Mac finally joined me in the UK on September 2nd and we’ve been on the go ever since! While I normally diligently post nightly (lest I forget details of our wondrous travels), we’ve been running around like crazy, enjoying each other’s company and have (sadly) been staying in places where internet is hard to come by. I need to properly update this soon, but here’s a quick update on the fun that’s happening in our neck of the woods:

Despite being tired (from zero sleep in 24+ hours), Mac was ready to rock by noon on Thursday and we hit up lots of hot spots (Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Borough Market and the like) before heading out to a late night dinner with Linds & her friend, A. Some serious deliciousness at Aladin’s on Brick Lane made for the perfect end to our day!

Day 2 was more sightseeing and some napping, but main highlight: WEMBLEY STADIUM for the England-Bulgaria game. Needless to say, the 5-year-old in Mac came out — pure bliss. Soccer/football mecca.

Yesterday (Day 3) we boarded a train to Scotland at 730A and arrived in Edinburgh shortly after noon. In just a few hours we had scoured the New Town and checked into our surprisingly amazing and spacious studio apartment (more on that to come — BRILLIANT location at a ridiculous amazing price!) We checked out most of the Old Town and had a super relaxed dinner before ending our night in a gloriously authentic tavern next to our flat!

Now, we’re posted up in the National Library of Scotland, all too excited to use their free internet (such a rarity!) planning for tomorrow: golfing at St. Andrew’s and dinner in Linlithgow! Mmmm!

Sorry for the lack of updates — I’ll get this all under control as soon as we have real internet!

xoxo from Edinburgh,

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,

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 must admit, the fact that I’m submitting my dissertation in two and a half weeks is simultaneously exciting and disheartening. I obviously can’t wait to be done with it and get it submitted, but I’m also a bit nervous… What do I do with myself when I’m done with school? Even when I worked full time, I took classes every night after work. I have always been a student. It’s part of my identity. While some people continue in school because they want to put off real life, I want to continue because it’s a part of who I am. I can’t imagine ever not learning or teaching. After September, however, it’s going to be different.

After talking with a friend last night, I decided what this year is going to be about for me: finding/working in a position that is still educational, either in an academic environment or as a researcher, plus doing my own research. Just because I’m not in school doesn’t mean  I have to stop. I’m also going to try to find funding for a PhD so the reality of actually getting my doctorate at the London School of Hygiene can actually/maybe come true. I realize that this will sound pretentious/vainglorious (for lack of a better word), but I feel so behind. I haven’t had any work published yet and I feel like now is the time for me to start writing and submitting (I swear a lot of other 24 year olds have been published, but maybe I’m just imagining it?). At the very least, going through the process of submitting articles and getting rejections or revise-and-resubmits will help me better understand the process and understand what I need to improve upon to get things published.

So, by the end of this year, a few goals: (1) work in London in a relevant field, (2) look for PhD funding so I can work with the brilliant minds at the LSHTM, (3) write at least two small pieces to submit to journals.

For anyone else looking to submit pieces to journals, I’ve been using this amazing website to find journals that will potentially be receptive to my articles (the content and style of my writing). There are soooo many journals out there, but I’m going to start by going the route of typical would-be writers: submit to a upper-tier journal first, wait for a response (which will likely be a rejection or revise-and-resubmit), take that as a learning experience and either revise and resubmit or submit it to another academic journal after making changes.

So, while I’m not officially a student anymore after September 1st, I refuse to not be constantly learning. What is life like if you’re just complacent? If you’re just content with the knowledge that you have? I don’t even want to think about it!

xoxo,

PS. Also, fun news: 7,500 words down and feeling good. Obviously going to have to do some editing to get it ready for submission, but on a roll!

Now, as you probably know, London is the greatest city in the world (‘tis a fact), so there’s always something amazing going on. When you’re young and poor though (or just poor for that matter), it’s hard to bring yourself to head out knowing you’re gonna drop 30+ pounds on drinks/transport/food/whatev.

You can sign up on their website to get more info on cool, cheap things to do in the London area:

Click here to read about cheap things to do in London this week (think free yoga and giveaways)!

Also, if you love freebies as much as I do, follow @youngandpoor on Twitter or catch them on the ‘book!

Lots of love to my fellow poor kiddos,

We grabbed brunch at Fleet River Bakery (best brunch in the area) and headed over to Lincoln’s Inn Fields to enjoy the weather and the quiet London morning. After we were fully caffeinated, we headed over to one of my favorite places: the British Museum (read about previous trips to the British Museum here, here and here). Though I don’t go there that often (despite the fact that it’s a five minute walk from my flat), I always find it to be a great place to take visitors. It’s beautiful, it’s massive and it’s free!

After we explored the museum for a bit, we popped over to Covent Garden to explore the market. During the summer the market is amazing, if a bit crowded. Stalls for foodies, jewelry fanatics and fashionistas (though I use that term loosely), there’s something for everyone. Plus, during summer months (and most of the year, actually), there are performers to entertain and musicians to make the strolls all the more pleasant.

After our stroll through the markets and food stalls, we headed home by way Rock & Sole Plaice to grab fish & chips for lunch. The weather was incredible, so outdoor seating was perfect on Endell Street; great for people-watching and fish & chip eating. We split a delicious order (expect it to run you £11 – £15 per large fish & chips order) and headed back to my flat.

Now, we’re relaxing for a bit before we have to head to Heathrow to board a plane to Malta. Our flight leaves around 730P tonight and we arrive in Malta around midnight. Shout out to my amazing family in Malta for actually picking us up at that ungodly hour! I had expected that we’d need to take public transport, but being the amazingly generous crew that they are, they’ve arranged to pick us up and drop us off at our beach-front hotel in St. Paul’s Bay.

Oh the excitement! See you all tomorrow from the beaches in Malta!

Lots of love,

It’s 5:40P right now and it seems like my trip to Heathrow to pick up my cousin was days ago! I woke up this morning bright and early to get in a gym session before having to head to LHR. By 10A, I had gymmed, gotten ready, done some dissertation work, grabbed an entirely-too-large iced coffee and was seated on the tube heading to Heathrow.

Of course, in my packing/prepping for madness delirium, I boarded the tube without actually writing down her flight information. I knew the time of arrival, but didn’t know the flight or terminal. Heh. Smart move. I vaguely remembered something about Air New Zealand in her email, so I got off at the Terminal 1, 2 & 3 tube stop and checked the information board. Air NZ was at terminal 1… I was crossing my fingers that my memory did serve me well. I ran up to the terminal to find out that yes, Air NZ Flight 002 was landing at 11A, coming from Auckland by way of Los Angeles! Phew! Score 1 for Shannon. By 1130A, we were back on the tube, heading back to Central London. By 130P, S. was showered, settled and we were ready to hit the streets of Central London.

We’re only in London until tomorrow, at which point we head to Malta to begin the real madness. Since we only have 30ish hours to explore the city, I wanted to make sure she got in the most London-esque sites (think Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the Globe, etc., etc.) We started off by re-energizing at Itsu in Covent Garden (in retrospect fish & chips would have been a more authentic choice) before heading to Big Ben by way of Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery might be on our list for tomorrow (after the British Museum & Borough Market)!

Parliament Square near Westminster Abbey was home to an interesting display when we arrived:

After some photo-snapping and gazing, we headed across the river to see some of the south bank. We had some great shots of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and passed by the Tate Modern and the Globe.

On the way back, we hit up St. Paul’s and headed down Fleet Street past LSE until we arrived back home. It was so hot and humid outside, my fingers were swollen to (no exaggeration) twice their normal size! I had to take my rings off for fear that my fingers would fall off due to lack of circulation! Now? Well it’s 6PM, S. is passed out on my bed after a 10-hour flight and hours of sightseeing, my fingers are returning to their normal state and I’m figuring out dinner for tonight! Gotta put my View Card to work!

Love from London,

In my opinion, Regent’s Park is one of the prettiest places in London. The park is massive (410 acres) and is home to Queen Mary’s Gardens (+ thirty thousand roses) and the Open Air Theatre. The theatre was one of the places on my ‘to see before leaving London’ list and the weather is now perfect to enjoy plays outdoors. Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors was playing at the theatre last night so I joined my flatmate and her friend from home on a journey to Regent’s Park to catch an 8P showing.

One of my favorite things about London is the long days of summer. The sun is up at 5A or so and doesn’t go down until at least 10P. It makes the days infinitely more productive! Though we were at the park until 11P, it didn’t start getting dark until the play was nearly over. My other favorite thing about London? Student discounts! That’s not just a London thing, it’s a Europe thing. They cater to students much more here than they do in the US. Most places have a student discount or a student night and in some cases it’s pretty significant. I have gotten a pretty deep discount on every musical/play that I’ve seen this year and The Comedy of Errors was no exception! Though tickets normally retail for £20 – £40ish, our  £36 ‘Band A’ tickets were only £15 with our student discounts (only available at the door with student ID in hand). Click here for the seating plan.

The theatre itself was beautiful! The place was kind of magical, actually. The twinkle lights were perfectly placed and the setting in the middle of the gardens made it kind of romantic. If I hadn’t been there with two girl friends, it would have been a great place for a date! I hadn’t read the play before going to see it (my sister would shoot me if she knew) and wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. Shakespeare, in general, I find a little hard to follow at times if the actors don’t deliver their parts well and I was a feeling a bit ashamed that I hadn’t read the Cliff Notes version before heading down to the theatre. Fortunately, it was really well done! I finally caught onto the play after the first 20 or so minutes and really enjoyed it! I’m looking at getting tickets for their production of Into the Woods. After seeing the theatre first-hand, another visit before I leave is a must!

If you’re in London while there are plays showing (I’m pretty sure they only take place in the summer since it’s outdoors!), catching a production here is definitely a cool way to spend an evening! Students, don’t forget your student ID — it saves serious cash (that you can better spend on the jugs of Pimm’s they sell at the bar)!

Lots of love from London,