2 Years Ago...

It's hard to believe that two years ago, I moved to England to start my graduate school adventures.  

Time flew by over these past two years. As my regular readers know, I had quite a lot of adventures and moments to last a lifetime. Some were school and career related with others being captured and lived at parties, coffee dates, or in other countries. 

It's been almost three months since I moved back to the USA officially, and I still feel as if part of me is missing. London was home for so long. The MPA program and the friends I made in the program were the substance of my life for two years.  It's been a cultural adjustment these past few months as I get used to life in Las Vegas, the working world, and driving everywhere.  But, life is about change. And, I'm embracing my new life to the fullest.

Today, though, I'll be reminiscing more than normal by rereading some of favorite blog entries from the past two years. 

After all, this blog served as a way to capture those moments I had. 

2 Years Later...

Today officially marks my second anniversary of being a Syracuse University alumna!

I'm not entirely sure where the last two years have gone, but I know I've been enjoying the ride. 

As I spend part of my day looking through old albums, I leave you with the commencement address that Aaron Sorkin gave to my graduation class.

One Year Ago...

I can hardly believe that one year ago, today, my Dad landed in London, and we began our two and a half week Eurotrip! 

Crazy how time flies!

Over those two weeks, we traveled to London, Dublin, Berlin, and Paris. At each destination we took in a few day trips as well to see other cities and the countryside.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip!

24th Birthday!!

Today, I turn 24. 

Yes...for those who aren't frequent readers or know me, my birthday is St. Patrick's Day!

Extra celebrations for all!

I'm excited that a new year is here. Being 23 has been tough...I'm not going to lie. The past year has been one of the most challenging from grad school to job applications to personal matters. But, I got through it and had a great time this past year! 

I can't wait to see what this year holds! 

24...here's to you!

Article Review: "Lessons From Living in London"

I'm a huge fan of the New York Times Travel section. They recently just published their list about the places you should visit in 2014. Their, "52 Places to Go in 2014," is just plain awesome listing famous cities as well as locations that are often the beaten track. 

Back in October, there was an article written by Sarah Lyall entitled "Lessons From Living in London." Believe me when I say that I bookmarked that article as soon as I finished reading it. It captures everything I've felt, thought, and loved about living in London.  There are days that I pull it up just to remind myself on why London is an amazing city.

With my final six months of London already counting down, I'm trying to take in more and more of the city in. Truth be told, there is a lot I've never done despite living here. That does include a lot of the art museums, riding an Old Routemaster bus, eating Black Pudding, etc. I've got a running list of things to do before June comes to a close.

For now, though, I'll leave you with my favorite quotes from the article. 

Read it yourself, then bookmark it. 

"Residents tend to feel more connected to their neighborhoods than to London as a whole, and because it can be an undertaking to travel to another part of town for a social occasion, geography starts to feel like destiny."

"In London, people keep themselves to themselves, as the expression goes, and this can feel either liberating or lonely."

"Things you learn as a resident: the Tube, the world’s oldest subway system, is full of jolly announcements exhorting you to “mind the gap”…"

"Learn that there are as many meanings for the word “sorry” as there are hours in the day."

"And wherever you go, always take an umbrella."

Ah, 2014.

Photo Source

2014 came in with a bang. Thankfully, no Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball" style. 

2014 is a fairly big year. This is the year that I leave formal education. It's crazy to think that I've been going to school since I was three. Yes, that's pre-school, Kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, college, and grad school plus a few programs, here and there.  I'm excited to think about what life will be like outside in the "real world." Sure, I've done internships and held part-time jobs, but a real life job is on the agenda this year. 

By June, my goal is to obtain my first job. I'll finish at LSE by the end of June with graduate in July. Didn't I just graduate? Right…I did. 

I'm still on winter break at the moment. It's one of the last periods of my life where I get to sit at home, watch unlimited amounts of West Wing episodes, and sleep-in.  Sure, I've got spring break surfacing in April, but we know I want to travel then.  

Winter break doesn't just consist of watching Josh Lyman prance around the fictional White House. I've been beginning the job search process by updating my resume to begin to tailor to specific jobs and searching job boards. Over the next few weeks and months, I intend to officially begin applying for jobs!!

Oh, and winter break has consisted of capstone work and essay writing as well.

While I still have around eight days to go before I fly back to London, I'm excited to begin my preparations for one of the biggest changes in my life. 

Resolutions for 2014?

Last year, I posted a short piece about my opinion on resolutions. 

The idea of that post was to discuss not only my opinion on making and keeping resolutions, but also more of my focus on working on my 101 in 1001 list. The past year, through various recaps, I've been updating and cross more things off the list. 

I'd like 2014 not to be any different in terms of resolutions. I have a ton of goals and a mile-long to-do list for the new year, but no set resolutions. 

Here's to crossing more things off my list! 

#popfizzclink

101 in 1001 Update

It's been a bit since I last checked in with an update on my 101 in 1001 list! Of course, it's always posted on the blog with updates as frequently as I can make them. Yet, it's nice to sometimes just recap quickly! 

As I enter 2014, I have less and less time to complete my to-do list before May 2015.  This past year a was amazing in terms of travel, reunions, and life experiences. Thankfully, all of those experiences helped cross a few things off. Take a peek!

Visit 15 New Cities (Amsterdam, Prague, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Berlin, Arras, Verona, Venice, Caen, Bucharest, Brasov, Portsmouth, Munich, Luxembourg City)

Visit 5 New Countries  (Netherlands, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Luxembourg City)

See 5 New Musicals (Singing in the Rain, The Bodyguard, Stephen Ward) 

Cross off 5 Things on the 1001 Things to See Before You Die (Combination of My Personal Travels & My Trip with my Dad this past year!)

Do you have a 101 in 1001 list or a bucket list? What's on yours? 

2013 Recap

With another year drawing to a close in the next few days, it's time for my yearly recap of what I've been up to, what I've learned, where I went, etc. It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone so quickly. I literally feel as if I was just sitting in my econometrics lecture post Christmas 2012. 

Albeit, time does fly, and 2013 was a year of growth and struggle. This year pushed me to new heights, changed me personally, academically, and professionally, and allowed me to see more of the world. I gained close friends along the way and said goodbye to those who were not meant to be part of my life. I traveled to numerous new cities and countries in search of a better understanding of the world, the view of the United States, and to get to know myself better.  

In January, after a month home in the States for a break, I started my second term at the London School of Economics. In January, I attended the Democrats Abroad Inaugural Ball with my friend, Zaina.  In the midst of schoolwork and travel plans, I also lent a hand during the SU London Center's orientation where I was reunited with friends from over the years. 

February was a busy month as I traveled to Princeton for the reading weekend of the Journal of Public and International Affairs. Within a few days of getting back from a weekend in the States, I headed to Dublin for a friend's birthday/girls' weekend.  In line with my goals of doing more tourist activities in London, I took a day trip to Oxford, a walking tour of St. Paul's/The City, and saw several musicals. 

March is my favorite month of the year, and this year was no different. At the start of March, I traveled to Amsterdam and Prague. March is also my birthday month. Turning 23 in London was an absolute blast! Following the completion of the Lent Term, the MPA held its annual ball before we headed off for a five-week break.  At the end of March, my Dad and I started our Father-Daughter Eurotrip that we had already dreamed about taking!

March quickly turned into April when my Dad and I were on our Eurotrip. We traveled to Ireland, Germany, and France in the first week or so. I took a solo trip to Scotland before venturing to Italy with my friend, Nicole. The last week of April was spent back in London preparing for one of the hardest periods of my life: exams. 

May was a rough month in my life this year. If you read through past posts, it's because of the way the UK higher education system is set up. Studying for six weeks straight was horrible. I did take a few breaks during this month.

June was exam month. Three exams in three days. One was a 100% of my grade. The other exam took place a week after.  The first two weeks of June combined with May were very long and stressful. Thankfully, I was rewarded with being able to spend the summer at home. The day I traveled home, my brother and his family also arrived home.  Oh, and I also went to the Sound for Change Concert and saw some of my favorite musicians perform including Queen Bey and Jay-Z!

July was a month of celebrations as I got word that I was officially advancing to the second year of the MPA. I was also reunited with one of my best friends from college for a weekend. We toured Seneca Falls, took a trip to CUSE, and laughed for hours. 

August was a slow month in terms of blog activity. But, I was busy celebrating my parents' birthdays, reading, reuniting with friends, and preparing to return to London. 

September was my last month of summer vacation. I started the month off in CT/NYC visiting some of my closest friends  and sightseeing. I was also able to run into one of my closest mentors and friends in the first week. The rest of the month was spent visiting Syracuse to see friends that are still undergrads or grad students, running errands to get ready to go back to London, and enjoying my last few days of freedom. 

October was my first month back in London after my summer in the States. It was also the month I started interning with the US Embassy as well as the month I started my second year at LSE. I was selected to be a part of the G4S Capstone group and elected to write a policy paper for the year instead of a dissertation.  As it could be my final year in London for a period of my life, I also elected to be a tourist as much as possible.  The MPA program kicked off the year with several parties including the annual boat party and retreat!

November  was the month I got wanderlust. I traveled to Romania, Luxembourg, and Germany throughout the month. Luxembourg was my second solo trip of the year.  I also attended the J.Crew London Store Opening, celebrated a few birthdays, explored more of the city, and did attempt to do schoolwork. 

And, the last month of the year…December.  I finished another term at LSE minus some homework over the winter break. I also finished my internship with the US Embassy. As the holiday season was in full bloom, I attended a few holiday parties, a couple of concerts, and took a trip to Bristol to see the city and the Christmas market.  Back stateside for a few weeks, I'm planning on seeing a few friends before the new year surfaced and getting my fair share of snow. 

Thanks for reading my 2013 recap. I'm happy and sad to see another year draw to a close. Yet, I'm also looking forward to a new year!! 

What were your favorite memories of 2013?

Holiday Parties!

It's that time of the year again! 

The holiday season has officially taken over all aspects of my life. From the small decorations I have in my flat to the Christmas lights twinkling around London, you can't escape the feeling!  I had three different holiday parties this week as well as the LSE Christmas Concert!

Tuesday, some of the girls and I grabbed tickets to see the LSE Christmas Concert. There was both a choir and an orchestra!

Earlier in the day, my office had a Christmas Luncheon! Last week was my last week at the US Embassy for the internship, so it was great getting to have one more outing with the friends and mentors that I've gained!

Thursday evening, I had two holiday parties to hop to. But of course, what is a holiday party without an ugly Christmas sweater! This year, I went for the sweater inspired by the movie, 'Home Alone 2.' The slogan? "Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal!"

The first party on Thursday was the Pi Phi UK Alumnae Holiday Party! We tried out a new bar in the Holborn area. It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones!

Maryann and me

Later in the evening, I headed over to Islington for the MPA Christmas Party! It was great to see a lot of people before we head off for a four-week break!

Capstone Partners 

Alyssa, Susannah, and me!

How many holiday parties are on your calendar this year? Any great Ugly Christmas Sweaters?

Weekly Recap.

If you haven't figured out by my lack of regular posts again, school is in full bloom.

I've just about got my schedule down to normal and can resume to post regularly. Compared to last year, this semester, I'm not in class for many hours. The majority of my courses are not offered till the spring term.

Ronald Reagan Statue outside the US Embassy

Fellow Interns at Borough Market

It's been a crazy few weeks.  My internship is going amazing, and I'm so glad that I have a chance to intern with the US Embassy this semester!  I intern around 20 hours a week as I'm restricted to part-time work due to my student visa.  And, the other interns for the semester and I have gotten to know each other well. We even stepped out to Borough Market last weekend.

Last weekend, I also attended a house-warming party for four of my friends in my program. They live down in Bethnal Green, so a quick shot down the Central line! It was a fun night out with the second year MPA class and a few first years!

The Girls

MPA Capstone Team!

Over this past week, my capstone group and I got going on our six-month project. We are working on accessing public accountability in services provided by private companies. Specifically, we are working with G4S. It should be an exciting project!

This week, I also got to have three mini Syracuse reunions. I first met up with my friend, Brittany, for cupcakes and coffee. We first met when we had class together...it was the same class that I got to meet Hillary Clinton in!  I also got to grab lunch with my friend, Maria, while she was in town as well as give a tour of LSE to a current SU student! Tons of Orange love for the week!

Brittany and Me at Kensington Palace

Stay tuned for an update on the MPA Retreat and other musings! 

One Week Later

US Embassy in London

I will  have officially been back in London a week tomorrow morning. It's crazy that even a week flies by this quickly anymore. 

I mentioned in my post earlier this week that on Thursday we'd be having our introductory sessions for the second year. Thursday started off rainy (of course), but I got to collect my loan check for the term. It's the little things of feeling slightly richer and poorer at the same time.  

The second year sessions began with our Dean giving us an oversight on some changes to the program.  Following that, besides being reunited with so many of my friends in my program, we had an introductory class to a half-unit course we are required to take this year. It deals with power, organizations, and leadership. It's taught by the "father" of the MPA program, so I'm looking forward to this one! 

The afternoon and early evening of Thursday was spent listening to the various capstone projects that we could choose from for the year. Essentially, there are numerous government departments (UK), non-profits, world organizations, and non-profits that we can choose from. Each capstone group contains between three and five people doing research, preparing reports, etc.  I submitted my preferences today, and we get to find out our projects/group this week! 

And, we also finally registered for courses. Sadly, in all my years of higher education, I was shut out of a class I wanted to take completely. I wanted to take a media and politics course as an option this year. It's not even offered until the Spring, but despite registering for it, I've been shut out and put on a very long waiting list. But don't worry, I registered for two others that will be my options to take in the Spring! 

We officially start classes this week. As for my schedule, besides interning and capstone group projects, I only have class two days a week! 

More on my weekend adventure including the boat party to come!

Final Summer Reading List

It's about that time of the year where my "fun" reading takes place either right before bed or on the tube. Grad school resumes this week, and while I still have a few books to try to finish before school takes off again...I wanted to share what I finished in the past few weeks. 

Have you read any of these books? What have you finished recently?

Summer is Over?

Summer vacation is technically over today. I know, I know...I don't resume grad school until this week with classes starting the week after. Yet, tomorrow, I leave to head back to London and start my new internship on Tuesday!

Can you believe how the time has flow? I feel as if I was literally just complaining about taking exams and studying for six weeks followed by complaining about waiting for exam results. How could that have been several months ago, already? 

Spending the summer essentially relaxing and being mentally and physically prepared for another year was the best medicine.  Of course, I worked remotely, but being able to sit down and watch television (something, I rarely do) was a great way to just not do the norm.  And, getting to spend time with my parents and the  animals was key to my relaxation as well. 

Until the next time which will be from the other side of the pond, enjoy your weekend!

End of Summer Recap

Summer is drawing to a close, literally and figuratively. The fall solstice is around the corner, and I'm going to be starting school again within the next two weeks.   This post is a bit photo heavy, but it's a great way to share what I've been up to minus my getaway to NYC/CT! 

This summer, I wrapped up my second year in the Virtual Student Foreign Service Program! I'll be continuing my same post for another year!

The twin girl calves

Wally!

Fannie & Libbie!

The three calves!

What exciting things have you done this summer? 

My Oh My! What a Year!

Pop the Champagne! 

Can you believe it? 

It's been a year since I moved to London! 

A year ago, I boarded a plane out of Syracuse bound for JFK before my long-haul flight across the pond. The move last year was a whirlwind. I felt a myriad of emotions last year during the move.  It was a long week of adjusting back to the British lifestyle, and even longer getting used to the UK education system. But, I survived, and I cannot wait to get another year started! 

--

This one isn’t really about London, but the man certainly is: My friends, as I have discovered myself, there are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters. 

- Boris Johnson 

Off for the Weekend!

via honest

I'm away for the weekend on some adventures!

I'm headed to Fairfield, CT today and then NYC tonight. It's a big of a college/sorority reunion weekend with how many friends/sisters I'm seeing. 

On Labor Day, my best friend Katie and I have made a crazy road trip which encompasses locations in CT, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

And, on my way back to CNY on Tuesday, I've got a bit of a scenic route planned.

Stay tuned for tons of instagrams and blog posts next week!

101 in 1001 Update

I first wrote about my 101 in 1001 list last August. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, it's exactly what it sounds like. From the date of when I started the list (August 25th, 2013), I have 1001 days to complete the list. My end date is May 22nd, 2015. 

Over the course of the last year, I've completed some of the list and have worked to complete various portions of some tasks. 

Here are some of the big accomplishments on the list:

Visit 5 New Countries  (Netherlands, Czech Republic, Germany)

Almost done with that one...

Live in a foreign country for one year (Officially completed 12 months (over several years) of living in London)

Visit 5 New Museums
 (Hermitage Museum, Anne Frank House, Reiksmuseum, Cheese Museum in Amsterdam, The Queenstown Story in Cork, Checkpoint Charlie Museum, and many more!)

Take a free online class (Completed my first #MOOC in August 2013)

Check out the rest of my list & consider making your own!

Officially a 2nd Year!

Hello All!

Sorry for about a month of a delay in posting. More on that later...

Today, LSE released our exam results. While there is still speculation on whether these were just the exam grades or the actual final grade, I can say that I have officially advanced to the second year of the programme. 

This past academic year has pushed me harder than I ever could have imagined. I'm so proud of the work I achieved, and I'm looking forward to next year!

Now, if you excuse me...I have a dish of ice cream to eat!

Greetings from America!

It's been about a week and a few days since I've been home! 

Where does the time go?

On the day of my last exam, there was the end-of-the-year MPA party! It was the last hurrah for the second years. Sometimes, it is weird to think that there will be new first years in September/October!

The night before I left London for the summer, I went out to grab drinks with Zaina and Elena. I quickly ran into my friend Lexi before we went off to get Mexican food at Wahaca in Covent Garden. It was a great way to start my summer vacation!

My flights home were not too bad. The layover in Newark thankfully resulted in me spending time in the terminal with the huge Starbucks and a Crumbs bakeshop (yum!). 

This past week, my brother, sister-in-law, and their two children visited upstate NY which was great! It was so lovely to see them, let my childish side of my personality show, and just begin to relax for the summer. 

Stay tuned for posts this summer!