10 Important Things to Know Before Traveling to London

This video was filmed on location at Sky Garden, The British Museum, London Underground, Box Park/ Shoreditch and Gatwick Airport in London, England in February 2016.

I share 10 things to consider before traveling aboard to London or similar locations, discussed in detail in this video:

1. You should "travel solo"
2. Bring photo identification
3. Bring earplugs and a sleeping mask
4. Don't over plan
5. Don't get overwhelmed
6. Take public transportation
7. Visit the museums
8. Language barriers
9. Museums can get repetitive
10. Bring American cold remedies
11. BONUS TIP. Don't book a hotel, stay in an Air BNB. Here's a discount code: http://bit.ly/ItsKellsAirBNB


There's more to life than your every day experience. If you are unhappy with what you see, be inspired to change it. I empower you to create a life you love, exactly where you stand, right now. It won't be easy, but I promise you, it will be worth it. This is your sign, now go!

Kells x

Direct link: https://youtu.be/a_dJcmPHs0Q 

Farewell Thoughts on Dating in London

While I was in London, in addition to documenting my travels, business experiences, social and academic life, I decided to document my experience on the dating scene. I vlogged my tongue-in-cheek thoughts on interracial dating, dating Europeans who hate Americans, being called out because of my hair and being considered "exotic" as a black woman, as some of my more interesting topics. I decided to mainly post my vlogs to my YouTube Channel, where they were very well received, but to close out the series I share here my final thoughts on dating in London. Click the link below in you're interested!

https://youtu.be/HEhNHByZL98

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to be notified when my videos go live. Drop me a message when you do, I'd love to personally welcome you to my vlogging community!

The Expat Paradox

Paris

A few months after moving to London I read an article describing a paradoxical situation that befalls many expats, where their new country fails in comparison to home, yet home no longer fits snugly.

I knew instinctively I would befall a similar fate.

Living in London exposed me to an alternate reality. A reality that I fell in love with.

Yet I am afraid to stay. And afraid to return home.

Afraid to stay in London and be so very far away from my home... my family, my friends, life's familiarity. Hyper aware that I may lose the attention of the ones I love the most -- the ones who love me the most  -- sacrificed for the unfamiliar, yet alluring, love and attention of the unknown.

Afraid to return home to the same ordinary life I sought to shake loose. Afraid to fall back into the same grind, facing the same demons, as if the last year was just a fleeting day dream flickering off into the distance. 

How will I continue to use this experience to elevate my life if it led me right back to where I started? 

How do I face the possibility that I may fall short of the "elevated life" I seek?

The audience speaks: No guts, no glory.. You'll be fine.. You'll work it out, you always do.

As if through some miraculous alignment of the stars an aspirational life is possible without the sweat and vision required to align them.

Perhaps at this point I should acknowledge the Pygmalion effect on my life. Perhaps I should be thankful for the accountability that has brought to life this abstract form.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

None the less, full disclosure: I realize the luxury of my anxiety, which to be clear, is a fleeting day dream flickering off into the distance. 

VLOG: London Staycation, Ice Skating, London Eye, Wicked, Fashion Week

Decided to explore a bit of central London for a few days during my first winter holiday abroad. Come along for a quick tour of some well known attractions here in London.

By the way while you're here, did you like this video? If so, hit that like button and SUBSCRIBE, so I know to keep the vlogs coming!

-Kx

 [Video embedded below, but if you can't see it, it's linked HERE]



Tags: Vlog, Travel Diary, London, Travel Noire, Croydon, Europe, Travel, Ice Skating, Plays, Wicked, Fashion Week, London Skyline, Traveling in Europe

Long Story Short, I'm Moving to LONDON. #KM2UK

"I refuse to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death."

My intimate going-away affair at the Regent Cocktail Club this Thursday.

The plan was to create a video post and explain this all to you in person. But the time has run short.

Long story short, this Saturday, September 21st, I'm moving to Europe.

I'll be moving to a town in Surrey just west of London to study for my MBA at Royal Holloway, University of London.

I don't have many regrets in life. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason and is all a part of God's master plan.

The one thing that I did not do, but wished I had done in undergrad, was study abroad. I had always known that I was going to pursue my MBA after I had worked for a few years, so when I felt the time was right, I decided to look into international masters programs to satisfy my curiosity.

I found that MBAs in Europe were typically one-year programs, as opposed to two-year programs domestically, point one for the move.

That would mean only one year of lost income while attending the program, only one year of loans needed for accommodations, tuition and books (less debt) and only one year away from my already flourishing career, point two, three and four for the move.

I wouldn't be Kelliann if I hadn't considered the personal branding aspects of this decision. I also thought about the cachet an international MBA would bring to my resume and credentials.

Domestically you will find many Ivy League and top-tier educated MBAs, but you will find fewer globally educated ones.

A global experience and perspective has become one of the main focuses of most domestic (and international) MBA program, just take a look at any prospectus. I thought why not make my education a truly global one while standing out from the crowd by studying in and traveling about Europe, point five for the move.

While this dialog may make it seem as if this was an easy decision for me, it was not. My strategy was clear, but my emotional hurdles and reservations were as well.

For me this is a life-changing decision. I worked on being as level-headed about it as possible.

To this day I still have some anxiety, but I think anxiety comes with any major shift in life, so when ever I feel myself getting too anxious, I review all the reasons for making this move and I vent to my A-Team and Prayer Warriors who remind me what a wonderful opportunity this is for me and how it will change my life for the better.

#KM2UK is the official hashtag for my move to the UK.  Follow my journey  on Instagram, Twitter, FB and here on my blog. Also, if you would like to wish me a found farewell, I'm host an intimate going-away affair on Thursday, September 19th at the Regent Cocktail Club on South Beach.



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Kelliann McDonald is an author, a marketing and public relations strategist and a community advocate. A recognized #BrandMotivator™, McDonald works to generate results that attain and surpass brand and organizational objectives.