The Traveling Scholar

I really cannot believe this day has come so quickly! I am officially done with my Masters! After making a few last-minute changes to my dissertation last night, I got up bright and early, compiled my final product and headed to the reprographics department at LSE to get my dissertation printed and bound! By 1030A, I was at the secretary’s office, signing off on plagiarism forms and handing in the finished piece.

I had expected to be excited and relieved. Thrilled, even. Instead, it was a very bittersweet moment; even a bit emotional. I found myself lingering on campus people-watching and slowly sifting through my dissertation before handing it over to the powers that be. After a year’s worth of work, presentations and essay-writing, everything is officially at an end. No more research to undertake, no more papers to write and no more academic journals to read. The thought actually makes me quite sad… the idea of LSE not being part of my daily London routine is so foreign. It’s particularly weird right now, in this moment. I don’t have a job yet and I no longer have school work to be undertaking. I literally have nothing that I have to do… kind of a scary prospect, actually. I might enjoy the freedom for a couple of weeks, but after that I’ll undoubtedly be incredibly antsy.

On the bright side, with August coming to a close and my dissertation off of my hands, I can now officially move my focus back to September! Mac is leaving San Francisco tomorrow morning and will be in London on the morning of the 2nd! I get to move my stuff to our hotel tomorrow & get ready for his arrival. How does time pass so quickly?! Pure insanity — I’ve almost been in London for a year!

Here’s to hoping there’s (at least) another year of British love in my future! Crossing my fingers that I can get a position at LSE!!

xoxo,

You may remember me talking about the beauty treatments I snagged on the cheap a few days back… student salons have been saving my life now that I ‘m on a super budget. I had decided a few weeks ago that I would have to deal with my hair in the state that it was in; roots grown out and pretending that it’s intentional (part of the new ombre fad). Unfortunately it doesn’t really work for me — it just looks like I’m too poor to get my hair touched up, not like I’m trying to be cool and edgy (and it works for Shakira so well… uggh). In any case, I had searched high and low for a hair academy that could do my highlights. The only one that had anything advertised on their website was the South Thames College with highlights advertised for under £20. As luck would have it, though, they’re closed now for summer… boo. With Mac coming on Wednesday, I was desperate to find someone before September 1st.

I ran across the website for the London Hair Academy on Tottenham Court Road and noticed that they offered various courses for students. There was no mention of a student salon so I emailed them to find out if they ever offered services to the general public. They directed me to their facebook page where they periodically solicit models for cuts, colors, highlights… even extensions! I joined their group and was beyond overjoyed to get a facebook message from them the next morning. It couldn’t have been more perfect: they needed a model for Friday: £10 for highlights and a blowdry! Cha-ching! Score to the nth degree! Maybe spending £70 on highlights makes me want to die, but spending £10 on highlights makes me feel like a champion. Who gets highlights at that price in London?!! Admittedly, I was a bit nervous about heading into a student salon but my fears were duly assuaged yesterday when I headed in.

The salon is beyond adorable. I was expecting a typical institutional student salon, cold and little blah. This place was the antithesis of budget. Small but well put together: gorgeous mirrors, chandeliers and baroque wallpaper that I wanted to steal for my own flat-to-be. I was even more surprised when I found out that I was the only one there! I was expecting it to be a room full of faceless models with a bunch of young students getting people in and out. It was the complete opposite. A teacher, a trainee (who was a professional stylist undertaking further courses) and me. To top it off the highlights and lowlights were perfect! Spot on. I honestly felt like I was cheating them by trading them a mere £10 for the services. The instructor, who is originally from South Africa (I think her name is Maryke?), is young and vibrant and made the experience awesome. I thought I would be a bit anxious during the process, but I felt totally comfortable. Everything was double-checked for consistency and while it was a learning process for the student, it felt 100% professional.

Amazing, amazing, amazing. This is now my go-to place for highlights. Of course the fact that it’s a mere £10 helps, but the location and the people are awesome. If you’re interested in opportunities to act as a model for them, sign up for their facebook group. If your experience is anything like mine, you will not be disappointed!

PS. I’m a master at saving ££!

xoxo from London,

The London Hair Academy is located at 114-115 Tottenham Court Road. The nearest Tube is Warren Street station. You can call them directly at: (+44) 078 5060 0217.

So, as you guys may (probably?) know, Mac is coming to London next Wednesday to hang out in the UK for 10 days! I’m definitely excited to see him after a year! Being that I’m more familiar with London than he is, and due to the fact that he’s super busy at work with the prospect of being gone for ten whole days, he left most everything up to me. I was given the responsibility of getting us a room in London and in Edinburgh and was given his credit card number to do it. I don’t know about you guys, but I get extremely uncomfortable when I’m spending someone else’s money. On top of that, I love finding a deal and I think Mac would more than appreciate that since it’s coming out of his pocket.

When it came to finding a hotel in London, I knew two things: 1) I wanted to be Central and 2) I didn’t want to spend a lot. I think being Central is super important. With London being pretty compact, you can walk most places or take the bus or tube. If you’re way out in Zone 4, you’re not getting the real London experience and it’ll take you forever to get into the city center. Definitely a waste of time in my opinion. Plus you’re spending extra cash on transportation. As for the money issue, Mac assured me that I should find something comfortable, but I tend to think that people aren’t really aware of how much ‘comfortable’ costs in Central London. A decent double near Covent Garden is probably gonna run £160 on the lower end (think Best Western-style). That’s not cheap.  I would way rather spend extra money on seeing a play or grabbing a fun dinner (perhaps I’ve been jaded after living in a shoebox for a year).

After checking out standard hotel sites (think: Expedia, hotels.com, B&B.com, etc.), it dawned on me: Student accommodations often offer double rooms for a reasonable price and they’re almost always centrally located! The University of London has rooms on the cheap (I’m staying in one now, actually!) and the prices are unbeatable considering the central location. LSE also has a slew of their own LSE-branded housing complexes available hotel-style before residents move in! I had a number of friends staying in Grosvenor House and Northumberland House during this year and I was impressed with the rooms — comfortable, decent-sized (by London standards) and incredibly well-located. After checking out their website, I decided to make a reservation with Northumberland House for a double room. With my LSE discount, we ended up paying — get this — £60 a night! That’s for a double room that sits two minutes (max) away from Trafalgar Square. Can you beat that?! Plus, the building is rather gorgeous (if memory serves, it’s the old Department of Defense).

For anyone looking for discount rooms in Central London, university accommodation is the key. You’ll save some serious cash and nab some decent rooms in the heart of the city! They’re not luxurious, but how much time are you really spending in your hotel room? A few places I can definitely recommend:

1. Northumberland House: We’re staying here & I’m kind of obsessed with the location! Down the street from Trafalgar Square, nearly everything is within walking distance. Plus the tube is close & loads of buses run through here!

2. Grosvenor House Studios: I think I speak for all of my fellow LSEers when I say that we were thoroughly jealous of everyone that nabbed Grosvenor House accommodation. They’re a bit more expensive, but they’re a lot more homey. Pretty spacious studio apartments with kitchenettes and an amazing location in Covent Garden!

3. High Holborn: This was my little hole for the year and it’s definitely okay if you’re a single person (or two young travelers) trying to find a budget accommodation. I think they do breakfast in the summer, too, which is a double-score! Well-located although not the most aesthetically appealing :)

4. International Hall: Two minutes from the Russell Square tube station and totally central for £35 a night (£25 if you’re a University of London student!) There are doubles available, too: £65 en-suite with a little kitchenette!

University of London has a number of other well-located inexpensive accommodations but I haven’t checked them out so I can’t personally recommend them.

A few other tips:

1. There are a few more LSE-run housing units that you can nab for even less! They’re not as well located as the ones I mentioned, but they’re all within Zone 1 and well connected.

2. King’s College also has accommodations in the summer for £22.50 a night (£30 en-suite).

3. The Guildhall School of Music and Drama has some rooms available, too; they’re apartments with 3 – 6 bedrooms and they run from £27 – 32.

4. UCL also has a number of residences for singles or groups — prices vary but the flats are all fairly central.

Hope that helps a bit! Now you can save cash and spend it on much more worthwhile things… like shopping on Oxford Street :)

xoxo,

Despite the fact that I have been desperately watching my money lately, dissertation and job-hunting stress made me think that a facial + massage were in order (for the sake of my bank account I should probably stop feeling so entitled). I perused the websites of innumerable Central London salons only to find that facials run between £45 – 60 (on the low end) and massages are about the same. I cannot justify that. Back home, there are a few local student salons that offer treatments for incredible prices and I thought that maybe — just maybe — there were student salons here, too! Fortunately, there are actually a few and the prices are incredible!

Today, I hit up The Ray Cochrane Beauty School on Baker Street after booking just a couple of days ago. I grabbed a Dermalogica facial for £20 and two body treatments for £20. Add in some waxing and the grand total was £44! They do manicures, pedicures, hot stone massages… even electrolysis! The value for the money is great. The girls working there are definitely trying to learn and there’s a teacher/head master that checks in to make sure each treatment is a learning experience for them. If you’re looking for a super relaxing, posh experience, this is definitely not the place — there’s not a lot of privacy, the lights are a bit harsh and the students occasionally have to ask questions, etc. The outcome is quite the same, though: glowing, health(ier) skin but for a fraction of the price. If you need the basics taken care of (facial, manicure, pedicure, etc.) and you want to save some serious cash, definitely worth finding a student salon! Most of the students are really there to learn, too, so they want to do a good job!

There are actually a number of other student salons in London that look pretty awesome (in terms of pricing). Here are some to check out if you’re on a budget, too.

1. Ray Cochrane
118 Baker Street, W1U 6TT
Closest Tube: Baker Street
+44 020 7486 6291

2. London College of Beauty Therapy
47 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JP
Closest Tube: Oxford Circus
+44 020 7208 1302

3. London School of Beauty and Make-up
London Esthetique Student Salon
Ground Floor, 48 Margaret Street, W1W 8SE
Closest Tube: Oxford Circus
+44 020 7636 1893

4. South Thames College Hair & Beauty Salon
Wandsworth High Street, SW18 2PP
Closest Tube: East Putney (Zone 3)
+44 020 8918 7777

** This place does hair, too!
You can get highlights for under £20!

You can download the beauty salon price sheet or the hair salon price sheet here.

I can’t lie — I’ve heard horror stories about student-run salons, but my experiences (in California and here) have been more than fine! You realize when you’re paying £20 for highlights or a facial that there’s a trade-off, but if you’re okay with less posh and more savings, they’re worth a try! If the thought of spending £20 still makes you want to die, check out some handy DIY facials!

Are there any other student salons in London that I should know about?

xoxo,

Oh, gosh, I’ve been MIA lately and have been neglecting this poor blog. I haven’t forgotten about it, I’ve just been so engrossed with dissertation & job-related activities that I haven’t actually had anything interesting to talk about. Lest my parents think I’ve gone into hibernation/died from dissertation overload, quick update: I’m applying to jobs maniacally (read: I applied to three jobs this morning before 10A; one in San Diego, one in DC and one in San Francisco). Though I had been totally London-focused before, I have expanded my horizons a touch since I can’t bear the thought of being unemployed. I picked a few top cities based on job opportunities and location (in terms of things to do, compatibility with my personality and weather):

1. London: No surprise here! I love London and I want to enjoy living in the UK for as long as I can! I wish I could say that I’m considering other cities in Britain, but I’m not. If I can’t find a job in London, I’ll probably just head back to the US or gain some experience in a developing country.

2. Washington, D.C.: I think every single International Development organization has their HQ in DC. I had been opposed to it for the longest time, but it’s a young city with a cool, unique energy. Plus, job opportunities galore.

3. San Diego, CA: Oh, San Diego. In reality, SD wouldn’t be the best move for me career-wise. There aren’t many Int’l Development organizations nor are there many HIV/AIDS-related job openings. That aside, I could see myself living in San Diego which moves it up quite a bit! Plus, UCSD has a good PhD program & the fam will be there.

4. New York: I’ve never had the East Coast experience and I think NY would be the ultimate (maybe I’ve watched one too many episodes of Gossip Girl). Lots of NGOs plus the UN offices make for a nice international development community. Plus, I’m planning on applying to Columbia so it’d be nice to get a feel for the area.

5. San Francisco, CA: Living an hour and a half away from SF my whole life + having most of my family in the Bay Area, SF has always been kind of a home away from home. The fact that it’s one of the greatest cities ever doesn’t hurt either. Bonus: lots of HIV/AIDS-focused institutions plus an amazing academic environment.

6. LA/Santa Monica, CA: I’ll admit, LA hadn’t been on my list before this year. Since one of my BFFs is from Santa Monica (and has professed her undying love for the city), it’s piqued my interest. Awesome weather, cool vibe + nearby UCLA with another awesome PhD program. Potential!

7. Boston, MA: Again, a little piece of me wants to go to the East Coast and I’ve always had an inexplicable obsession with Boston. With Massachusetts in general, actually. I think this obsession has been compounded since I’ve developed a love of Harvard’s Public Health Program & Ally McBeal.

So, in case you run across jobs in any of these cities and think of me, I’m still looking! At first I just wanted a job; money to pay bills and pay back my loans. Now, though, I’ve decided that I want a relevant job. I need experience in the field I’m interested in and I don’t want to get stuck in a position just for the money. Anything focused on international development will work, but anything focused on HIV/AIDS research will work even better :)

xoxo from London,

This chart from The Morning News is absolutely hilarious! After a long day of dissertation writing and editing, this definitely helped put a smile on my face. Click on the image to enlarge. Enjoy!

xoxo,

As you all know, the 18th was one of my BFF’s 25th birthday and, in true veggie style, we hit up the glorious Mildred’s for her dinner celebration! You’ve heard me talk about Mildred’s before (here and here); it’s a tried-and-true favorite! Always delish and this time was no exception. We kept it low key (per Linds’ request), grabbed a table for four and two bottles of wine and hung out for a few hours. After, we headed to Dirty Martini in Covent Garden to continue the party (and to meet up with another birthday girl)! Definitely a fun night — there is certainly something to be said about having a small gathering. Low key & amazing.

Love these kiddos.

This is why I love London <3

xoxo,

I remember my grandpa singing this song when I was younger. I didn’t really understand the song as a little girl, but now it makes much more sense. There are more modern versions of it, but the Doris Day version is the one that reminds me most of him. I had completely forgotten about it until a few days ago whilst watching a particularly relevant episode of Ally McBeal. I realize that Ally McBeal is a show from the 90s but I just started watching it a few months back. It’s probably much better that way seeing as how a lot of the plot lines would have escaped me at 10 years old. At 24 they’re much more relevant. In any case, I found this song particularly fitting. Plus it reminds me of my grandpa — double-score.

Fast Tube by Casper

xoxo from my shoebox,

This is absolutely hilarious! At least I think so.
‘If Historical Events had Facebook Statuses’

For fear that I’m going get slapped with some lawsuit over ’stealing’ this, you can find the original version of this on CoolMaterial.com.

Thank you to Wylo!

My grandma has been hanging out in San Diego this month and, being the loving granddaughter that I am, I’ve been making a concerted effort to call her daily to keep her in the loop about life and hear about her adventures. I was telling her today about my deepest fear: the fear of failure. To me, not getting a job here and having to move back to Northern California would be the epitome of failure. I have been so 100% set on finding a job in London that I had put other options out of my mind entirely.

Yesterday, though, I applied for a job in DC. It’s the first non-London-based job that I’ve actually been quite thrilled about. I was trying to explain to my grandma that this job-hunting business has caused me quite a bit of confusion. I want to stay in London. I love it here. Aside from the weather, there’s really nothing I don’t love. The job in DC got me thinking though. This particular job I applied for was completely 100% up my alley; I couldn’t have written a better ‘Perfect Job’ description. Not that I would get this job, necessarily, but the prospect of wanting a particular job in the US more than any specific job in London made me wonder about what’s actually important. Is it the location or is it the job? As much as I want to stay here, it would be wrong of me to pass on a better job opportunity. If the job is going to challenge me and grant me an entry-point for a potentially amazing career, picking location over job would be a very poor decision. (I can only hope/wish/dream/pray that a good job happens to be had in London!)

At this point in our conversation, my uber religious grandma told me that she was going to pray for me (and subsequently asked that I find the nearest Catholic church so I could pray for myself as well). I told her that I would pray; that I would pray to find a good job in London. She paused for a minute and then followed up my comment. “I’m going to pray that God will guide you in the path that’s best for you.”

Interesting thought. I don’t consider myself a religious person by any means, but the thought was a good one. I had been thinking about everything in a mindset that was far too narrow. I assume, rather ignorantly, that I always know what’s best for my life and how the future will play out. Surely there are points in life where you have to go where the world takes you. Perhaps getting a job here isn’t what’s best for me. Maybe there’s a job in DC or New York that’s more up my alley that would provide me with better opportunities in the future. Ultimately, I suppose it comes down to one reality: I have no idea what the future holds. I don’t how staying in London or going to DC, NY or somewhere else entirely will change my life. The places we choose to go are going to shape our careers, our friendships and may even dictate where we’ll spend a good portion of our lives. It’s scary, but in the end you have to make a choice, right? You can’t look at the other road; your alternative life. It’s about growing up, taking responsibility for your decisions, making a choice and sticking with it. There’s no point in looking back — there’s a lot of future to still look forward to. So, in honor of my grandma, before I go to sleep tonight I think I might actually pray (or whatever… think out loud in the direction of the ceiling). Instead of praying for a job in London though, I’m going to pray for the right job…. wherever that may be.

Love from London,

PS. Want to read a great article about ‘emerging adulthood’ (i.e. twentysomethings as late bloomers)? Check out this amazing NY Times article by Robin Henig!