I’m writing this on a Tuesday night at 7 PM. I’m in my new flat in London. My room is clean. I’ve got my fuzzy pink pyjama bottoms on (the best £9 I’ve ever spent), have five candles going, and one frozen KitKat — one more to go.

Honestly, it does not get much better than this.

Needless to say, we’ve got some catching up to do, don’t we? There’s a lot of material to cover, so I’ve broken it up into five categories: finishing uni, job hunting, my London flat, new job, and looking forward. Plus, I’ve included a bonus category at the end.

Finishing Uni

I turned in my master’s dissertation for uni on September 5th. Everyone in my dissertation cohort had to make an Instagram account and try to become an influencer. I know, wayyyy too fun to be a masters-level thesis.

To be fair, we had to do a proposal, conduct research (focus groups, competitor analysis, etc.), do a 20-minute pitch, make a content calendar, and create the posts themselves. At the end, we had to select eight posts and justify why we posted them using marketing theory.

For example:

What I was thinking: I posted it because I looked great.

What I turned in: “Grounded in Festinger’s 1954 theory of…”

So, I turned that waffle in and then went to Greece on holiday.

Job Hunting

When I got back from Greece, I was admittedly counting my coins. With no money for Starbucks, I trapped myself in the flat and went on a job-application marathon.

I returned from Greece on September 27th. Over the next 18 days, I applied for 33 jobs (all by hand, none of the auto-apply lazy-people bllsht). And then, one day, one of my Excel rows turned bright green: I had an offer!

The only problem? My start date was November 3rd, which gave me 2-ish weeks to move myself and all of my crap to London.

My London Flat

I messaged basically everyone on Spare Room, endured a few awkward FaceTime viewings, and finally found my place, which I am quite proud of.

It’s £850 a month, bills included and only a 15-minute walk to my new office. It’s on a quiet street lined with historic brick houses, all with those quintessentially British black-and-white tiled walkways.

I share with two single women, who are both lovely and normal. My room has hardwood floors and lots of natural light. I’ve got a vanity that screams diva (see photo at the bottom), and a mini fridge which will be perfect for storing my iced lattes.

Plus, it’s a 5-minute walk to everything I could need: the pharmacy, my doctor’s office, a Tesco, the bank, PureGym, the bus stop, a gentrified coffee shop (LOL), a patisserie, a Superdrug and a McDonald’s.

New Job

My new job is fab.

About the company: a British company with 100 employees that distributes luxury villas and châteaux across 30 countries (and yes, I will get to visit the properties!)
My role: managing the sales relationships with the external travel agents and befriending them (say no more)
What I will be doing: hosting webinars, sending Christmas cards, arranging coffee chats, representing the brand at conferences and trade shows (aka the perfect job for me)
The office: a chic new office with loads of young people, set up like a computer lab but also has quiet pods, conference rooms, and the most British thing you will ever hear: a free bar that opens daily at 4:30 PM
Additional Perks: £1,000 gift voucher for each work anniversary to use at the villas, familiarisation trips to see the destinations, 4 weeks of remote work from anywhere in the world, a new MacBook, and my new boss has already taken me on a steakhouse team dinner and bought me an espresso martini
The best part: they said they would be able to sponsor me after my Graduate Visa expires, makes me want to break into song, yay!

Looking Forward

Maddie and I got a panini for lunch today in Soho, and sat outside in the sun. We talked about our summer holiday and how we want to road trip through Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania. This is the life I’ve always dreamed of.

If today’s lunch was any indication of what’s to come, then I have two words: love it!

Bonus: Other Bits and Bobs

Grumpy Exposure Therapy: I get really grumpy when I am tired, which is around 11 PM. I call it my witching hour, but a better term might be bitching hour. However, I am determined to go out a lot in London. So, I am giving myself exposure therapy. When I feel the rage starting to boil up, I am telling myself, “You are not angry, you feel neutral. You are chilling.” LOL
Dating: Not that fussed about finding a London boyfriend. If I do get a boyfriend, he needs to be helpful, cooperative, and understand that my sense of humour is bossing people around LOL
My Hair: So, I gave myself a bob, because I really wanted one and I was too cheap to go to the salon. Mixed feelings. On one hand, it does look very professional. On the other hand, I sometimes hate it.
My Current Favourites: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (especially while I get ready), Lily Allen’s new album, taking the bus in London (you see way more of the city and it is slightly cheaper), FaceTiming my sister and hearing my baby nephew’s little coos
Goals for London: socialise 24/7, revamp my wardrobe so it gives chic young woman energy, make my room very “adult”, not “uni” (I’m going for Parisian-inspired, NOT Parisian-themed…there is a difference), get a puffy white robe, figure out a new name for this blog…
UK Bucket List: Visit Wales (specifically the Wye Valley), go to Cornwall in the summer and swim, get a mulled wine at a Christmas market, eat at Carbone (I know, basic), go to Bath, go to Bristol, see a football match while wearing a football scarf, walk through Regent’s Park, go to a jazz bar, ride bikes, go to Clapham Common in the summer, and meet Central Cee. LOL.
My birthday: My birthday is tomorrow, and I’m doing a birthday brunch with my girls in Chelsea followed by a proper, ticketed antiquing event. My words for my new year are glamorous, fun, and successful

Good-bye Durham, Hello London!

Stranded in Athens at 5:30 AM