Kensington Palace

If you read my post yesterday, the last few weeks have been a bit stressful. 

I've been trying to balance the load of homework and job applications on my plate with activities in London. It's part of my whole goal to see as much of London before I leave at the end of June. 

Last Friday, the weather was gorgeous. I wandered through Kensington Gardens after having a working breakfast and a quick haircut. 

Kensington Palace

Stopping by Kensington Palace, I saw they had a few new exhibitions open. I hadn't been inside Kensington Palace since I was abroad in 2010. Then, it was still under renovations. So, I was quick to buy a ticket and check it out! 

There was a photography exhibit which featured the famous photo of Wills, Kate, and Prince George. 

There was also an exhibit about Queen Victoria and other royals during that age of British history.

My favorite exhibit was the one that featured the Queen's dresses from the 1950s- 1970s. 

Dress of the Queen's 

Dress of the Queen's 

Lizzy's Fashion

The exhibit also had a small section dedicated to Princess Diana and her fashion. 

Princess Diana's Gowns

It was a perfect Friday afternoon! Although, I did not run into any members of the royal family...

For those students reading my blog, make sure to show your student ID to get the discounted entry fee. There are two different cafes at Kensington Palace. There is one directly inside the Palace post the gift-shop. Yet, I recommend going outside to the Orangery. I've been there several times, and I've never been disappointed!

Have you visited Kensington Palace? Did you happen to see the sighting of the royal family? 

First Week Back via Instagram

Besides starting my internship and getting ready to begin the second year of my grad school program, I've been up to some tourist activities, catching up with friends, and being a Londoner once again! 

A huge positive about being back in the UK? I get to watch Downton Abbey Season 4 now...rather than in December! 

Back to eating delicious pub food!

There was an overload of Prince George souvenirs at Harrods.

I had brunch with a few of the girls from the Local Levo London group on Saturday. We had a few brunch cocktails, delicious food, and just caught up about careers and our summers. 

And yesterday, I stopped in to see if Wills and Kate needed someone to babysit Prince George. Sadly, they didn't respond to the doorbell. Prince Harry, I would gladly babysit your nephew with you! 

A Birthday Celebration, a Walking Tour, and a lot of Homework!

Well, it is hard to believe that in two short weeks, I'll be on a plane back home to the US for a three week break before returning for the next term. Michaelmas term has flown by. I feel like I just got here the other day, began the pre-semester math course, and now, I'm working on two group projects and final STATA problem sets before they are due in week ten. Nevertheless, it's clear that I made the correct decision by choosing to attend LSE. And, thank goodness, weekly adventures have been able to balance the hectic crazy work schedule that I find myself in.

This past week was my friend, Kaitlyn's 23rd birthday. We planned a mini-celebration post economics Tuesday morning with mimosas, balloons, and some Krispy Kreme donuts. 

Friday evening, we all went out to dinner for her birthday followed by a few drinks to celebrate.  We went to the Blue Lagoon Restaurant on High Street Kensington followed by drinks down in Shoreditch. Here are some photos from the evening!

Birthday Girl, Emma, and me

Arielle and me

On Saturday, Jenny and I met up to use this Groupon tour that we had bought several weeks ago. We spent 10 pounds in total for what we expected to be a guided tour about the royals  of England. Yet, what we got yesterday was little emphasis on the royals. Rather, our tour focused on Coco Chanel, the pelicans in St. James's Park, and Downing Street. It was interesting and fun, but not really what we paid for. 

Hanging out at New Scotland Yard 

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben

View of the Eye from the Downing Street Entrance

Today, I'm in the library trying to finish a lot of work, so that is the reason why this post concentrates more on photos than an actual weekend re-cap. Stay tuned this week for some interesting wrap-up posts to the semester!