The Last Day of the Road Trip

Arizona

On July 14th, I woke up in St. George, Utah, to drive the last two hours to Las Vegas. As I mentioned in another post, I'll have to go back to St. George to visit the sights.  

My drive took me through Utah and into Arizona before arriving in Nevada.

For those who went to Syracuse, there is a certain feeling that you get when you turn the corner on I81 North and see the Dome. It's a feeling that doesn't change, no matter how many times you've done that drive. When I turned the corner out of a canyon and saw the Strip for the first time, it felt like I had arrived home. 

From a small town to Syracuse University to summers in Boston and DC to London for a combined two and a half years, I've finally arrived in my new home. It's been almost three weeks since I strolled into town, and I am so excited to now make Las Vegas my home! 

My Apartment

Last Remaining Days in London: Photo Edition

Apart from my surge of day trips, I spent my last few days in London running around.

On Saturday, while this isn't technically London, I took a day-trip up to Lockerbie. I met up with my friend, Claire, to tour the memorials for the Pan Am 103 Bombing as well as see the town and meet her family.

This past Sunday, the Pi Phi Alumnae Club had a brunch at the Bread Street Kitchen. It has stunning views of St. Paul's which we took in post eating!

Delicious

Pi Phi UK Alumnae Club

Executive Board!

The brunch was my last event that I planned as part of my position on the executive club. It will be so strange to leave these sisters, but I recently joined the Pi Phi Alumnae Club for Las Vegas.

From Sunday to mid-day Tuesday, I spent a lot of time packing, cleaning, and shipping. Thank goodness for DVDs and coffee! 

On Monday evening, a few of my friends and I met up for drinks. I needed one more night at a pub to grab some traditional fare and a pint!

And, on Tuesday, I took a leisurely walk through London. I started at Harrods then walked through Hyde Park up into Green Park to Buckingham Palace. From there, I cut through St. James' Park to Trafalger Square.  I popped into the Crypt Cafe at St. Martins' to grab one more cream tea before taking a bus ride through Piccadilly Circus and up Oxford Street. I got to see some of my favorite sites once more before leaving. 

Buckingham Palace

Routemaster

Goodbye, London

Done with LSE!

I finished grad school this week!!

(Let's out screams of woo!!)

I finished my last exam on Wednesday, shortly before noon. As soon as I put my pen down, it hit me. After going to school for 21 years, I am finally done. It's been quite a long time. 

Pre-school, primary school, secondary school, undergrad, and grad school...

I love to learn, and I will always be a lifetime learner. But, the fact I no longer have to write papers or take an exam is a huge relief. I know in no time, I will most likely miss the assignments. I know I say I'm done with school forever, but since the future is unknown, I may end up back in a classroom someday! 

As for now, I'm enjoying my last few days in London while I begin packing.  

It still hasn't hit me that I'm done. Grades will begin to come with all of them being released in July. 

But, now...onward thinking to Las Vegas! 

Polo in the Park

I've been dying to go to a polo match since I was a little girl. 

The scene in 'Pretty Woman' where Julia Roberts gets to stomp the divots resonates with me very well.

The part of 'Winning London' with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen where they go to a polo match was something that I always wanted to do. Fairly sure I can still quote that part of the movie. 

So, as I enter my final weeks in London, I grabbed discounted tickets to Polo in the Park from the SU alumni club! This past Sunday, three of my friends and I ventured down to Putney for a match! 

The entire park was transformed for the perfect day out. From a Pimms Bus to the shopping venues to the location that I dubbed 'food truck heaven,' we had a fabulous time before the match started. 

While I am still a tad confused on the rules of the game, I attempted to follow the match. I do have to admit that it was one of the quietest sporting events that I have ever been. I wanted to cheer, so I had to keep that in check!

During what I deemed to be intermission, we got to stomp the divots! Truly made me feel like I was in 'Pretty Woman.'

It was a fabulous day out...even with getting a horrible sunburn! I would totally go to another match! 

London Musings

Apart from a very long week of travel, I wanted to share what I've been up to in London.

As part of my goal of seeing more of London before I leave, I've been taking walks in new areas and exploring. I've also just been enjoying some of my favorite things that the City offers.

I took in three performances. 

I finally got to see Les Mis live. 

Miss Saigon returned to the West End for the first time in 15 years. This was an amazing performance and well worth opening prices. 

Handbagged is a parody play on the relationship between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher when Thatcher was Prime Minister. I was on the floor laughing the entire time. 

Last week, I went and had high tea with my friend, Chelsea, at Bond and Brook. 

The MPA had a picnic last week as a study break. Alyssa and I were fully enjoying the sunshine! 

And, my friend and sorority sister, Steph, was in town. She just graduated with her masters from Syracuse. I hadn't seen her since we graduated in 2012, so it was a fun evening!

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.

The "Last" Last Paper

19 years later...technically 21 if you count preschool, I submitted my last academic paper this week.

I'm not sure how many papers I actually wrote over my academic career. There were some that I hated.  There were some that I finished minutes before they were do. There were some that I love. And, of course, there were some that I wish I could go back and keep working on. 

My last two weeks have been paper writing hell. I've spent more times at the 24 hour Starbucks in London than I needed to. The library and I are not on speaking terms anymore. But, I'm done!

My last two academic assignments are two exams in June! For now, I'm switching to job applications and mini assignments, here and there. I've got freedom for a week or so before I start studying!

Reunions

Greetings from the States!

I've been back for a little more than a week at home. Just about three and half more weeks of spring break before I finish up my last term at LSE. I know I say this quite a lot, but crazy how fast time flies!

Since, I've been home, I was able to catch up with some friends that I have not seen in quite some time! 

Last week, I grabbed lunch with one of my best friends, Erin, and our good friend, Ryan. Erin and I met on the first day of freshman year at Syracuse. Living on the same floor that year, we've been friends ever since! Ryan is a mutual friend of both of ours, and he just headed off to China to teach English for the year! 

Friends

Erin and Me 

Ryan and Me 

Taking a break from doing work, I met up with my friend Evan in Syracuse on Sunday. He was up visiting campus as he finishes up his last year of grad school. We were both Remembrance Scholars, and we hadn't seen each other since graduation day in 2012. 

To celebrate our reunion, we took a trip to Dino BBQ before driving through campus and remembering the glory days!

Delicious Dino BBQ

Syracuse University

Evan and Me at Dino 

And, lastly, I grabbed dinner with a friend from high school on Wednesday. It's been a week of so of many catch-ups, but it was so nice to see all my old friends! 

Capstone Project is Officially OVER!

Yesterday, my capstone group finished our report! 

The past six months of research, writing, and copious amounts of stress are officially over! 

And, I will never have another capstone report for school, ever...again. 

While we still have our presentation to give this coming week, we were able to celebrate our victory!

First, Federico, Simon, and I joined some others to celebrate in the park that is technically on campus.

Following that, I went over to a Levo League event (more on that in another post!).

And, then the second years went out for a night of Latin dancing! 

It was a great way to "cap-off" the capstone report!

Life Lately...

Another week, another weekly recap...just a tad delay on this one. 

While I have school news to catch up all of you on, we can save that for another time.

Spring has officially arrived in London! 

Sorry to all my friends on the East Coast that are still battling snow. 

I'm over here, enjoying my flip flops. 

On Saturday, I got to sneak away from a group meeting and walk in St. James's Park. I stopped and smelled the roses (literally) and waved hello to the Queen. 

Buckingham Palace

Spring Flowers

On Sunday, Federico, Simon, and I went and had lunch at Union Jacks- a Jamie Oliver restaurant. As spring has arrived, I, of course, had to have my first Pimms of the season!

Also on Sunday, the SU Alumni Club in London hosted a game viewing for the SU game against FSU! It was a lot of fun!

GO ORANGE!

As a huge project at school has finally come to an end, I'll be back to posting regularly! 

Come Fly with Me!

So long, America!

I'm headed back to the UK today after spending time with a close friend, being an editor at the Journal of Public and International Affairs reading weekend, and spending several days at home.

I'll be posting on the other side of the pond, next time! 

2nd Year as a LSE JPIA Editor

If you missed it, I'm in the United States for a week! 

I flew in last Thursday in advance of the reading weekend for the Journal of Public and International Affairs. 

The reading weekend kicked off on Friday, so Thursday night was a reunion night with one of my best friends. I hadn't seen my friend Kasey since graduation weekend at Syracuse in 2012. 

Short story: Kasey was a sophomore on my floor, my freshman year, and we've been in the same group of friends ever since! She picked me up from the airport, went to dinner, and just caught up as if we had saw each other yesterday. 

Kasey and me 

I spent the rest of Thursday evening and much of Friday at the hotel I had booked doing work for my capstone and applying for jobs. Thank goodness for the Starbucks in the lobby!

Friday evening was the kickoff of the JPIA Reading Weekend.  As you may recall from last year, I traveled to Princeton as the first year representative.  It's a two- year position, so last term, I selected the new first-year student for LSE.  

Friday evening was spent doing introductions, reading the first round of papers, and getting to know others. It was great seeing some of my friends that I met through last year's reading weekend as well. 

Woodrow Wilson of Public and International Affairs 

Saturday was the main day of the weekend. Starting at 8am, it really was a reading and scoring day. Not without a few breaks and getting to know others,  I think I read close to 40 papers throughout the day.  Some were in my areas of expertise, but others were not. That was the aim of the preliminary reading: to ensure that people who are not specialists in an area can understand the policy paper/article. 

Princeton's Campus 

By the end of the evening, we had selected the final nine papers for this year's publication. A close friend of mine from the MPA program was selected for publication this year!  Congrats, Naomi!

The evening ended with a Princeton MPA party. And, as it was last year, my fellow LSE MPA students, we can still claim the prize for better parties! 

Princeton's Campus 

Sunday was the wrap-up day. I left a little earlier to catch the train to Newark as I'm now home for a few days. It was a great weekend getting to contribute to editing a prestigious journal, getting to know other future policy makers (including a few current SU grad students), and taking it all in. The past two years in my role as a contributing editor were two years that I wouldn't pass up! 

Now Boarding!

I'm headed to the homeland today!

It's the annual reading weekend for the Journal of Public & International Affairs. I went last year as a contributing editor, and as it's a two-year position, I'm headed back!

Today, I leave for Newark and am spending the night, there.  One of my best friends from college is coming to meet me for dinner. We haven't seen each other since before I graduated, so it will be a great evening to catch up!

Friday- Sunday, the reading weekend takes place on Princeton's campus.

And, on Sunday, I get to sneak home for a few days of snow and relaxation before returning to London!

Fuller's Brewery

As I mentioned in my weekly recap post for last week, I got to chaperone some of the SU abroad students for a trip to Fuller's Brewery!  

On Friday morning, I met two other guides and the students at the SU Abroad center before boarding a bus to Fuller's Brewery. 

Fuller's Brewery is located out in Chiswick with the closest tube station being Turnham Green. For those still needing clarification on where it is, it is so far west that you can access the highway to Heathrow. 

Now, I've done the Guinness Factory three times and have toured Jameson twice, so I expected a similar tour. I was wrong!  

We were broken into groups of around 15 with a guide that took us threw the actual brewery showing us step-by-step of the process that occurs each day. 

On the banks of the Thames 

To start, we walked down to the Thames. Fuller's Brewery sits right on the edge of the riverbank.  Don't worry, though, the Thames water isn't used to make the beer! 

Throughout the tour, we learned of the various players that took stock in the company through the last couple hundred of years. 

Inside the brewery, we saw a lot of the original equipment that was and is still being used!  The brewing process is incredibly complicated yet interesting at the same time. However, I think I'll stick to government for the time being as the science behind the brewing was a tad complicated for me. 

Got Beer? 

Original Equipment 

Post the tour that lasted a little over an hour, we were treated to a few drinks! After all, it was a Friday, and it was 5 o'clock somewhere…

SU Student Guides 

If you've completed a lot of the main London attractions, or if you are up for a good pint, I highly suggest checking into Fuller's Brewery! It's entirely different than other tours, and it offers a fun adventure for a few hours!