I’m aiming for a week, and then small steps from there.  I have to delete the application from my phone too because that’s an easy click of one button and BAM I’m back on the facebook drug!  I’ll keep you guys updated on my progress through the blog!

Last night I watched the superbowl with some friends at a bar and it was such a fun night! One of my best friends, Robin, is from the dirty south Mississippi, and New Orleans is very close to her heart so it was great to see them win!  There were a few other people from N.O. and when they won- a lot of tears were shed (probably a combo of booze and excitement) but still, they were just saying that the city LIVES for the Saints ever since Katrina.  This superbowl win is going to be a HUGE morale boost for the city and hopefully will stimulate some progress and more attention to the city which still needs so much work!

I’m off to babysit for the afternoon   Love getting to hold a new baby and also getting paid to do it haha!! xoxoxo

Also, my friend Justin is a club promoter, so last night I was on the guestlist to go to this club and a bunch of us are standing outside waiting to get in BUT, a couple of the guys had ‘trainers’ on aka sneakers, and girls aren’t allowed to wear flats (insane) anyways so we bailed on the club and went somewhere else.  Well I wake up this morning and my friend is like ‘Prince Harry was there last night!!”  ahhh I can’t believe I missed out seeing Prince Harry!  I love gingers and he is so freakin cute!  The club is wicked small too so I know it would have been easy to bump into him and  get his number or something!

Lol so anyways, today I am simply relaxing:  reading, laundry, coffee… all that lovely stuff!

xoxo

Well tonight was the end of my first week of classes, and compared last semester when I was incredibly enthusiastic about my new school, I’m a bit more hesitant or realistic this time around.  Aware of the extreme workload and stress that comes with graduate school, I am not procrastinating this semester and I am planning on budgeting my time much much better!

Although, I cant deny that it felt good starting classes this week and seeing familiar faces.  There are 15 new students in our program and I love the feeling of not being the newbie anymore!  For the most part it sounds like everyone is happy to be back and ready to get back into the swing of things.  I can’t believe I’ve already been back in London for over 2 weeks!  It scares me how quickly time is going to go by!

The girls and I went to Dublin last weekend and had a great time!  I was happy to be back on the Emerald Isle, but honestly– nothing compares to the Irish countryside.  When I had first gone to Dublin, it was one of the first times I had been to a bigger city other than Cork, so Dublin seemed great to me: tons of nightlife, more public transportation, more shops, restaurants etc.  This time when I went, it felt like a miniature London or a very Americanized Irish city.  I didn’t let that ruin my weekend though– the guy working at our hostel was a very VERY cute New Zealand Kiwi so I enjoyed that .  We also took a day trip to Kilkenny and the Wicklow Mountains (drove down the road where P.S. I Love You was filmed!!!)  so that was nice because we saw more of the Ireland that I love!

Shelby and I have been planning to move out of our flat and into our own place, so the first week back  I had been swamped with contacting agents, looking at flats, getting in touch with people who wanted to see my room to rent it out from me etc.  Extremely stressful way to return to London, but we were optomistic!  Shelby moved out of her room last weekend because someone was taking her room, BUT just yesterday the boy texted her and told her that something came up and he wouldn’t be taking her room!!! Ugh, the poor girl had to move everything out and now is moving back in.  We just decided its easier to stay where we are because its much harder to find a flat for less than 6 months, otherwise the jack up the rental feels sooooo much its absolutely ridiculous!

Well I’m off to do some reading and get a good night’s sleep!!!

I miss everrryone so much!!  [Ps. Does anyone still read this?! Leave me some comments people ]

Well, I’m back in London after a month break in the US!  It felt so great to be home and with my family.  I know most of you know how close I am with my family, but there truly is nothing better (in my opinion) than the feeling of a hug from someone who you love so much!  My dad picked me up at the airport and then we went straight to my sister’s basketball game and when I hugged my mom we both just started crying!  I dont know why, I was so happy to see her, but it was just such an overwhelming feeling of happiness!

The month flew by incredibly fast!  I made the mistake of assuming I could still get my work done even though I was home.. it wouldn’t be that hard (I tried to tell myself).  Well I was swamped with work, finding any possible books about WW2, Hitler, Japan, etc from the Southbury library haha!  I spent a lot of time enjoying the simple things about being home:  TV, football, fires in the fireplace, home cooked food, finding little treasures tucked away in a drawer that you haven’t seen in years [[okay that one isn't necessarily simple, but its a nice reminder of what home is when you look at all the stuff that accumulated over the years]], making handshakes with my little sister, watching movies..  all of that stuff makes me so happy!

I had mixed feelings about leaving to come back to London.  Although I had no social life when I was home due to stress about school work and friends living all over the east coast at this point, I still have this tie to being home sometimes!  The life I live in CT is so much different than the life I live in London.  The London life is a healthier one to tell you the truth.  I have amazing friends, a great balance of hard work and enjoying life, I love the independence I feel here.  BUT, I still long for the comfort of my mom’s shoulder if I had a bad day, or my dad’s annoying habits that still make me laugh.

My friend and I are on very similar wavelengths when it comes to this feeling of uncertainty, feeling lost and confused.  We are soooo thankful for the opportunity to be here and live in London, but we know this is ending in August.. so then what!?  Where will I find the place that allows me to be near the ones I love, but have a thriving independent and successful life?  {{Suggestions Welcomed}}

Well, that’s a lot of thinking to do in one blog post so I’ll let you guys digest that and see what you come up with!  I promise to blog much more throughout the rest of my time here.. I’ll do my best to keep you entertained and amused!

Love and miss you all xoxoxo

How was everyone’s Halloween?  Mine was.. non existent!! Not that I truly mind though, I wasn’t really in the spirit this year.  From what most of the Brits have told me, Halloween is only ‘big’ over here because it’s caught on from America.  They see how huge we celebrate it back home and the tradition has crossed the pond.  However, I suppose the lack of aisles full of bite size candy bars and decorations galore, really affected me in the sense that I just wasn’t very ‘halloweenie’ this year!  Originally, we were going to get dressed up, go out on the town etc but then I found out that most clubs and bars were charging at least 20 pounds to get in!  I’m sorry, i’m on a budget here and I decided it wasn’t worth it!  I’d rather save that money and go buy a new outfit

So my Halloween night consisted of skyping with my family back home and checking out my sister’s costume.  My parents went to a party on Friday night and my dad was Michael Phelps– complete with the 7 medals and a umm homemade smoking device, if you know what I mean!! Haha i can’t wait to see pictures of that.  My mom wore all of my graduation stuff (cap, gown, cords) and then on the gown my dad made a fake price tag that said “$200,000″ lol so that was a big hit!

This morning I woke up to RAIN! I can’t believe it, but it’s all gone now– the weather has seriously been so great here for the most part (knock on wood).  But I needed a rainy day today because I have two papers due in the next few days and well let’s just say that I haven’t been the best student lately.  I’m trying!! It’s just so hard to make myself sit down and research, read, write etc.  Oh well- once I put my mind to it I’ll get it done!

Okay loves, I’m off to do something hopefully related to school!!! xoxoxoxo

Happy November!!!

So that is occupying a lot of my time, along with tons of other papers and research, but it’ll be over soon!  The weather has been awesome here– very mild, no rain, not much sun either though.  Anyways, I’m going to have some dinner and keep researching!  Talk to you all soon xoxoxoox

I have my mid-semester break this week!  I’m actually swamped with work though– we’ve started a three week online negotiation simulation across the world so I’m constantly e-mailing “delegates” from other countries about trade and development and we are trying to pass certain treaties/agreements etc to make changes in the world!  It’s actually quite interesting and is a taste of what I could potentially do with a degree in IR.  I’ve also got two papers to work on so I am trying to be productive!

It’s hitting me how quickly time is going by… this weekend is Halloween and I cannot believe it is going to be the end of October and into November!  It seems like just yesterday I was running around Regent’s park and enjoying the warm weather!  Honestly, how does it go by so quickly?? The problem is that I want it to go by, but at the same time it can slow down a bit    The other night me and a few friends went to a pub and I forgot how much I love the atmosphere in a pub.  Its the warm, cozy booths and the authentic decor that just make it such a welcoming place.  After a few pints we met these irish guys who were hilarious!  Honestly, the British accent is cute and all, but nothing compared to the Irish accent.. it’s just so cheery and makes me smile!!  

Okay back to doing work, 

love and miss you all xoxoxoxox

OUCH.  I then proceeded to go buy dinner with that money and then some.  Oy vey, money is so not a fun thing!!!  Anyways, let’s see– nothing too new has happened, life is continuing as usual.  I have class this week and then next week we have a mid-semester break which is cool, BUT for my ICONS class, the simulation starts this Thursday and lasts three weeks so I have to keep up with the negotiations and stuff.  

I’m sick again too  I got in bed last night and could not stop coughing– it’s that chesty type of cough where it seems like every time I breathe- I cough!! boooo… being sick is so not fun.

THE PATRIOTS are coming to London this week!!!! I’m excited lol  Maybe i’ll run into my one love- Tom Brady <3<3

Until then, xoxoxoxo

I’ll post again later if something magical happens lol

xoxoxo

is this unnamed boy who was at the gym at the same time as me again!!!!  I had finished cardio and then Shelby and I were doing arms when he walked by and she knew immediately he was the guy I was talking about!  Ah I felt like a 7th grader with a new crush (best feeling)! So anyways, of course it was the very end of my workout, but I talked Shelby into doing 10 more minutes of cardio with me just to make sure he saw me

NEXT time I’ll say something… maybe

until then, xoxoxo