Saint Lucia
WOW, what a great year! Travel wise I certainly got-it-in. I started 2022 with a snowstorm in New York with a handsome young man, followed by fun in the sun for my friends 40th birthday in Puerto Rico. My travel blog adventures led me to Mason Ohio to see Serena Williams play at the Western & Southern Open. A couple weeks after that it was time to celebrate Leo season in style on the beautiful island of Saint Lucia. Shortly following that trip I got to put my camera skills to use for a fun blogger assignment at the beautiful Andaz luxury resort in Scottsdale Arizona. Full circle I ended my travels in New York and attended the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. My travel goal next year is simple…Greece adventure! You ready? 🙂
My life would not be the same without my blog. That fact is still not lost on me. I am very appreciative of all the unique experiences and events I get invited to. Not only do I get to promote the city I love, but it also helps with my pockets too. 🙂 Financially, I’m preparing myself to buy a condo in the next two years and to continue living life to the fullest. As cliche as it sounds…. “Life is Short.” We have to enjoy the big and small moments NOW. Take time to breathe. Enjoy your surroundings and take in ALL life has to offer.
This whole year has felt like a never ending fun experience. Each recap I do a little bit differently. This time I think it’s easiest to wrap up my year with a top 11 event(s) look back (in no particular order). Thanks for coming along on the Chi-at-a-glance ride with me!
Tavi J. Top 11 Blog Moments of 2022
I was asked by a friend recently what’s on my bucket list? She was like you already do so much, so what would top the list? That was actually a really hard question for me. I feel so blessed already. What really gets me going are the unique experiences. Things I wouldn’t have thought of to do on my own. That’s what you’ll see me covering a lot on the list below. I don’t need to always attend the $1000 events, sometimes it’s the unique $20 events that bring the most joy. See for yourself!
Nelly
This year I’ve been blessed to get to cover some amazing concerts. I was invited as a photographer to cover the rapper, Nelly’s, performance at the Taste of Chicago in the photo pit area. There were only about 11 photographers and we were told we had to leave after 3 songs. All of the other photographers were tapped on the shoulder to leave after the 3 songs, but they left me and my friend alone because we weren’t using professional cameras and they thought we were with Nelly! Lol Nelly even took my phone for a song and recorded on stage for me. Definitely a fun story to tell.
The Pink & White Party
Continuing along the lines of music I covered the inaugural Chicago Pink & White party hosted by Celebrez en Rose. Imagine grabbing your girls and telling them to stunt in their best pink and white attire, head to the lakefront for a picnic, enjoy black-owned wines, and the back drop will be set to live performances by Robin Thicke and your girl Mya. OMG perfect summertime-CHI day and you know I was front row again! Lol
Western & Southern Open
I know absolutely NOTHING about tennis, but I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to see Serena Williams play for the second to last time. We packed our bags and headed to Mason, Ohio. The Western & Southern Open is the second largest tennis event in the U.S. (after the U.S. open). The tournament treated us to an exclusive VIP experience that included tickets to the game, food/drinks, merchandise, a wine tasting, and our lodging/ transportation. Super fun and unique. I would have never thought to go to a tennis tournament before.
Super Suite at the Bulls Game
A sport I’m more familiar with is basketball. As most of you know I do Freelance work for Choose Chicago. Choose Chicago is the official Chicago guide of everything going on in the city. I was thrilled when they invited me to attend the Bulls versus Celtics game in the Super Suite at the United Center. I hadn’t attended a game in a suite in a minute. What made it super special is they invited influencers from all over the world to join…AND… the Bulls won that evening!
Art Edge Gala: with special guest Patty Labelle
I did not know what to expect when I attended Artist, Nick Cave, Art Edge Gala. “The Color is” is a performative fashion experience, featuring an 80-look production by Nick Cave and Jack Cave. The entire evening I felt like I was at a fashion show in New York. The models walk the floor in beautiful colorful apparel and Patti Labelle blessed us with her voice. Patti even kicked her shoes off while performing. Truly a night to remember!
Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival
I head to New York frequently and one of the reasons is to cover the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. It’s four days of eating, drinking, and mingling with celebrity chefs for a good cause. 100% of proceeds goes to God’s Love We Deliver. The nonprofit mission is to nourish vulnerable New Yorkers affected by severe illness. Not going to lie I always leave exhausted. There’s 80+ events to choose from and lots of late night parties. My favorite moment was attending an exclusive preview party of Marcus Samuelsson new restaurant Hav and Mar.
Interviewing Celebrity Chef Carla Hall
My favorite part of blogging is still interviewing. I love asking questions that most people wouldn’t think to ask. This year my interview adventures led me to interviewing Celebrity Chef Carla Hall. She’s part of the Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk Visiting Chef series and I got to sit down with her for a few minutes and grill her on what she loves most about Chicago. I also got to see Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence again and he personally came over and explained our menu choices to us. I ate like a Queen that night!
Photographer/Influencer in Arizona
My goal for 2022 was to do more travel blog work and I got to do just that! I teamed up with strategic marketing company, Shall We Wine, and Pinot grigio Delle Venezie DOC to showcase the wine at the beautiful Andaz Scottsdale luxury resort in Arizona. I had such a good time staging photo shots and capturing a super fun evening amongst the desert. I’m definitely on the lookout for more artistic travel opportunities like this.
Staycations
As much as I LoVe to travel, you know there’s no place like home. I will always rep the city of Chicago hard and one way I do that is through my staycation pieces. This year I started off with a Black History month staycation at the Sophy hotel in Hyde Park. I then ventured a little outside of the city to Evanston, Illinois for a staycation at The Graduate Hotel. The concept is so interesting. The hotel chain is located within 2 miles of universities and definitely gives you college nostalgia with the room decor. The last staycation of the year I did at the Cambria Hotel. The upscale hotel is located in the heart of Chicago’s loop theater district.
The Lion King on Broadway
Speaking of theater, I got to attend my FAVORITE Broadway show The Lion King. The Lion King is celebrating 25 years on Broadway this year and I was so happy to be a part of promoting this world class award winning musical. OMG our seats were spectacular! We were 3rd row and center in the orchestra seating area. There’s one part of the show where the giraffes lean over the stage and they were so close to touching our heads! Lol. I highly suggest you check out this musical. The 2 1/2 hours went by sooooo fast! Great costumes, performance, and singing.
Gala’s
In the seven years I have been blogging my love of Gala’s has not wavered. You know I love dressing up for a good cause. 🙂 This year I put on my gown(s) for the First Look For Charity Gala, the James Beard Awards Gala, the Green Tie Ball gala, and last but definitely not least the inaugural RomaDrama Christmas gala hosted at the Drake Hotel. I was asked to interview the actors from the Hallmark Channel on the red carpet. Such a fun event and I hope they come back next year!
Well there you have it! Trying to wrap up my 2022 in 11 moments was HARD! I’m extremely grateful for all the experiences and I just want to thank YOU again for following along the journey with me! ❤️
Special thanks to my plus ones for helping me capture these wonderful experiences and dealing with my demands to capture the “perfect” shot. Chiataglance is definitely an effort by several creative minds.
BONUS: So this occurred after I wrote my recap article. “Oh you mad huh?…..” 😂 I met Vic Mensa at a private reception for the new SKIN+MASKS exhibit.
Vic Mensa and Tavi J
And…..personal goal for 2023 is going to seem a bit of an oxymoron, but I plan to use social media less and live in the moment more. I’m learning my life, my terms, and I will ALWAYS be a continual work in progress.
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