Monday, June 24th:
SO CRAZY! This is my last blog post I'll be writing in the city of London. This once in a lifetime experience is still so surreal to me. I am grateful to have spent 5 weeks here, and I want to make my last week the most special! Today is my last day of my Fashion Styling class, and today we spent the entirety of class finishing our tangible styling sketchbook and portfolio. It was such a huge accomplishment to submit my work, because I remember being so nervous about this course at the start of my time here! Even though I thought it was a lot of work, I managed to expand my photoshop skills, photography skills, my styling skills and my overall creativity I did not even know that I was capable of. It is great to have a tangible portfolio to take back to the states, and show off my hard-work that consisted of six intense weeks of styling projects! One class, done and in the books! I will miss my teacher and all his amazing advice. His creative energy spread throughout the class and his way of teaching is one-of-a-kind!
Here are some sample pages from my portfolio!
Tuesday, June 25th:
No class today, so I wanted to take advantage of my last days in London. Today I went back to the heart of London in order to take everything in one last time. One of my friends and I booked a boat tour across the river and also booked a time slot to ride the London Eye. I cannot believe I waited as long as I did to go on the London Eye! The view is insanely gorgeous, and it is definitely worth the money. You can even get a discount if you are a student. The ride lasts about 30 minutes, and you get to see the whole city of London filled with the buildings, monuments, parks and rivers. It was a great way to spend one of the last days I have left in the city.
After the boat tour and the eye, we went back to the Imperial War Museum (free of cost), and explored the other floors that we did not have a chance to look at last time. It was all about World War 2. It was interesting to see actual machines that were used in the war and other tangible items that have such a large significance in today's society.
Something that I have not touched on a lot is riding the tube. The tube is the main transportation system used in the city of London, and it is comparable to the subway system in New York City. The prices are pretty cheap, but it definitely does add up! If you visit the city, I would make sure you are aware that each ride costs between 1.50 - 3 pounds. I also learned that if you spend 7 pounds in one day on your card, then the rest of the rides you take during that day are free of cost. Even though it can add up, this is the quickest form of transportation and extremely easy to navigate. I would recommend downloading the app "City Mapper" to help navigate yourself around the tube; it tells you what lines to take, how long it will take you, and how often each tube arrives at the station.
Views from the London Eye River Cruise
London Eye
Outfit Details (Skirt - Zara, Top - Brandy Melville)
Imperial War Museum
Wednesday, June 26th:
Today marks the last day of my Fashion PR class. I cannot believe that after today, I am done with my two summer courses! It is such a good feeling going into the fall knowing I have six credits added to my transcript. Our final project was due today, which was the finished product of our brand collaboration between a UK brand and a US brand. I am extremely happy with how my project turned out, and I will link it down below! I decided to make a website for my launch event, and use that as my creative approach to add an interactive piece to my project.
Final Project: Link Here
Overall, this class has been amazing! The best part was getting to know the four different teachers. They were all so sweet, helpful and always willing to to give advice. They taught me so much about the industry as a whole and how broad working in fashion can be.
After class, some of the girls and I went around to different parts of London and enjoyed the sunny weather. We went souvenir shopping at multiple places and came back a lot later in the evening. We also went back to the Regents Park/Carnaby area for some more shopping.
Thursday, June 27th:
Today was a gorgeous day here in London. I started the morning off with a long run around Regents Park! I wanted to soak in the gorgeous parks throughout the city as much as I can before I leave, and it was such a great way to get in a good workout. This morning I was able to enter the "Daily Dozen" contest, which is where a certain amount of theatre tickets are released everyday at 10 am at a discounted price. I ended up receiving Wicked tickets for tonight at 7:30 pm, and I was so happy I was able to get them! Everyone says that you need to go to a theatre show at some point during your stay at London, so this was my last opportunity to go.
During the day, my friends and I went back to the Camden area and walked around the market while we shopped and looked inside the different vintage stores. The food at Camden is seriously amazing! They had so many different vegan options and other types of food that I haven't seen a lot of in London. We got vegan edible cookie dough, and it was so good!
After Camden, we walked to what ended up being one of my favorite spots in London. Primrose Hill is an area at the top of a park where you can see the entire view of the city. It is definitely a hike to get up there, but it is so worth it. Everyone was soaking in the gorgeous day, having picnics, drinking and relaxing on the grass. We ended up staying there for a couple of hours just enjoying the view and unwinding before we leave the city.
Once I went back to campus, I had to leave shortly after to attend Wicked. On my way out of campus, one of my Fashion PR teachers stopped me and asked me to join her at a staff party. It was great getting to talk to her for a little bit more before I left. I would love to stay in touch with her down the line!
Overall, Wicked ended up being everything I imagined and more. It was a quaint theatre, so it was so easy to navigate around to find my seat. I had a great view of the stage and was closer than I thought I would be for the price I paid. The play was fantastic! I highly recommend going to a theatre show if you ever stay in London, because it was a great price (29.50 pounds), and the actors were amazing.
One of my last nights in London has come to an end! Today was one of my favorite days I have had throughout this trip by far.
Camden Market
Primrose Hill
Wicked
Friday, June 28th:
My last official day in London! I started the morning off early with one of the best workout classes I have ever took. I went back to the gym 1Rebel in Southbank, and took a Reshape class that consisted of the treadmill and strength training. It was a 45 minute class, and it got me up and moving for the day! I would love to come back at some point if I ever stumble across the gym again.
After my workout I headed back towards campus and met the girls for brunch. We went to a place on Baker Street, and it was amazing! It was great all coming together for our last breakfast together and share some of our least favorite and favorite moments from our six week stay.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of packing and chilling out before my flight tomorrow. My transportation will be at campus around 8:20 am, so I will be heading to the airport bright and early!
1Rebel Gym
Brunch
Saturday, June 28th:
Back at the airport, and it seriously still blows my mind that the trip I have been looking forward to for so long has come to an end. I am excited to get back to the states, but I will now always look at the city of London in a different light, and refer to it as my home during one point in time. The people who I have met and the memories that I have made will last a lifetime. I am so excited to take my knew knowledge of the fashion industry back with me to USC and grow even more throughout my next two years at school. I want to continue to take every opportunity I am given, and always refer to the saying "life life to its fullest". London, you were good to me! I will be back one day, and I cannot wait for my traveling ventures to continue.
Reid Hall - Regent's University Campus Dorm