopped on the train, we stopped by Giordano's Pizzeria to try out their stuffed, deep-dish pizza. My boyfriend and I ordered our own individual 6" pizza. My first thought when I first saw them was that they looked super cute because they were small but after the first bite I was pretty mind blown. The ingredients were super fresh and the taste was just so delicious! It was cheesy and rich in flavor. One individual pizza is definitely enough to fill you up and keep you going. 

One of the first stops that we made on the train was to Wrigley Field. As many of you know, the Chicago Cubs won the MLB World Series this year, so it was pretty cool to actually be there and see banners with the words, "Fly the W" hung from people's windows and vendors outside the stadium selling all sorts of Cubs gear. 

Had to take a selfie with my boo outside of the stadium! Making those memories last!

Our next stop was the famous, Arts Institute of Chicago. One of the things I didn't know about this museum is that it's mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret works of art from across the globe and that their collection comprises of approximately 300,000 works of art. Upon researching this place, I also learned that the Arts Institute of Chicago is ranked 6th in the "Best art museums in America", Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City ranked as number 1 on the list. 

As we walked around the museum we passed through an exhibition that focused on Japanese print making and had sculptures of traditional, Japanese deities. From one room to the next there were giant displays of art work that focused on different cultures from around the world. I enjoyed learning more about the African culture as well as Native American culture. As we continued walking around the first floor, we passed by an area that exhibited different interpretations of Buddha that came from the Himalayas and South East Asia. 

Although we didn't get to finish checking out the other two floors due to time, we both really enjoyed visiting the Arts Institute. This will definitely be on our "to-do" list the next time we go back.

Our last stop was Millennium Park. I had heard so much about Millennium Park previously from friends that it felt so surreal actually being there and taking pictures with the giant bean. At first I didn't know where it was but when I found it I screamed with excitement. ha-ha 

I can now see why this is a "must do" whenever you visit Chicago. I mean it's pretty breathtaking even at night. 

Cheesing it up in front of Cloud Gate (aka the bean)!

Once sun down hit, all the lights from the sky rise buildings started to illuminate the city. It was as if you were watching a light show and then suddenly everything just lit up all at once.

As we walked around town finding our way back to the train station, I couldn't help but stop and look up at the buildings. I had told my boyfriend to look up and see what I saw seeing. We stood side by side hugging as we enjoyed that precious moment. 

Can't wait till we plan our next trip back to Chicago! 

Have you been to Chicago? What was your favorite part of being there? Share with me on the comments below.

Until next time,

Fati <3