As the school year begins and the weekend plans get a bit slower and pumpkin-spiced everything takes over, it might become easy to believe summer is over. I refuse that thought. A lot of fun can be had in the last weeks! Now, that’s not to say fall isn’t fun, but you can’t deny the mood boost some Vitamin D and a serotonin release can give you during the summer. That’s the main reason I have prioritized pool and beach days the past few weeks —it’s been non-negotiable and, quite honestly, needed! Also, who am I to let the last hot days of summer go to waste?

Between my recent move to Philadelphia, milestones to be celebrated, business travel, a wedding to plan and well, life, my summer was booked and busy but very fun! After writing my last blog, I realized the second half of our summer deserved a bit more play after all the work we’ve been putting in, and my fiancé and I did just that. Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring the new neighborhood and beginning to dip our toes into getting to know Philadelphia a little more.

I always forget that when you move, not only do you have to do all the packing and lifting and unpacking and organizing, you also have to find all-new spots for everything. While some of that is less than fun (finding a new dentist, dry cleaners, etc.), most of it is a blast. Who doesn’t love an excuse to “have” to try out a new bar, restaurant, park or coffee house? Speaking of the latter, so far we have found two fantastic cafés within walking distance: The Avenue in Mt. Airy and Locals Coffee in Wyndmoor. Highly recommend the egg soufflés at The Avenue and a delicious apple muffin with cold brew from Locals. Of course, coffee is just to get the day started. We’ve also been slowly eating our way around the area, with a new restaurant named Toska topping our list so far. Opened this summer, Toska is one of three projects owned by the Osmanollaj brothers who emigrated from Kosovo. After opening HaveABurger in Havertown and m20 Burgers & Salads in Philadelphia, they wanted to try their hand at wood-fired pizzas complemented by their own line of beer, and folks, it’s fantastic! I had the Korean BBQ pizza and my fiancé had the Hot Honey Fried Chicken sandwich, and we were both raving about them for days afterwards. Beyond the food, the ambiance was comforting and eye-catching. Clever lighting designs and a beautiful wall made entirely of glass bottles were just some of the highlights.

The only thing better than getting to try out new spots and discover new menus and vibes is to do so with friends. Luckily, my cousin and his wife paid us a visit recently, and we were able to take a break from our moving tasks to do some fun tourist things. We only had a few hours to show them what Philly is all about, and so we hopped in the car, drove in through Fairmount and parked at the Art Museum. We opted to show them the Rocky steps and take a few videos before heading to one of the city’s true gems, Reading Terminal Market. My cousin’s wife was floored by some of the stalls: “Is there really that many types of olive oil? Can someone really make a living off that in the U.S.?” And we all were mesmerized by the many competing, delicious smells wafting throughout the alleys between the booths. Each of us was hungry, and we all took different directions, from chicken & waffles to cheesesteaks to Peruvian fried ice cream sundaes . . . and none of us were disappointed. Unfortunately, we had to head back afterwards and weren’t able to see Old City like we hoped.

More family (and more exploring!) was soon to follow, however, as my fiancé and I hosted my little brother and young cousin for a week in August, right after I returned from Dallas and GBTA. Those were adventures enough to warrant their own blog, so stay tuned to learn how I survived hosting two kids.

— Yasser Ogando, advertising & production manager