March to May 2023

Hi everyone! Thought I would give an update as we are almost into the summer already. I have finished up my two terms, and now just have my dissertation ahead. I can't believe how fast it went by and that I am just one step away from completing my masters. I have started to slowly start looking for jobs, both in London and Washington DC, mainly thinking I should stay in London for a bit while I have my visa! Who knows what will happen, I would love to see six months into the future to see what is going on. It is hard to have so much uncertainty right now but I am trying not to let that impact my enjoyment of my last few months as a student.

 I was able to go home for a week in April and saw my best friends from Elon and my parents. It was such a treat. I am so happy I have friends who will make the effort to be together when the opportunity allows, especially as I live so far from them. I returned to London to complete my exams, which were essays I did within a time limit at home. I like this method way better than sitting for an exam in a classroom. The take home exam seems to be pretty common within my department at LSE and I hope it continues this way. I think it is a much better way to gauge learning as it allows the student time to organize their thoughts and write on their own time, still within a limitation. 

 After our exams were turned in, some friends and I traveled to Albania to enjoy the beach and sun after the long, dark London winter. Albania was recommended as an inexpensive but beautiful place for a beach trip and it did not disappoint! I am so grateful to be able to travel places in Europe I would not necessarily go to if I was coming from the US, but coming from London it made sense to try out somewhere new and off the beaten path. I also had some visitors in London, two best friends from Elon and my cousin! I am so glad I was able to share my new city with them and that they were able to explore my favorite finds.

 I have also been nannying to make some spending money now that I am finished with classes, it has been really fun to get to know another side of London through the eyes of families and children! 

 I have solidified my dissertation topic to be "How has supply side unmet need for contraception in Sub Saharan Africa been affected by key crisis events in the past decade?" I will examine survey data of eight countries and compare the availability of contraception to factors going on at the time that may be causing the issues in supply, such as COVID or regional conflict or climate issues. I am stepping out of my comfort zone a little since I am using statistics and more quantitative methods and I tend to run away from numbers, however I am ready to challenge myself during my last few months as a student. I have been meeting with my advisor frequently before our mentoring support ends on June 15, and I am feeling pretty confident that I am all set up for success over the summer. Enjoy some pictures below! 

The first is of my two friends from Elon, Annabelle and Gia who came to visit. We explored Richmond, which is a suburb of London where the show Ted Lasso is set. The second is Emily and I in Albania in a park with a natural spring that looks like a blue eye. It was stunning. Third is a picture from a coronation picnic I attended with the kids I nanny, it was so exciting to be in London amidst the celebrations. Fourth is my cousin and I touring around all the iconic sights and fifth is me enjoying the London spring and sun!