Houston, I am the Problem: A 3-day Guide to Space Adventures, Nigerian Jollof & SPF 50 Essentials

A few months after starting a new job and career, it was time to travel again. Unlike when I ran my own business, I had to be accountable to others, so I had to be wiser about how I decided to take my trips.

I knew I couldn’t travel internationally because my passport was with the French consulate. I planned to go to Europe in the spring and decided to do a local trip. The weather wasn’t great in Chicago, so I headed to Houston, where I knew it was going to be super warm, but I was not prepared for just how warm is going to be; I mean, it was so hot and humid that my blow-dried hair curled all the way back up. Luckily for me, I never leave for a trip without at least two bottles of Supergoop sunscreen (especially because I have tattoos), so at least I got sun protection. 

I don’t know why I hadn’t been to Houston before this trip. The first thing I did was order some jollof rice. I know there are a lot of Nigerian restaurants over there, and my longtime friend hooked me up. My top two were Cafe Abuja Nigerian Kitchen and B’s African Kitchen; their spicy gizzard was one for the books!

I stayed at a Sonder, which is the best alternative to Airbnb. Even though they are at a higher price point, they are so worth it. When I walked in, I was like, “damn!! it is so spacious”. That was my general review of Houston. Everything was so big and had me thinking for a split second about moving to Houston because I knew I would never get the amount of space I see in Texas for the same price point in Chicago, so I quickly came to my senses. 

I really loved seeing all the art and murals around Houston, and there were many. There’s even the Graffiti Park for a more concentrated exploration of murals. 

I stayed downtown Houston because I wanted to be near the center of everything happening, but it turns out downtown is not the center of all the poppin' shit. I walked the downtown streets and low-key it like a ghost town. I was like, “damn, where are all the people?” then, on the bus tour, I discovered that there are underground pedestrian tunnels to protect people from Houston’s famous scorching temperatures. I didn’t get a chance to go through the tunnels, though. 

Here is a list of things I did in Houston and I recommend doing them too:

• Do a bus tour. They are super interactive and informative and help you get a vibe of Houston if you’re only there for a few days.

• You'll get wet by visiting the Gerald D. Hines Water Wall, but it's worth it, I swear. 

• You NEED to visit Eden Plant Co. It might be the second-best thing I did in Houston. 

• It doesn’t matter if you are a space nerd; I highly recommend a tour of NASA and the Johnson Space Center. Seeing a real-life rocket will make you rethink your life, like what is my brain doing? Why am I not thinking of building rockets???

• Explore Graffiti park

• Go to the Car Art Museum. 

• Make a day trip to the capital of Texas; Austin. I took a Flixbus; it was about 2 hours and cost $73 round trip.

• Eat crepes and get a fun cocktail at Sweet Paris; there are two in the city. 

• Go to the famous Houston Galleria, I was kind of underwhelmed, BUT I got a bougie candle and a Coach baguette bag. So I won!

This trip was so different because I didn’t go out like I usually would. I had to work quite a bit on the trip, and at the end of the day, I was too tired to do anything, so I ordered Uber Eats. But I will say, if you are a whore for French toast like I am, you must eat brunch at Snooze A.M. Eatery, gastronomically fantastic! Whoa!!!

I got tattooed, as is my travel tradition. I went to this shop owned by a dope artist Nadia Munoz, a pretty damn talented lady. Her specialty is floral work, so she upgraded one of my existing tattoos and killed it. Her tattoo shop is called Corazones Tattoo & Beauty.

I did NOT go to the aquarium because where ever kids are is not where I’m trying to be.

I visited my cousins in Austin and didn’t end up doing much because it was 100 fuckin degrees outside, and we all said fuck that and went back home. While exploring the city with my cousins, I stopped by a flea market and got some bronze jewelry. We had brunch at this popular brunch spot called Dai Due, I had a sourdough pancake, and it was better than I could have ever imagined. My cousin took me to what he proclaimed the best gelato in Austin; Gelato Paradiso (it was great, but I’ve had greater). I left for Houston the next day.

The peak thing I learned on my trip is that Texas has been ruled under six flags, which is why the amusement park is called Six Flags. So far, the countries that have flown their flags over Texas are: the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of France, the Republic of Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America, now there’s a fun fact for ya’ll!

I’ve made it easy for ya’ll by hyperlinking all the important spots. If you want some more juicy deets on my Houston trip, click here. Until I book another flight somewhere… who knows where, follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more travel stories, tips, itineraries and gist. 

xxx
- Summer