Ode to Thursday

It's the end of my very first work week! What a week it's been. I have already learned a TON about marketing and about London, which is exactly what I came here to do!

So here's what happened the past day. Last night, the program held a seminar from the leader of a team of international women who skiied to the south pole, and most of them were the first from their country to do so. It was really cool to hear about her experience.

After the speaker, Katelyn, Nargis, and I went for a stroll around

King's Cross looking for a nice pub to settle in for a drink and a nice chat. We peered down an ally and ended up at this place called Smithy's. It was really classy, nice, and low-key - perfect for after a long day of work! We enjoyed a few hours there over a drink and a nice long chat, English-style. I'm still having trouble sleeping at night a bit, but I was lucky enough to have a nice long chat with Ryan last night; always a day highlight!

Today was my last day of work for the week. I am very fortunate that I get Fridays off, which means I have time to explore the city. My last day of my first work week was probably my most interesting. As I walk into the office feeling adventurous and opting for slingback heels today, my manager Harriet informs me that she has a very important RFI, or request for information, to work on. An RFI, I learned, is the beginning of the pitch process to win a new client. I helped her throughout the day by compiling information from various agencies around Europe that the potential client is interested in working with on a pan-European campaign. Harriet was gracious enough to take the time out of her hectic schedule to explain to me what happens in the RFI process and beyond. Pitching is a very intense process! Agencies go all out, stopping at nothing to convey the campaign they are proposing. BBDO has even turned the elevators into a can of baked beans to win Heinz's business and repainted the entire ground floor for a paint company! It must be a huge bummer when this effort doesn't m

anifest into new clientele. I really feel that I'm learning a ton every day from my internship at BBDO and Proximity Worldwide, and I'm super lucky to be able to have the opportunity

.

It was a beautiful clear, sunny day in London today, so I took advantage of my hour-long lunch break to grab my favorite baguette sandwich (roast ham, brie cheese, and cranberry) and walk to the nearby Regent's Park (that's it to the right). I found a bench overlooking a pond and had a nice long chat with my Mum! It was the loveliest lunch I've had in London yet :)

After refueling, I ventured back to the office for a final afternoon of hard work before catching the tube back east to King's Cross. I grabbed dinner at the cafe here at Nido with Katelyn, Katie, and Nargis before going back to the tube for an evening adventure!

We hopped on the Picadilly line for a trip downtown to grab drinks and dessert at a pub. It also served as my first time in central London! I was so excited to finally see Trafalgar Square. We walked around the area and snapped a few pics (see below) before pub hunting. We found a table at the very back of a small pub named Salisbury. With glasses of wine in hand, we had another lovely British conversation about work, life, and London in good company. I am loving this group of girls!

Tomorrow I am spending my first free Friday up early scouting for cheap tickets for Wicked tomorrow night! I also plan to visit the National Portrait Gallery in the morning and the British Museum in the afternoon. What a great day ahead!

One last note about today, though: Two weeks down! I do love Thursdays, because every one brings me closer to being back where I belong.

Nargis, me, Katie, and Katelyn at Trafalgar Square

4 friends enjoying the London lifestyle