Travel – Page 4 – Mackenzie Billington

Check Out my LSE Dorm

July 7, 2015 by Mackenzie

My lovely view haha

Hello hello! I have finally moved into my dorm, and I absolutely love it. All of the rooms for my dorm are singles, so I do not have a roommate. However, we do have a community bathroom/kitchen. I have finally moved everything in (though I could use some more decorations/color in my room). Our room came with pillows, linens, and towels, which was very nice. I actually just ordered new bedding and pillows for my room in the sorority house this fall, and I can’t wait to post pictures as soon as I get those in the mail. For this fall, I’ve decided to do a solid colored bedspread with fun & bright pillows!

As a lot of y’all know, I actually spent yesterday in the emergency room. Two nights ago, I woke up around 3:00 am with the worst pains in my right side. They were so excruciating that I could not stop screaming. I went down to the front desk of the dorm, and I collapsed on the floor. The staff at the front desk called the ambulance, which came almost three hours later. When I arrived at the hospital, they had to hook me up to morphine, which still didn’t completely fix the pain. After several blood tests, they found out I had a very severe stomach infection/bug that I most likely picked up in Tanzania. I had to miss my first day of classes yesterday, which honestly was a bummer. I hate getting behind in school and missing assignments. I was able to make it to class this morning, but I still don’t entirely feel like myself yet. I hope I start feeling better so I can start enjoying my time here at LSE. Sorry if this post was a little bit of a downer, but I just wanted to let you all know what’s been going on in my life! I am just very fortunate that I am recovering and that I don’t have to surgery or anything crazy like that. Things could have definitely been worse, and I know I will appreciate my good health in the future. But thank you all so, so much for your love and support on tumblr. Y’all’s encouraging messages made my day!

I went to Lush Oxford Street again a few days ago, so I will be posting about my mini haul later today (or possibly tomorrow).

Thank you for checking out my blog! Hope you all are having an awesome, awesome week!

Fourth of July

July 4, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals • Earrings

Happy 4th of July, friends! This dress has actually been my favorite piece for summer. Off shoulder tops and dresses have definitely been my ‘go-to’ this season. I paired this patriotic dress with some white stone earrings and white sandals for a day spent exploring the city. However, it would look awesome with wedges and a clutch for night!

These photos were taken at Neal’s Yard in London. My friend recommended that I check out this colorful cluster of buildings and shops. This little spot was difficult to find at first, but well worth the trip. I loved the bright walls and all of the fun restaurants. My mom and I had a fabulous time visiting this unique part of town. I am having such an incredibly time in London so far, and I’m almost positive that I’m not ever going to leave. Tomorrow I move into my dorm, and it will be nice to not live out of a suitcase anymore. I couldn’t be having a better time in this perfect city! Words can’t describe how much I love it here.

I hope you all are having a fabulous 4th of July and enjoying the holiday!

Wild about Africa

July 2, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hello friends! Here are my favorite pictures we took in Tanzania! I will be posting about my first few days in London later this week!

Tarangire National Park

July 1, 2015 by Mackenzie

An elephant with half a tusk

Baby elephant follows closely behind his mother

A herd of elephants take a quick detour to the watering hole

A baby elephant crosses the road

A dirt covered elephant snacks on some grass

A male ostrich

The stunning Tarangire Treetop lodge

A giant elephant bone

Our treetop getaway

When I was a child, I always wanted a treehouse. So as my mom and I pulled up to the Tarangire Treetop lodge, my twelve-year-old self immediately fell in love. Each guest stays in a tree house, which is incredibly cool. With a plethora of cacti, African decorations, and large animal bones scattered around the grounds, this place was not only beautiful, but very unique. My favorite aspect of the lodge was the fact that it was all built around a very large 700 year old baobab tree. We were immediately greeted with delicious drinks and tons of hospitality (and great wifi!). The Tarangire Treetop lodge was not fenced in, so many waterbucks came up very close to us and drank out of the watering hole located just a few feet away from the swimming pool. We enjoyed watching them as we ate dinner. The next morning we woke up very early to explore the Tarangire National Park, where we found tons and tons of elephants. The best part was that there were so many baby elephants! The fascinating thing about the elephants at the Tarangire National Park was that they had a very red tint to them. Our tour guide, Simon, told us that this was because the elephants roll in the dirt to cool themselves off and keep the bugs away. We loved getting to see all of the hundreds of elephant at the park. It was truly unforgettable! Sadly, we didn’t spot a cheetah during our trip (no pun intended), but we got to see so many incredibly animals! I am very sad that we had to leave Tanzania, but I couldn’t be more excited to start school at the LSE this week. Hope you all are having a fabulous week!

Ngorongoro Crater

June 30, 2015 by Mackenzie

Standing with my sister in front of our Defender

‘Throwing what I know’ from Africa

The gorgeous Plantation Lodge

A kate buffalo peering at us through the bushes

A jackal standing in an open field at the center of the crater

Thousands and thousands of flamingos

After a week of sleeping in tents, we headed towards the Ngorongoro Crater to our first lodge. As we pulled up to the grounds of the Plantation Lodge, I was completely overwhelmed at how beautiful it was. Everything from the unique decor to the lush gardens was just flawless. It was also nice to have running water again. The next morning, we spent about an hour and drove to the inside of the crater. It was much warmer at the bottom than it was at the Plantation Lodge, which was located at the top of the crater. In the crater we saw several different animals including flamingos, kate buffalo, lions, and even the black rhino (from a far distance). Before heading back to the lodge, we ate a traditional African lunch in the crater and snapped a few photos on top of our trusty Defender. The following morning, we packed up our things to split our separate ways. My dad and sister, Allie, got into another Thomson Safari car to head off to their climb. They will both be spending the next nine days hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro. My mom and I headed off to our fifth place on the trip- the Tarangire National Park!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! I will be posting about our lovely experience at the Tarangire Treetop Lodge soon (and tons of pictures of the cute baby elephants we saw!). I am very, very sad that we leave Africa today, but I couldn’t be more excited to head to London!

Welcome to Tanzania

June 28, 2015 by Mackenzie

Our ‘Christmas Card Picture’ ft. a Land Rover Defender

Thomson Safaris campsite

Impala horns

Relaxing at the camp before a traditional African dinner

Wearing our matching VV shirts before an afternoon Safari

Shirt: Vineyard Vines (c/o) • Shorts: Patagonia • Sandals: Hari Mari (c/o)

Welcome to Tanzania.

I have spent about eleven days in Tanzania, and it’s been a wild, but amazing ride so far. When you travel to a new country, sometimes you have absolutely no idea what to expect. I’ve been to the continent of Africa before to visit Cairo, but Egypt and Tanzania are not even comparable. Our journey to this incredibly unique place began with a 24 hour day of travel. Running to your terminal to barely catch your next flight and having your luggage lost are just some of the struggles travelers face. When we finally arrived to Arusha, a city not far from our campsite, my mom and I realized our luggage was not at the baggage claim. Our four bags were ‘missing in action’. Never in my many years of travel have I ever experienced the challenge of losing all of my suitcases. It is an unpleasant experience I hope to never go through again. Luckily, my bags were eventually found later during the week. My mom’s suitcases are still not here yet, but that hasn’t prevented us from having an amazing trip.

We spent a night near the airport and then headed off to catch a small prop plane that would take us to the campsite. I am not much of an ‘outdoor girl’ myself, but this camp was quite gorgeous. On the drive from the landing strip to the camp, we saw so many animals. It is such an incredible experience to just see wild zebras, giraffes, elephants, impalas, and wildebeests casually strolling by your car. We decided to use the Thomson Safaris for our trip, and everything they have done so far has been perfect. Thomson has campsites all over the country of Tanzania, and they are each so, so different. We decided to stay at camps for the first two places, and then stay in lodges for the next two. Though I probably prefer the lodges more, it’s definitely been nice to experience the campsite life. Our daily schedule in Tanzania has been pretty routine. We wake up early and pile into the Land Rover Defender that has a safari pop up roof for excellent animal viewing and picture taking moments in search of animals in their natural settings. During the day, we eat a boxed lunch before continuing back to our safari endeavors. Around three. we head back to the campsite to nap. Dinner is usually around seven and typically consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat.

In Tanzania, they speak the language of Swahili. Here are two phrases we have learned:

Hujambo = hello

Asante = thank you

Later this week I will be posting pictures of the Masai people, our hot air balloon adventure, the lodges, and all of our animal pictures! Thank you so much for checking out my blog- hope you all are having a fantastic weekend!

xoxo,

Mackenzie Kendall

Going off the Grid

June 18, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hello friends! Today is the day! I am leaving this morning to fly to Tanzania with my family! We will spend the next two weeks traveling all around the country on a safari. My mom and I are going to also spend a few days at an elephant park while my dad and sister climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I decided to wear my elephant dress this week out of excitement for my safari getaway! I picked up this dress a few weeks ago from ShopRiffRaff, but sadly it is not available anymore. I linked some similar animal-themed dresses below!

So I will be ‘off the grid’ for the next two weeks, but I will have internet/service again when I move to London for the rest of summer during the month of July! I will be back really soon!! Thank you so much for y’all’s constant love & support!

Have a wild & awesome week! BRB!

Packing for London

June 14, 2015 by Mackenzie

I only have a few more days before I head off for my summer abroad adventures, and I couldn’t be more excited. Packing for two weeks in Tanzania wasn’t too difficult, but seven weeks in London was no easy task. As a chronic over-packer, it’s hard not to try to shove my entire wardrobe into one suitcase. Here are some packing tips I have learned over the years:

Check out the weather for the trip. Look at the monthly averages for the country, and then pack accordingly. London weather can be all over the place, so I packed things I could layer. I packed a fleece, a sweater, a kimono, and a denim jacket that can all be easily worn over any outfit I packed if it gets chilly.
Type a list. Before I begin packing, I always type a list of exactly what I want to pack. I put things in categories like clothes, toiletries, etc. This really helps me know exactly what I need for the trip and ensures I won’t forget anything important.
Pick outfits that you can mix and match. Dresses are always easy to put in your suitcase and make for an easy outfit. I also pack shorts/skirts first, and then I select two tops for each bottom. Before packing a certain piece, think about what it would actually go with and how you could stye it.
Roll things! I always roll my clothes in my suitcase because it does actually save more room than folding!
Don’t overpack when it comes to shoes- they really add lots of weight to your bag and take up tons of space. Be realistic and pick comfortable shoes that you will actually end up wearing during the trip. Always wear your heaviest shoes on the plane to save space in your bag. When I study abroad in Europe, I always wear my rain boots on the flights because they are quite large.
For packing, I always bring a large suitcase and a duffle bag for my carry on. Always go for a suitcase with wheels. The duffle bag is awesome because if I decide to take a weekend trip to another country, I can bring that big instead of my huge suitcase. I always bring a crossbody purse to Europe for everyday use as well!
Really think about what you actually need. I am a huge overpacker, but I try to think realistically. “When am I really going to wear these heels? Where would I actually wear this maxi dress”. If you really think about each piece you are packing and being realistic, you will not overpack as much!
It’s always good to make sure you leave a little extra room in your suitcase in case you decide to shop there or bring gifts home!

I posted some pictures of the clothes I packed. I will probably add a few more things (like socks, a rain jacket, etc.), but this is a general basis for the outfits I am bringing with me for the London School of Economics.

In summary, here is what I packed (clothes-related)-

4 rompers
5 dresses
4 shorts
2 skirts
1 pants (going to pack another white pair soon)
12 tops
denim jacket
sweater
kimono
fleece
sandals
wedges
converse
rain boots
crossbody purse

Thank you all so much for checking out my packing post! I head off to Tanzania later this week, and then I go straight to London two weeks later! I can’t wait to share my adventures with y’all!

Safe Travels!