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Writer's pictureMaria Vandenburg

Home is where the heart is

So to catch those who might not be up to speed with my blog up, I arrived in London, England just over a month ago to start an MBA program in the fall.

My time has been spent: -Attending multiple Hen parties and the wedding of a really good friend named Bekah.-Staying with another really good friend named Reyana who used every given opportunity to make fun of my communications abilities (but I still love her)-Flying to Ireland for a weekend to walk up some "Mountains"-Visiting another friend Clem in Kent to have a tour de Clem for a week-Sorting out my life

But, I am forgetting... Item's I have learned today

-Alight - get off/step off/leave - so when you are on a tube they will say something like "please alight off of the three main cabins"


-Enrollment - Orientation-


Freshers Fair - I'm not entirely sure yet, but I will find out next week! :)-Shopping should really be a full-time job. IT IS SO EXHAUSTING. I am attempting to not stick out like a sore thumb over here because everyone is so fashionable. but I tend to lose all energy after store 3.-Straight-leg jeans don't exist over here. I'm not kidding. I have spent the last two weeks trying to hunt a part down and have ended up with 3 pairs of skinny jeans and two jeggings. hafshaskdhkahksad. I HATE SKINNY JEANS lol. Guess, this really might be the start of fashionable Maria



So I officially moved into my flat last Monday - so today marks exactly one week of me living in Central London. I absolutely LOVE it.

I posted about the flat in my last entry and have since then (in typical Maria fashion really) rearranged everything - bed, closet, wardrobe, night stand into a space that felt more like home.



My flat is FANTASTIC. Not only is it two stories, spacious and located about one block away from Lambeth palace (so really centrally located), I also have a really sweet flatmate named Tiffany. She actually hasn't been around much, but we will be celebrating her birthday this weekend with her family - so I anticipate it being a full-on Tiffany fest.

I've been so grateful to have to have this time to breathe and re-group. I'm also proud to inform everyone that I invested in lavender oil and ear plugs so have managed to sleep properly for the last 7 days (whoop!)

"Enrollment" for my school starts next week. It's kind of crazy because there are all of these different departments that I need to work with:

-Admissions for my pre-enrollment and changing from a full-time to a part-time MBA program-Student Affairs office on my actual enrollment activities itself and the welcome program-Business School Officers on the details of my MBA program and the enrollment in that But it doesn't really seem like any of these departments talk to one another. For example I have 3 days of welcome programs on Monday-Wednesday of next week, but I think they are all tied to being a student at the University of Westminster generally speaking. I then have all day Friday and Saturday to enroll get adjusted/set up/acquainted with my specific MBA program. I emailed my MBA folks to confirm if Friday was the first day I need to attend but I have not heard back. I don't think it's because they don't care, I think it's because they don't know. It seems like there are so many different departments to work through and none of them are really connected to one another. HOWEVER. I remember something similar when I did an undergraduate exchange program awhile back, and the University of Westminster seems night and day more organized than the "enrollment" for that program. I do wish however there was a single office or single point of contact. More often than not I end up feeling like I'm pestering the wrong people with questions they can't answer. I feel like my first introductions to literally EVERYONE in my MBA program will be "Hi, I'm Maria, you know the one who emailed you a million times? Sorry about that!"So that's the long version of... school starts next week, pray for me, lol.

I start my job at the big publishing company, I will be a Project Manager in the technology department) the following week on the 18th.

So this really is my last week of freedom.I got my hair 'did (pictured above, I was a hair model at Hari's), have attempted to shop (see items I have learned today up above) and have slept more or less. It's a pretty exciting life I lead, I must say lol. I feel like I'm forgetting something important to tell you all, but I can always post about it at another time.

Which brings me to my final note for this update for today. Before I left Seattle, I was really worried about finding a community over here, my "Spiritual" (for lack of a better word) home. And what I realized is that I already have it. I have been able to remain connected and involved by the two groups of folks/organizations that I have found myself most inspired by recently, and for that I am truly honored and grateful. Alright, enough rambling for now :)<3

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