Part taking in social media means your life is online. I am already a part of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. so I am not sure if there are other social media platforms I would like to join. However, in the future, I will use Facebook Ads service as that is a great way to advertise for a small business. I also think using analytic services such as Hootsuite would be an amazing tool for scheduling posts and tracking post progress. 

In my personal life, I don’t like sharing too much on social media. I feel like there should be a balance between private and public life. Basically, to me, you create an image of yourself online but there is also the real you. Sometimes that line can get fuzzy, so I think it’s important to find balance between those. Today especially it is very easy to create a brand around yourself. As far as improving my social media profile, I think I should post more because as of right now I don’t post as much as I’d like. That problem stems from my content creation. Personally, I like to have quality pictures on my social media accounts. I would much rather prefer quality over quantity when it comes to social media. For me, the fun comes in the creative process. I don’t want to put pictures on my Instagram that people don’t care to see. Being more active on my social media accounts is something that I can improve on. 

For my professional brand, I would like to improve my LinkedIn profile. To improve this, I am going to get a professional headshot at the Career and Development office. I also need to update little features, such as skills and adding more detail to my introduction. I also think I am going to keep my personal social media accounts on private for professional reasons. 

My takeaway from the exercises we have done in class are that social media isn’t always a bad thing. I feel like mostly everyone that was born after the 1995 has a good grasp at social media for personal reasons. However, we are still learning how to use social media as a business tool. I believe this class has taught me the good side of social media and how to use social media effectively to communicate a bigger audience about a topic. 

If you would like to follow me!

Instagram: @/madisony0ung

Studying abroad is something that shaped my personal branding. During one of the best times of my life, was also the most stressful. Navigating through the world at any age is confusing, but that’s what makes the best outcomes. Both mentally and physically I was constantly figuring out what is important and personal to me. I want my personal brand to reflect my relaxed and happy way of life.  

            Throughout studying abroad, there are many uncertainties. But that’s how I wanted my experience to be. I wanted to just show up in a different country and go from there, something I had never done until then. To me, there is something liberating about going with the flow. I guess it’s because my whole life I have been taught to plan and schedule so that my life is “organized”, whatever that means. The point of this blog post is to understand that the most beautiful experiences come from uncertainty. 

            During my time abroad, I met many inspiring people who live by a mantra of a laid-back lifestyle. I say it’s inspiring, because I had never met people who lived day by day, hour by hour. I’ve always surrounded myself with individuals who have a plan for life and through my journey I have most certainly experienced there is no plan for life. Although, in theory if life itself adhered to a schedule of events it would make life easy, but in reality, that is far from what happens. But in all seriousness, I found myself to be extremely happy when I was living freely. Every great experience I had was because of my own carelessness. For the first time in a long time I was around people that I wanted to be like. 

            Through the pictures I took on a disposable camera as I navigated through Europe, they show my personal brand. In years’ time I can look back at these pictures and know exactly how I felt in that moment. I can remember travelling the United Kingdom and Europe with my best friend. I can remember all the amazing people I met. I can remember all the times we got on the wrong tube line. I can remember all the amazing sights I saw. Most of all I can remember my mantra for that time in my life, which I continue to practice. 

  My proposition to you is to be a little less stressed. Take a deep breath. Draw a picture. Go on a bike ride. Do something out of your daily routine. This will ensure that you are not getting stuck in a cycle that offers no genuine enjoyment to you. Reflect on yourself and what you are doing. Are you happy? Or are you looking for happiness? 

Today I will be exploring London, England; a place I called home for about four months. During my time here I got to know many different boroughs of London. From Kensington to Shoreditch, I will give you a guide to my personal favorite attractions and activities in London. 

Shopping: Vintage shopping is a huge influence in areas such as Camden and Shoreditch. Brick Lane is an iconic street of vintage shopping in London that is home to markets, boutiques, thrifts, food, and much more! For more high-end viewing, I suggest Harrods or Selfridges. Harrods is a staple to London’s fashion scene. Harrods offers an insane, even extensive, amount of designer labels. Harrods carries everything from men’s and women’s clothing to furniture. Selfridges is another staple to London, similar to Harrods. Carrying a Selfridges bag around town will indicate some sort of higher status. So, make sure you stop by these two even if it is just to look! 

Food: Each borough of London is home to very delicious food. My biggest tip of advice is to read reviews on Yelp! This will help you pick the perfect place, but don’t be afraid to try something different. Camden Market is home to many small food markets that vary from burgers and fries to gyros and eggrolls. Anywhere in London, you can find a nice restaurant to enjoy yourself at. (A tip for Americans: Make sure you check to tip. Most of the time there is a service charge included in your bill, which serves as the tip.) If you are a pasta lover like me, check out Padella. Padella is located near the Borough Market, which serves homemade pasta daily and yummy Italian drinks. Southbank is another area of eats, which is home to many food trucks, as well as trendy restaurants.

Transportation: The best way to see the city is to walk or take a bus ride. Although, everyone should experience the tube at least once. If you are like my friends and I, walking is the best way to get to know your way around the city. My suggestion is if you have limited time in London, take the tube and buses as they are most effective. However, if you have time (and the weather is adequate) enjoy walking down the streets of London. 

As far as tourist sites, I found a blog that gives the top attractions in London. This travel blog effectively showcases London’s top attractions as well as some not-so-popular ones. Of course, London is home to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye just to name a few, but London is also home to Tate Modern Art Museum, amazing street art, and afternoon high tea. 

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Overall, London is a great city for anyone and everyone. Whether you like music, fashion, art, food, London has it all! It is a huge city with activities that never seem to end. When in London you will always find yourself doing something interesting, exciting, and new. 

Hello, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Madison Young. I am a junior at St. Edward’s University, studying international business and finance. The theme of my blog is going to be traveling. I recently studied abroad in London, during which I travelled to 10 countries in Europe. Although I learned a lot in my studies abroad, I most notably gained the most knowledge from traveling and learning how to handle real life problems. This experience helped expand my cultural knowledge. It also helped me to network in different countries with new people who were of different backgrounds than me. I have traveled extensively through Europe and my favorite part about it is the diverse culture within a small amount of the world. In this blog post I will be addressing my favorite places and travel motivation. 

My favorite place to travel to was Italy. In my opinion, they have the best food, people, and scenery. Rome, Italy can be an intense place for a first time visitor of Europe, however the history and beauty that lies in Italy is something everyone needs to experience. Italy is home to the most exquisite museums, restaurants, and cobblestone roads. Some I suggest checking out are the Borghese Gallery and the Vatican. Breathtaking ceilings and marble statues will ensure you blow your mind when visiting such museums and galleries. While in Italy, you will probably enjoy the most tasteful food of your life; that is if you like espresso, pasta, and gelato. In the mornings, try to get your hands on a pastry from a local bakery. If you do travel to Europe, my biggest piece of advice is to try new things. You experience the most when you let your guard down and live your life. Whether it is food or fun, living like a Roman is a great way to be in Italy. 

A great tip to traveling abroad is to plan, plan, plan. Planning out day by day will really expand your time in a country. Plan attractions, sightseeing, meals, tickets beforehand to ensure that no time is wasted waiting in lines. Planning day to day while ensuring that you can follow a schedule and make the most of your time. If you are lenient with your time, you can make time for relaxing or miscellaneous excursions, which may be a good idea due to the high stress that comes with traveling. 

Another great part of European cities is the ease of public transportation. I rode public transportation systems from everywhere to Copenhagen, Denmark to Barcelona, Spain. If a language barrier frightens you, don’t be worried! Many European countries have English translations which make travel information easily accessible. Although, languages can be very different don’t let that hinder your ambitions to travel abroad!  

This blog will continue to show and explain my experiences studying and traveling abroad. This will also be a guide on how to travel effectively and live like a local in each city that you travel.