It's been 4 years since I moved to the US, and now it finally feels like my base-of-operations: my apartment is set the way I want it, most things I need are within arms reach, I work here. But, I still miss my family and old friends. To that end, I make a yearly pilgrimage to Qatar.

The first couple of trips have been mostly a failure from the socializing front, ridden by jet lag (There's a 9 hour time difference between Doha and Chicago), or falling ill due to the dramatic change in weather from cold to warm. Last December, I resolved for a change. Although I'd be working remotely from Doha on Chicago time (Which meant that my evenings were blocked off almost all week for office time), I decided to make an effort to go out and meet friends in Doha.

This intentionality led to multiple outings in different picturesque spots around town: catching up with my friend Mohsin in Msheireb, where we spent hours in an outdoor cafe chatting over about life's happenings, and meeting friends I'd made from Analog Qatar: Haman and Rez, who I had a rendezvous with at Katara. On one such afternoon, I met my dear friend Nivya who'd recently moved back to Doha from Toronto. Most of these outings were focused on the yap-sessions my friends and I would have, and my camera would patiently sit on the side of the table. This one, however, had me taking the camera out.

Qatar does not appreciate people lugging massive cameras about due to privacy concerns for its people. Even casual or incidental photos and videos taken in public places can be subject to scrutiny with fines up to QAR 100,000 (USD 27,472)! Scared for my wallet, my bulkier Canon 70D decided to stay home, and a rather unprofessional looking Sony ZV-1 came out.

In an effort to maximize the different pretty places I would visit during this stay, Nivya and I decided on Mina District/Old Doha Port. This new development sits close to Doha's original skyline and waterfront, Corniche. While many childhood days and weekends were spent on Corniche, there have been many new additions around the area in the last decade.

Ready before 2022's FIFA world cup, this place became a tourist and influencer hotspot quickly: muraled pastel buildings filled with small gift shops, restaurants, and cafes. Qatar's recent focus on tourism shows an effort to diversify its appeal to the world. Just in 2025, Qatar hosted 5.1 million tourists, with a year lined up in family-friendly events and festivals from Formula 1 races to Dhow building.

Officially feeling like a tourist in the city I used to call home, I bought some trinkets from a souvenir shop nearby. Having moved 3 cities throughout my life, this feeling of not relating to one "hometown" never stops being weird.

After reconnecting over coffee about all things art and creativity, Nivya and I decided to take a walk around the area as clouds rolled in. The location did most of the heavy lifting, and I didn't have to work very hard to get photos that I was mostly pleased with. While none of them are something I'd put in my portfolio, they serve well to share here.

Soon, we noticed the soft lighting and this day turned into an impromptu portrait photoshoot.

A flock of seagulls swarmed the port area with locals excitedly feeding them seeds. Yet another strange sight to me, as I've only seen seagulls be met with a displeasure from people back in the US, and rightfully so. Still, the white seagulls against the blue of the water made for an interesting subject.

Now as the clock inched closer to 5 pm, it was time to bid adieu to Nivya, and head back home to get set up for my workday. It was almost 8 am in Chicago!