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. 

Another Term Ends...

As I write this on a dreary, London day, I'm excited to announce that I've completed another term of grad school. 

Four semesters down, two to go!  

I can't believe how close I am to being done as well as how close the real world is! 

The end of this term was much quieter than my fall or spring terms during my first year at LSE. I had a non-graded essay, or rather a formative essay, due last Monday for my policy paper course. My policy paper is due in May, but I wanted to gain some more feedback about my proposal, etc.   The main assignment that I had due last week to complete the term was a 1500 word case analysis for my 'Organizations, Power, and Leadership' course. 

While I do have to work on an essay over break as well as capstone work, I can officially say that I finished another semester with a bang! 

Last week, I also finished my internship. It was so weird to think how quickly my time went at the Embassy.  I gained so much knowledge and acquired tons of new skills that I will take with me into my next endeavor..aka 'the big girl job.' 

I get to enjoy a few more days in London before I head off to America for a few days! 

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?

Upcoming Adventures

Apart from schoolwork, internships, and the social world surrounding the MPA program, I've got a few other adventures in the works for the next few weeks!

Next weekend, I'm headed to Bucharest, Romania! Translyvania and I will be bonding for a few days as I have Veteran's Day off my internship. My fellow intern, Elaine, and I are headed over to check out the city but also taking a day trip to Dracula's Castle.

The following weekend besides doing homework, I'm attending "Fantasia: Live in Concert" at the Royal Albert Hall. Surprisingly, I still have never been inside the Hall despite having lived in South Kensington and having numerous bus routes currently that drive past the building. 

For Thanksgiving, a few interns and I are looking to take the hop west to Iceland! We should be booking out trip to Reyjeviack this week!

In early December, I snagged a cheap ticket to see Andrew Lloyd Weber's new musical, "Stephen Ward." For those of you who don't know, I'm a huge fan of ALW especially "Phantom of the Opera." 

Survived the UK Storm!

Thanks for everyone that reached out to make sure that I was okay post the UK storm that hit England and Wales yesterday (and eventually the continent).  I know many are still without power, and some lives were lost during the storm, so please keep them in your thoughts.

As for my storm story, I got home around 7pm on Sunday when it started to rain and the winds were picking up. My window in my studio is actually a door (e.g. emergencies). I had shut that firmly and locked the handle. When the storm hit London around 5am, I woke up due to the wind and rain, but also an open window due to the magnitude of the wind. Living right along the Union Canal was not so serene yesterday morning as the current had become similar to river rapids.  

I left for work around 7:30am as I usually do. Thankfully, there were hardly any delays on the busses and only waited a few more minutes than usual for the next train on the Central line. 

The majority of the damage I saw were a few broken lights, one broken traffic light, and some trees down. 

Post the Storm hitting my area of London.

Broken Traffic Light

Did you survive the UK Storm? 

Weekly Recap

Phew! Another week is already gone?

Lately, I feel as if all my posts on this blog are relating to how quickly my second year of grad school is going by! It's the truth, though. I feel like I just got back from the Retreat, and now it's another Saturday. 

I celebrated Macaron Monday!

This week was jam packed with meetings relating to my capstone project including meeting with the liasion! We are putting together our final terms of reference for the six-month project, so we can officially begin conducting research, etc.

Capstone Group post client meeting

The rest of my week was spent either doing homework or at my internship. Nothing too exciting. My fellow interns and I grabbed drinks last night to celebrate the week being done. 

Check out a few other photos from my Instagram feed from this week, below: 

Fall Morning in Notting Hill

Selfridges is getting in the Christmas Spirit!

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! 

Pip Pip Cheerio!

The past few days have been a blur as I got back into the swing of things. Well, and seeing big red busses all over the place too. 

I landed early Monday morning at Heathrow. I hardly slept on the plane, but I got through immigration quickly. And, they had a film loop playing about Wills and Kate...much appreciated Heathrow Terminal 5.  By the time I got to the taxi rank, I was slowly moving. Traffic was horrible, and I fell asleep for a quick cat nap. About an hour later, I finally got to my flat. Normally, it takes less than a 30 minutes drive up to my neighborhood from Heathrow. #insanity

I quickly did some housekeeping manners before moving my luggage back into my studio. A quick change of my sheets and a shower, and it was time for a nap. I did sleep the majority of the day, only to wake up and run a few errands and eat. Jet lag is a killer!

Yesterday, I started my new internship for the semester! I'm interning at the US Embassy! It was a great first day, and I'm looking forward to an interesting semester! 

Besides running errands, buying groceries, and just getting settled back in, I haven't done too much...yet. Tomorrow, the second year of grad school officially starts. We have a few information sessions followed by the presentation of the capstone projects that we will soon pick. Long day ahead, but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things! And, on Friday, the annual MPA boat party is taking place where I can finally meet some of the incoming students! 

Stay tuned!

House of Fraser: AW13 Look Book Sneak Peek!

Last week, I got to take a sneak peek at the House of Fraser Autumn/Winter 2013 Look Book! 

I sat down with some Starbucks as I poured over the amazing looks and clothing pieces that I would love to own! Simply put, my closet, or rather my wallet, is just not large enough to hold the items that I put on my wish list!

It was hard to choose my favorite looks out of the look book, but alas, I managed to narrow it down to my four top picks!

Jacket: Mary Portas; Cardigan: Dickins & Jones; Trousers: Marella; Clutch: Love Moschino 

These pants are to die for! They remind me of the J.Crew Collection cafe capri pants for their Fall 2013 collection! 

Shirt: Dickins & Jones  Pants: Paige 

I love the simplicity of this look! You can simply not go wrong with traditional pieces. Ideal outfit choice for running to a class at university or wandering the stalls of Borough Market on a Saturday!

Dress: Linea; Clutch: Mary Portas

Shaking up the work wardrobe, but still in a conservative manner! I think this would be an ideal piece for my fall internship wardrobe and seasons beyond!

Dress: Untold 

This dress is perfect for a Christmas party or to wear when ushering in the New Year! I have at least one Christmas party on my calendar for December, and I think this beauty would be the perfect standout piece!

Check out these designers' home pages at the House of Fraser for more great looks!

What ones are your favorites?

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? 

How Did I Get Here?- One Year Later

About a year ago, I wrote a blog entry titled: How Did I Get Here?

It received a lot of attention from family, friends, and even strangers. The entry focused on how I ended up pursuing a Master's Degree from the London School of Economics rather than heading off to law school.  

That entry focused on how to pursue your dreams rather than follow what you believe your path should be. Yes, I think law school could still be something that I pursue. Yet, after a year of grad school at LSE, I'm glad I chose the plan I did.  I don't necessary think I would have been entirely unhappy if I had continued down the law school path immediately after Syracuse, but with the interests I have in terms of career plans, my decision to not go was the wisest for me.

Following my interests and what I want to do in life rather than a set plan was the best decision I ever made. I knew the decision I made was right. Over the past year, I've grown academically, professionally, and personally. Academically, I've gained more skills, more knowledge, and learned that I enjoy running regressions. In terms of professionalism, I've learned how to handle sticky work situations and how to work in a foreign country. And personally, I've grown. I've become more of an adult? Scary, I know. I've handled losing friendships, personal situations, and seen more of the world to appreciate what I have.

I've got a little more than a month left before I head back to Londontown for year two of my programme. Crazy to think of how fast time flies, right?

Time Flies

The other day, I read over my blog post entries from last August. 

Crazy to think that is has almost been a year since I started grad school, huh?

The entries from last summer clearly focused on my preparations about London and grad school. Those pages still get tons of page views weekly, so I do hope they are helping others! If you can't tell, this summer, I don't have the same preparations as I did before.  

My visa is still active until after I graduate next June, my phone plan is still ongoing with direct payments from my UK bank account, and my housing is all set.  It's nice to have everything set up ahead of time while I was gone this summer. Although, I still have qualms about packing to go back in a few weeks. 

Not worrying about finding a new landlord or putting my belongings in storage was the best thing that I could have done. I'm staying in my same flat with the same company. After all, you can't beat Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove! 

As for the preparations that I have made this summer, the majority of them focus on what is next. Of course,  I made a list of courses I'm interested in taking. I filed the paperwork to change streams from public and economic policy to public management. And, I even have my internships set for the fall! 

What remains on my to-do list before I depart at the end of September is preparing different versions of my resume and other career documents to prepare for the upcoming job applications. Luckily, though, I can do that in the comfort of my home with my dog at my feet. 

I've got about a month left before I hop the pond again. Stay tuned!

Check out my latest article!

Brief Discussion of the Latest Civic Engagement Reports

Summer at Home

It's been a little more than a month since I've been home. Crazy, huh?

On Tuesday, I got my grades which confirmed that I will officially be a second year in October. I have news to announce in the near future about my fall internship, and I've already started to revise my various resumes as this will be the year I apply to "big-girl" jobs. 

Yet, it is good to stop and smell the roses.

When I arrived home back in June, my brother and his family were visiting from California. 

My niece and me 

My brother and me 

This past week, I got to meet up with a friend from high school. It's crazy that it has been five years since I graduated high school!

Megan and me

I also got to go up to Syracuse and meet up with my friend Jess. We were Remembrance Scholars together, so we grabbed a quick lunch! She just graduated from SU with her Master's, and she is headed off into the world to do amazing things.

Hall of Languages

Stay tuned for more updates! 

Back to School: Summer Edition

School started again today. That was weird.

It is almost May, and I'm still not used to the United Kingdom higher education system. There are so many days that I wish I was already taking finals and ready for summer to start next week. Yet, here I am sitting in an EAT near campus figuring out my to-do list for the week.

Summer term consists of numerous review classes, group project presentations, end-of-term papers, and of course, exams.  It is consistent with how the end of the semesters were at Syracuse, but having an entire term devoted to it is different.  I have a paper due this Thursday on the mass media's agenda-setting role in presidential elections and how social media could disaggregate that stronghold. Next week, I have a group presentation on the decriminalization of drugs and the profits of pharmaceutical companies.  And, for fun, the week after I have a management paper due.

Exams take place in June, as I mentioned. I have three in a row with a week before the last one. I'll be done by the second week of June which leaves time for a hopeful weekend getaway before my current internship wraps up as well.

For now, though, the rain is starting to fall, and I'm in desperate need of a cup of coffee. Adios friends! 

Lent Term Begins!

Ahhhhh...the smell of a new semester! 

Or, term as they call it over here.

Lent Term officially begins today. While my schedule and courses stay the same for the semester, I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine. My day consists of my usual four hours of econometrics for Monday, but I'm actually really looking forward to dealing with STATA and problem sets today!  

One change that I will see with my courses this semester is that my economics class will begin to focus on macroeconomics until final exams. As for everything else, I will be interning with the internship that I landed at the start of the Michalmas Term. It was delayed starting, but I'm looking forward to having a few other things in my life besides math and game theory!

If you will excuse me now, I need to get coffee and get to work!

2012: Year in Review

Trafalger Square from the Top of a Double Decker Bus

As I sit here writing the 2012: Year in Review post, I get to enjoy the comfort of a warm blanket, some hot chocolate, and watch the snow fall outside. Clearly, I'm enjoying my winter break at home! 

It's hard to believe that this year is almost over. It seems as if I was just starting my last semester at Syracuse just yesterday. Yet, today, I've got one term of grad school already done. Time flies when you are having fun and working hard. I made a lot of memories this year; some were not so great, but the majority of them, I will carry with me forever. (Thank goodness for tons of photos.)

I left my mark at Chucks

So, here we go..a short year in review complete with those photos that I mentioned.

Danielle and Me

Governor Howard Dean

January: 

• Attend the Politics and Media Seminar at the Washington Center in DC for research on my honors thesis 
• Met Governor Howard Dean and others inspirations at the Seminar
• Got to meet two of my now good friends, Lexi and AJ, at the seminar
• Was Reunited with my Summer 2011 Roommate, Danielle
• Returned to Syracuse for my last semester
• Got Accepted into the London School of Economics on the first day of the last semester at Syracuse

February:

• Participated in my last formal Pi Beta Phi recruitment as a collegian member
• Reunion of Lawrinson 12 

Katie, Kari, and me meeting Brandon Triche (SU Basketball Player) 

Celebrating my 22nd Birthday 

Elite 8 Game in Boston

March: 

• Turned 22 Years Old
• Spent Spring Break at Syracuse with some of my best friends as we finished our capstone projects
• Traveled to Boston with my Best Friend, Katie, for the Syracuse Elite 8 Game
• Met the Entire Basketball Team (one final go!)

One Final Mayfest 

Group Photo with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 

Remembrance Scholars 

April:

• Participated in the 2012 Dulye Leadership Experience. This time, I was on the side of the student project manager and an alumna of the program
• Met Senator Chuck Schumer
• Met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
• Participated on the Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee
• Finished my Honors Capstone Project/Political Science Distinction Thesis
• Had One Final MAYFEST

My Nephew and Me 

Oriana and Me at the Remembrance Scholar Brunch

Honors Convocation with my Parents

May:

• Defended my thesis for the political science distinction program
• Presented my thesis at Honors Capstone Day
• Participated in final senior activities such as Remembrance Scholar Brunch, Senior Sunday, and Senior Celebration
• Graduated from Syracuse University complete with three ceremonies and Aaron Sorkin being my Commencement Speaker
• Got to see my Brother and Nephew for Graduation 

June:

• Started my summer internship with the U.S. Department of Education 
• Finished my internship with the U.S. Department of State
• Was Home for the First Summer in Ages

Reunion

July:

• Took a road trip to Pennsylvania 
• Got Reunited with my friends, Ashlie and Erin
• Granted my student visa for England 

Orange Reunion

August:

• Took a road trip to Connecticut to see my best friend, Katie
• Travled to NYC for the day for random meet-ups, a musical, and a ton of macaroons!
• Attended a Syracuse New Student Send Off with Erin 
• Wrote a freelance article for the International Political Forum
• Landed another remote internship with the U.S. Department of State

LSE Orientation 

Buckingham Palace

September:

• Visited Syracuse for one final goodbye
• Moved to London, England and settled into Notting Hill
• Started my pre-semester course at the London School of Economics
• Met my seven close friends in my program
• Realized how close the MPA program was at the Boat Party, and realized how lucky I was to have such a fun program
• Heard Kofi Annan Speak

MPA Retreat 

MPA Retreat

October:

• Started official grad school courses
• Landed an internship in London
• Attended the MPA Retreat and Halloween Party 
• Voted Absentee Ballot 

White Cliffs of Dover

Prince William

November:

• Realized my love for STATA and regressions
• Traveled to Dover 
• Saw the Royal Family 
• Celebrated the Engagement of Two Close Friends 
• Celebrated Obama's Victory
• Took a road trip in England with Emma and Zaina
• Traveled to Chatsworth House
• Selected to be the Contributing Editor for the Journal of Public and International Affairs 

Jenny and Me at the Holiday Party 

Mumford and Sons 

December: 

• Attended the MPA Holiday Party
• Completed my first term of graduate school
• Will Attend my First SU Basketball game as an alumna
• Saw Mumford and Sons 
• Attended my first Pi Phi Alumnae Event