Month: July 2014

Why I Thought All Camels Were From Brooklyn

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I’ve been lucky enough to have had camels be a major mode of transport for some of my adventures thus far and I’ve gotta say, they are some pretty badass animals! In general, camels are super laidback to the point of comatose, unless of course provoked which takes a bit of effort to do! Even then, their attitudes are still calm but with a gangster lean as in they’ll simply just lean over, spit on you and keep it moving…leave the gun, take the cannoli, Godfather style! Not to worry, a spitfire reaction as described above is rare. Camels are generally lovers, not fighters and are particularly known for their loyalty, patience and endurance. Their loyalty runs so deep, they never forget where home is and can easily find their ways back to the exact spots they were raised and if domesticated, to the exact people who reared them similarly to Mohammed bin Shouishan al-Sabaii’s heartwarming story from earlier this year. Camels are all about spreading love to their crew (just like the Brooklyn way) and openly express affection by …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Finale)

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Unlike Rihanna who hung out with the entire German locker room after the World Cup finals, I can’t exactly say I was hot & bothered by the results. In fact, when Mario Goetze made that crucial last minute goal, I flew into a tizzy! It would have been AMAZING to see Argentina win, not only because I’ve never been before, but also to breakup Europe’s dominance over the championship. To cope, my foodie brain immediately lunged into overdrive. My tongue watered and whined about wanting more vacío over schnitzel all the while settling for swallowed pride and muttered congrats to German fans on ending a 24 year drought. Eventually, my thoughts shifted from soccer stats to travel memories. My first adventure in Deutschland took me to the capital city of Berlin. If you’ve never visited, Berlin is a great intro to modern German history due to its balanced diet of old East and West remnants seamlessly blending in with the new. It’s also a cool city to check out: Great art in all forms (beer included!)…Outside of classics like …

10 Personality Types To Avoid When Selecting A Travel Buddy

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Traveling with a friend, lover or family member can either be the most invigorating experience or biggest nightmare on the planet. The key to avoiding the latter category is by remaining mindful of different personality types while plotting your next escape. Enlisting the cast of one of my all-time favorite first world problems movies, “Mean Girls” along with E- Online, here’s a handy list of travel buddies to avoid so you don’t end up kicking your own bucket list! 10) The Age-Inappropriate Partier whose motto will forever be, “Turn down for what?!?!” 9) The Thirst Bucket who falls in love with everyone and everything no matter where you happen to be… 8) The Debbie Downer who should never have left home in the first place and reminds you why every second you attempt to make plans…ummm #BYEFELICIA!! 7) The Paranoid Worry Wart who is convinced everything you do will either kill you or land you in the next installment of “Hostel”, “Taken” or a remote Thai prison… 6) The Itinerary Nazi who needs to calm down …

Jetsetter Rule Of Thumb: Presentation Is Everything!

Published by Khadijat Oseni

In life, you should always be prepared for the best and worst scenarios that may occur and one surefire, proof way of doing this is by wearing the right armor, both literally and figuratively. Whether traveling to a new destination that you’ve never been to before or even departing on a flight back to your hometown, it is important to present yourself in a manner that commands respect. Trust me, this will go miles with flirting your way through an upgrade if needed (umm half-joke?! 🙂 ) or simply just being treated like a human being through the cattle herd mentality that feels like the TSA line at times. Despite whatever happens on your journey from delayed flights to screaming babies, if you’re dressed as your personal version of royalty, you will always find a way to elevate through any crisis. I always consider myself a badass ambassador of Brooklyn when traveling and stroll through lines accordingly. My philosophy…your life is the greatest stage role you will ever get to play, why not make a memorable character that is reverent with style and …

#Art Life: The Bowery Mural

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Like a true Brooklyn girl who still wells up at the sound of Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” when thinking of home, no matter how highbrow an art experience I encounter at classic museums around the world, there is always a special appreciation I have for the street art adorning the walls of New York City’s concrete jungle whether as “high” as commissioned, public art pieces or as “low” as illegal graffiti tags. The landmark Downtown NYC spot for street art aficionados alike is the infamous Bowery Mural located at the corner of  Houston (pronounced HOUSE-Ton for non-New Yawkers 😉 ) & Bowery streets, one of my favorite places to periodically visit when home. The wall was first christened by the iconic Keith Haring and Juan Dubose in 1982 and has since showcased an impressive list of established and up & coming artists splattering their vivid imaginations across coveted NYC territory. The Bowery Mural is Downtown New York’s interactive allegory with bright colors, patterns, tags and graphics telling tales of life and culture once experienced and presently observed by its residents. It is a constant …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Part II)

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Fresh off the heels of an exciting 4th of July holiday weekend coupled with migraines gained from watching some pretty riveting soccer matches (namely the Netherlands vs. Costa Rica heart attack special!), I’m ready to dive back into using the World Cup as a means of narrowing down my next international destination! Unfortunately my desired pick from last week, Colombia, was eliminated by Brazil, which means it’s time to draw a new card for the semi-final rounds… The remaining countries left in the pool for World Cup domination are Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina.  These choices pose a 2:2 dead heat ratio of places I’ve visited in the past and places yet to be discovered. My new desired pick would be Argentina. Buenos Aires has been a city high on my list for quite some time now. Who can honestly go wrong with the solid combination of fine wine, sizzling steaks, sexy tangos, fascinating architecture, a fantastic arts scene and a chance to recreate an even cheesier rendition of Madonna’s “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” at …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Part I)

Published by Khadijat Oseni

One of the toughest decisions for a travel addict like myself is narrowing down my endless wish list of places to roam. In true Liz Lemon fashion, I WANT TO GO TO THERE…EVERYWHERE…ALL THE TIME! This of course isn’t the easiest feat… So finding fun ways to be decisive about where to visit next are always welcome. Rather than tossing a coin to decide my next trip – one of my tried and true methods for resolving cliffhangers – I’ve chosen instead to toss my fate up to the hands of the world’s game…that’s right, FIFA 2014 baby! This year, FIFA Fever has been at an all-time high as unexpected brilliant performances have come to pass (hello Costa Rica!) and rekindled my interest in revisiting my bucket list. As a result, I plan to translate my rousing cheers at my TV screen into camera-shuttered glimpses of astonishment by visiting the country of the winning World Cup soccer team by the end of this year. Anybody else with me?! Currently, the countries still in the running …