#janiceliu

[umichenginabroad]

Week -1: Diky, Naschledanou

One week later… My post-study abroad adjustment has been slightly different than most. Since my mom came to visit, we decided to travel to Italy for an extra week before the start of my internship. Therefore, the fact that I am leaving Europe has not actually settled in yet. It has been weird leaving the routine of seeing the same people and walking the same paths every day but traveling has become a routine of its own.

We stored our luggage in the Prague airport and spent the week along the coast of southern Italy in Naples, Sorrento, and Rome. At heart, I am an ocean and beach person. My favorite source of protein is seafood and in my past time, I love swimming in the open waters. Therefore, finally not being landlocked felt amazing. I got to eat way too many bowls of seafood spaghetti.

The highlight of my trip was hiking the Path of Gods along the Amalfi coast. It was a great change of pace from all the other European cities I have been visiting. Instead of walking around for hours looking at historical monuments that all started to blend together, I got to take in the beautiful views of the mountains and water in Italy.

Toward the end of this trip, however, I was ready to go back to America. I was getting burnt out from traveling and knowing that I only have a day at home before going to California for my internship was becoming a stress factor for me. If I got to replan this last leg of my study abroad experience, I would have chosen to leave when the program ended and spent an extra week at home to recover. Studying abroad has been the best time of my life but it also has been more taxing than anticipated. There have been a lot of sleepless nights traveling and making the most of Prague but it did pile up. Starting my internship already exhausted is less than ideal but I am hoping that my day at home will be a good refresher. 

I hope you all have enjoyed reading my blogs this semester as I have enjoyed writing them. I initially took on this role with the intention of wanting to help out future U-M CoE students to decide on which study abroad program to choose or if they should even consider studying abroad (which is a definite YES from me). However, this blog has become a baby to me. I began to enjoy the process of looking back at what I have accomplished this week and even weeks before because I often forget. Luckily, these blogs will be here forever so I hope this can become a keepsake for myself and a resource for someone else out there. 

My last bit of Czech lesson: “Diky, Naschledanou” (which translates to thank you, good bye <3)

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 15: The Final Countdown

It’s finally here, the very last week… Honestly, it did not settle in until the last day. Most of the week was at a cafe grinding out my last few assignments and studying for finals. Not the ideal way to end off a study abroad experience but it is how most semesters go.

This week, food was my coping mechanism to get through all of the studying. At the end of each long study day, my friends and I would go try a new restaurant that has been on our bucket list. This was a great way for us to still bond throughout the last week while also not taking up too much time from our studies. We intentionally chose more international restaurants because we were all sick of meat and potatoes (the typical Czech diet). We ate at Matzip, Agave, and Yami Sushi, and to my surprise, they were all amazing! Although it was on the slightly pricer end, they were able to satisfy my craving for more culturally diverse foods.

IFSA also really kindly treated us to a graduation lunch. This was the last time our entire program got together and it started to hit me that this fever dream I have been living is actually coming to an end. I came into this study abroad experience with little to no expectations. I was just chasing something new and thought that going to Prague for a semester would do just that. Now, as it is ending, saying that this semester exceeded my expectations is an understatement. I have grown so much as a person through all the uncomfortable experiences I had to overcome, such as facing frustrating language barrier interactions or navigating a foreign country. I even built up the confidence to solo travel, which was a daunting task just months before. 

Being in such a small program and being forced to live, study, and travel together created a tight-knit community that I will forever be grateful for. Most of us were U-M computer science majors yet, I only knew a handful before coming into this program. Now, I can call them my close friends and know that I will be able to go back to campus with a group of people that make Ann Arbor feel more like home.

Okay, enough sappy stuff. I ended this program on my birthday, which was the best birthday I could ever ask for. It is now becoming a tradition that I do an escape room every year for my birthday and to our surprise, we were able to find one in Prague. It was all in English and we even managed to escape in time, which never happens! Then, we gathered with the rest of the program to celebrate the end of the semester and my birthday. Just having everyone there that night made it super special.

Even my mom was there! She came to visit me on the last few days of my program and for my birthday. It was super fun taking her around Prague since I finally had a good enough grasp of the city. I was able to show her the most touristy parts of the city and also how my day-to-day life has been for the past three months. She said her favorite part was the rows of colorful buildings each with its unique architecture. 

Overall, this has been the best semester of my college career and I will be forever grateful that it happened. We still have one more blog coming so not goodbye yet… I will see you all very soon for one last time. 

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 14: One Rollercoaster of a Week

We are actually coming to an end here :( This was our last full week and it has hit me way harder than I expected. In addition to the stress of all the final projects and exams, it was some of our friends last week and so the goodbyes were already starting. It felt like I was finally starting to settle down and feel comfortable in Prague and it is already time to pack our stuff up. Overall, it has been an emotional week so we coped by doing some healthy therapy shopping.

Being that we live on the border of Prague’s “downtown” known as Old Town, it is super convenient for us to go shopping. In less than 20 minutes, I can find myself in Bershka, which has become my favorite European clothing brand. Their clothes are styled very modernly and priced super cheap! Then, we soaked up our last bit of sun by dining outdoors for dinner. 

For my last week here, I am making it a goal of crossing as many restaurants off my list as possible. I came to Prague with so many restaurants to eat at but barely made a dent in it :( I have been so preoccupied with traveling and wish I spent more time making the most of its culinary scene. For the most part, it is delicious and costs less than any meal I could get in America.

Since my first week here, it has also been on my bucket list to watch a ballet performance at the national theater. Unfortunately, there were no ballet showings in the national theater these last few weeks so we went to watch one in another one of Prague’s infamous theaters. To my surprise, the interior of the theater blew me away. I have never seen a venue that was curated with such thought and detail; the entire room was painted and carved so beautifully. The dancers were also so talented and portrayed the story of “La Sylphide” so well. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone, even if you are just visiting Prague, to watch a ballet performance. 

We did not have a lot of extra time this week but we still went to Cesky Krumlov for a much-needed day trip for a de-stressor. I am so blown away by the amount of things there is to do in and around Prague. Just a 2.5-hour bus ride later and we arrived at this fairytale town. They are known for the Cesky Castle and their historic Old Town. It was refreshing walking around in a new place and getting the feeling of traveling again. 

One week to go and I will definitely make the most of it. I’ll check in then!

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 13: Finally, Another Weekend in Prague

It is so nice to be back and finally go to spend my first weekend in Prague in a long time! It was amazing not needing to worry about packing or missing my flights. Plus, I got to enjoy the lovely Prague weather… it was practically tank shorts season!!

We would spend our nights on a hill watching the sunset. It is always packed but the park near our apartment has a hill that overlooks Prague, which is always so pretty at sunset.

The weather has also been forcing me to go on more runs. It feels almost as if it is a waste if I do not get a run in on sunny and warm days because for the longest time, during the winter, it was awful to run. Through this, I also get to go on so many more adventures in Prague. This week, I saw the metronome for the first time, which has been on my bucket list for a while. It was slightly underwhelming because it was not ticking due to the energy crisis but it still had an amazing view.

We also stumbled paddleboarding on the little islands in Prague! The island itself was so cute. Everyone was out on picnic blankets and there were also activities and food lining the island. My perception of Prague has changed significantly after seeing the weather difference. The city is a lot less gloomy and there are a lot more activities going on, making it more active and fun!

Then, IFSA took us to a classical concert. I enjoyed getting all dressed up and into cute dresses because we have not had much of an opportunity to do that this semester. It felt like the dresses and formal wear I brought finally were not going to waste. In general, I am not a huge classical music kind of person so this would not have been an event I would think to go to on my own. However, to my surprise, I really enjoyed listening to the live music and talent that was behind the entire production and was glad I got to go. 

Thanks for reading today! I’ll see you all next week :) 

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 12: My First “Last” of the Semester

We are getting closer to the end and “last times” are slowly coming up :( This weekend was the last trip of the semester, which was one of my favorite trips so I am glad at least this “last” ended in a bang!

Before we talk about where I went, let’s start with my week in Prague. It was a short week for me because I spent the majority of it traveling but we still had some good memories. As I get back into running, a few IFSA peers and I have started doing sunset runs.

Sunsets have always been something I loved because it is never the same. Each day, the sun and the clouds cast a different view onto the sky and it only happens within that 30-minute window each day, which makes it so special. Seeing it hit the terracotta roofs in Prague just makes it that much better!

I also started collecting postcards to send to my friends back home. This took some hesitation and convincing myself to start because it seemed like such a commitment in the beginning. I was already collecting pins from each city so finding another souvenir on top of that was a little overwhelming. However, I really missed my friends and wanted to express my appreciation so I just decided to follow through with it. Finding the right postcard for everyone has been a little difficult but surprisingly, I have been enjoying the writing and mailing process. The anticipation of when they will receive it has made it more exciting and fun.

Now, we are off to Italy!! This was the last trip so I had to make it big, meaning that there were many legs to this trip. We managed to hit Milan, all five towns of Cinque Terre, and Genoa. Thinking about it makes me exhausted all over again but it was the best trip of this semester.

As soon as we landed in Milan, the sun was beaming down, and that made all the difference. Unlike Prague, everyone was out and the city was just livelier. And of course, we are in Italy so we had to get gelato right away. Gelato here lives up to the hype. I have never had a gelato that could even compare to gelato in Italy. The diet did get a little ridiculous towards the end though. I started despising anything carby because all we ate for the past 3 days was bread, pizza, and pasta with limited protein or vegetables :( My body was desperately craving micronutrients and I knew that because could feel a cold brewing. After an itchy throat and runny nose, I made sure to get my nutrients with juices or smoothies to curb this sickness.

The highlight of this trip was Cinque Terre. Anywhere you looked, it was just a beautiful view of mountains and water and the cherry on top was the colorful houses. Also, I was just craving an open body of water. It was so calming sitting along the waters on the rocks and hearing the waves crash. We even got to hike between the five towns, which was a good break from all the cities we have been visiting. The vibes of this trip were just a lot slower, which was what I needed after a very long and exhausting semester. 

Have a good week everyone. I will be back next week!

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 11: A Failed Attempt at a Relaxing Week

This week, we hit the one-month mark until the end of our program! My feelings are a bit all over the place. Slowly, I am hitting a wall with balancing my health, school, and traveling so the end of our program coming up is much needed. I cannot wait to snuggle in the comfort of my own bed with my dog whom I have not seen in months. However, this has been the best 3 months of my life by far. Never in my life did I ever think I would have the opportunity to study my major in Prague and travel to a new country almost every weekend. I have gotten into such a routine with all my IFSA peers and I cannot even fathom what life will be like not seeing and living with them anymore. Thankfully, most of us attend U-M so it won’t be a goodbye forever :) 

On a brighter note, let’s talk about my week! This is another shout-out to my roommate. She brought me flowers to celebrate a month until my birthday, which was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. I welcomed our new plant baby and have been watering it every day since.

This week continued to be super sunny! So sunny that a cute little gelato truck opened up in the park of our villa and made everyone’s afternoons.

Before this program, I was anything but an ice cream fanatic. I would choose an iced coffee on a hot summer day over ice cream. However, since being in IFSA, ice cream has turned into a bonding moment and we would get it almost every time we walk by an ice cream shop. This is a new addiction that I will be bringing home with me, being that I now can eat it in almost below-freezing temperatures as long as the company is there. 

I also started running again since my knee injury! My friend and I set out for a 2-mile light run, being that I have not moved that intensely for 4-5 months. However, when I started, I immediately got the runners high and could not stop. It felt so good and free so we ended up running for 5 miles, which is almost my personal best distance.

I got to explore so much more of Prague! Aside from the first week, the most I have seen of Prague was my walk to and from school. Outside of that trek, I would always be too tired after class to go on adventures in the city. This was like killing two birds with one stone! I was able to see the Jewish quarter and the area around Prague Castle, which has been on my bucket list since day one. 

This was supposed to be a relaxing weekend but it ended up being hectic, as per usual. With my legs feeling like jelly after my run, my friends and I decided to spend a day hiking through the Karlstejn Castle and its neighboring villages.

The Czech Republic fails to disappoint every time. Just a 40-minute train ride outside of the city can take you to a completely different world! Being in nature is definitely growing on me. We spend the day sweating, tired and dehydrated but I left feeling so accomplished and fulfilled. It was nice detaching from the real world and just immersing ourselves in the present moment. None of us had any service so for most of the day, it was just each other and the markings on the trees guiding us through the hike. 

Then, we did a day trip to Krakow, Poland! I went partly because I wanted to complete my goal of hitting 10 countries this study abroad semester but also because I wanted to see Auschwitz. Throughout our world history classes, I had a grasp of the tragedies faced those 5 years but seeing it in person was a whole other experience. It brought to light the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust and serves as a reminder of the dangers of hate and discrimination. The journey was overwhelming at times but I am glad I went.

After our Auschwitz tour, we took it as an opportunity to explore the city of Krakow. The city itself was smaller than I expected but it was pretty regardless. We were able to walk through most of it within a few hours and spent the rest watching the Krakow marathon and shopping!

That’s all for this week! Bye :) 

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 10: It’s Finally Getting Sunny!

Hii! The weather in Prague decided to cooperate with us this week, which made me really happy. Goodbye, winter jackets and seasonal depression :)

Our communications teacher took us to the Czech Parliament this week for class. We had one of the deputy chairs give us a tour and speak about the Czech government, which was eye-opening.

Not only was it such a pretty building but it was cool learning about how the Czechs were able to reform their government to become democratic post-communism. We even got to ask fun questions, such as why the Czechs haven’t adopted the Euro despite being a part of the European Union (He didn’t have a concrete answer for us, besides maybe because of nationalism?)

I have also been spending more time around the apartment, which means spending more time with my roommates! This week, one of our roommates has been going through a cooking phase which is amazing for me.

She very graciously baked us apple strudels for national only child day, giving us only children the extra attention we need lol. I also had countless meals of her butter chicken, since it is better than any butter chicken I have had in restaurants. It is cool how something as simple as eating a meal can bring people together. We have shared so many memorable laughs at the dinner table and I am forever grateful for who IFSA paired me up with this semester. 

After another short week, I headed to Copenhagen for the weekend! I went in with no expectations and was blown away by the city. My favorite part, although basic, was the canal with the colorful buildings running alongside it.

Something about it just made me want to sit there and people watch all day long. It was coincidentally also the queen of Denmark’s birthday that weekend! We joined the Danes and tourists to celebrate the day at Amalienborg Palace.

Before this, I didn’t even know Denmark had a queen but now I can say I have met her through the windows of her palace!

That’s it for this week. See you all next week with hopefully more sun and fun adventures :)

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

[umichenginabroad]

Week 9: Happy Easter!

This week was the week before Easter so it was filled with Easter activities. In addition to walking through more Easter markets, IFSA hosted an egg painting and gingerbread cookie decorating workshop. 

Sadly, I only got to paint eggs because it was a lot harder than I expected :( The eggs were decorated with colored wax, which would dry within seconds, meaning that there was no time to hesitate and think about what stroke to make. It definitely took a few tries before I got used to the rhythm of painting on the eggs but I was happy with the results in the end. This will definitely be a tradition I want to continue even when I return back to America. 

I also tried another Chinese restaurant this week. This time, it was hot pot at a local restaurant called BaSu!

It was a lot of my friends' first time trying hot pot so in addition to being able to enjoy the food myself, it was also fun sharing my culture. Hot pot is typically a meal that is used to gather family and friends to celebrate any occasion so I’m glad that we were all able to share this experience together. 

We ended the week with a large group trip to Budapest! It was definitely stressful in the beginning planning accommodations and activities for 15 people but it was worth it in the end. A lot of this trip was just sitting around our dining table and playing card games, such as King’s Cup and Palace.

The highlight of this trip was the thermal baths. We went to the most popular one, called Szécheny Thermal Bath, and it was different than anything I have ever experienced.

They had three massive, heated pools outside that were super relaxing to sit in. Then, we discovered the sauna and ice bath combo which was a life changer. I left this spa feeling so rejuvenated, especially after weeks of continuous traveling.

The city in general is just beautiful. Many of the buildings are designed with so much detail and I can spend hours staring at them. One night, we caught the sunset along the waters near the Parliament, which I definitely recommend. 

That concludes my week again! Hope you enjoyed reading and I will see you all really soon :)

Janice Liu

Computer Science

Tech Career Accelerator in Prague