Chicago Hiking

2020 was a tough year, with stay-at-home and social distancing orders since the Covid-19 outbreak that started in March. On the positive end, it was a good opportunity to explore the outdoors while still maintain social distancing. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

People normally don’t think of hiking in Chicago with the location being in the flat Mid-West. The pandemic gave me a chance to know Chicago a little more. Surprisingly, there’s plenty of parks/forests for easy walks around Chicago, mostly within 30 minutes to 1 hour of driving from the Loop. The Cook County and DuPage County each has a very organized website providing information about the forest preserves in the area. Serious hikers may find it disappointing as most of the trails are flat. However, some of the longer trails may be sufficient who want to exercise and breath some fresh air after long days of staying at home. So far my favorite has been the long loop trails, such as the Busse Forest Trails and the Deer Grove Trails. The Busse Forest Trails are paved, making it an ideal spot for rollerblading, skateboarding, or biking.

Additionally, how can I not mention the Chicago Lakeshore when it comes to hiking. The lakeshore is so accessible for people who live in the Loop/Lincoln park. The skyline is not as impressive but also not as overwhelming as that in New York. The lakeshore is wonderful for those who enjoy a relatively slow lifestyle. Though, due to the easy access of the trail, it is loaded with people during the pandemic which isn’t the greatest. The section to the south of the Loop is quieter which is better for these days. I wish the world will be back to semi-normal by end of 2021!

England Coast Paths

This blog idea has been sitting in my draft box for a while. Today I found out that England is finishing up the Longest Coastal Path in the world next year, so I have decided to wrap up the post. I really hope that it will be safe to travel anywhere by the time the path is finished! I can’t wait to do some hiking along the coastal paths. I also hope there will be expanded luggage transfer services :)

This post is a collection of a few coastal paths that I enjoyed back in 2015. I really enjoyed these paths, not too intense compared to hiking in hills.

1 - South West Coast Path: Charmouth-Puncknowle-Abbotsbury-Weymouth

I did this hiking trip solo and without planning, only wanted to escape from the city and indulge in the nature. I thought it was just straight roads along the seashore, until I got lost walking among farms on my first day. I stumbled upon a cafe that had wifi and also a pamphlet for trails and bus routes that covered the South West Coast Path, life saver! I discovered the Abbotsbury Swannery and Bennetts Water Gardens along the way, both spots were memorable surprises during this unplanned trips.

The South West Coast Path website has very useful information so plan ahead!

2 - Viking Coastal Trail: Ramsgate-Broadstairs-Margate

Ramsgate, Broadstairs, and Margate are seaside towns along the Viking Coastal Path. All three towns are easily accessible from London by train. Walking from Ramsgate - Margate makes a great day trip.

More information on Viking Coastal Trail.

3 - Seven Sisters Cliffs Walk: Seaford-Eastbourne

This is an easy 22km walk with a view of the famous chalk cliffs. You can arrive at the Seaford station and then depart from Eastbourne station, which is convenient for people who don’t have a car. Walking on the greens on top of the chalk cliffs feels like it is a scarf dancing in the wind.

England is full of natural wonders. Besides the coastal paths, Cotswolds and Lake District are great options for biking and hiking. I really wish the world is back to normal soon so we can continue to explore the nature!

COVID Food Discoveries

How to avoid COVID 15? Eat healthy!

How to lose weight during COVID stay at home? Eat healthier!

Of course, exercise regularly as well.

On healthy diet, it has been difficult for me to cook everyday without losing appetite of my own food. However, with all the hassle of gearing up and disinfecting, I have given up on ordering take-outs. Alternatively, I have taken some adventures in discovering food I have not tried before. Here is a little summary of my most recommended finds after countless “failed purchses”. These are all great for bulk buys and easy to prepare, and mostly from Trader Joe’s.

A rather unhealthy but definitely my top pick from Trader Joe’s is the Sliced French Brioche Bread. Buttery and moist, and it’s the closest to Asian style egg bread loaf. Great for breakfast. No picture here due to no recent purchase, for two reasons: 1) not that healthy, and 2) more importantly, these expire soon, and with the 3-day disinfection period on groceries I have bought less and less bread and switched over to making my own bread, despite not as tasty.

Sewing is a Form of Meditation

Just like cooking, sewing is also a form of meditation. Limitless things can be made from sewing!

Sew Fun

I recently started sewing after I watched countless videos for face mask sewing and decided to buy myself a sewing machine. Once I got started I couldn’t stop! Sewing is very calming and the easy straight lines is very soothing for an OCD person. Also, my love for geometry / design drawing hasn’t faded over the many years of Excel usage :)

In the last week I have tried a few face mask designs. The right most one is my final one that I would use after adjusting the original design for size and fit under the chin. I personally think the best design should have the following features:

1. A removable nose strip: I need to emphasize on removable, as countless designs entirely enclose the strip. I am not sure whether the metal can hold its shape after frequent washes or if the metal might rust. Therefore I think having the option to remove strip for wash / to replace the content is a nice thing to have.

2. Curvature around the nose: Simple rectangle masks with pleats cause fogs to build on glasses when you breath. A curved design around the nose like N95 masks is a really well thought design.

3. Long fabric ties: Medical masks with elastic ear loops don’t work well for me as it always slides down on my face easily, probably due to my relatively flat face. Longer elastics on N95 masks definitely work better for customizing the angle for tightening. For cloth face masks, I recommend designs with fabric ties so you just tie to your own preferred angle. I figured out that leaving only two open ends would work the best so you can leave mask hang on your neck and then try to adjust the fit by timing the two open ends on the back of your head. Four open ends (like the second one on the left) also work but just one more knot to tie as opposed to having it closed already. A long fabric tie is recommended so you can tie it at a larger angle on your head, the mask doesn’t slide down as easily that way.

4. Pocket for filter inserts: It would be ideal so we can insert Pm2.5 filters to enhance the functionality of these cloth masks. Many comments suggest using coffee filter / paper towel as the insert, but I am unsure about the practicality. For now I plan to use my cloth face masks over medical masks to mainly hold the medical masks in place to avoid the sliding and fog build-up on my glasses. While a slot of insert is not necessary, it is nice to 1) have extra cloth layers for filtering anyway and 2) have these masks ready for removal inserts when safe materials become more widely available for household usage.

5. Wrap under the chin: many designs sit rather lose around the chin. The first one with pleats can be forced to curve under the chin but then the two sides may not fully close ( perhaps I need to adjust the sizing). I made the second one curved according to a fourth of a circle perimeter initially, but it was opening too much around the chin so I had to sew pleats toward inside for a better fit . The last two designs were based on a 3D design, the modification I made on the last one is to add pleats at the bottom to enclose better under the chin.

My next experiment is axe shaped masks!

Besides masks, I also made a passport holder and a flower bag. Sewing is a very practical skill to have so you can create things you need in the materials you like :)