A Guide To Prague

czech republic
Prague. The city of a thousand spires. Of a thousand dreams. Bohemian paradise. The jewel in the crown of Central Europe.

To say that my adventures getting to Prague were a nightmare would be an understatement. After our flight departing from Rome switched airports without alerting us, we raced from Roma Fiumicino to Roma Ciampino via cab, praying to get there on time. It was 6:00, and our flight was to leave at 7:10. Things looked optimistic until we drove into a traffic jam that can best be described as one of Dante's levels of hell. I had resigned myself to accepting that we wouldn't make our flight and would have to catch one the next day - which was of course disappointing considering we only had a weekend holiday.

We arrived to the airport at 7:00. By some miracle, we raced through security with the help of a guard who, after rolling his eyes at us Americans, let us cut through line. We arrived to the gate by 7:05 and were, by some miracle, the last ones on the plane. I actually think I cried a little out of joy when I got to my seat. Of course, that joy only lasted until I had realized that I was seated in the middle of an obnoxiously drunk bachelor party - but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Prague better be the best damn city in the world, I thought.

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How to Pack Your Carry-On Bag

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I have a love-hate relationship with packing. Love - because it usually means I'm going somewhere exciting and there are adventures to be had. Hate - because it's tedious and I usually just end up shoving everything I own into one bag and having to sit on it to get it to zip. That being said, it always pays to have an idea ahead of time of what you want to pack. Your carry-on bag for example - make sure it's filled with in-flight necessities, entertainment, and a few extras for whatever life has to throw at you.

How do I pack my carry-on bag? Here's my ideal packing list for keeping what you need with you.

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Advice from a College Senior

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As the first half of my senior year comes to a close, I've found myself reflecting quite a bit on my college experience.  I can't deny that there is a panic that's setting in. With only one semester standing between me and the rest of my life, I find myself holding on to what's familiar. There's a part of me that's ready to graduate, of course. I know that no matter what I choose to go on to next will be a crazy and wonderful adventure.  But there's a part of me that is admittedly so sad to graduate. I love being a university student.  I love the people I've met, I love the classes I take, I love being a part of this incredible community. I don't want to leave it behind.


I've heard a lot of people say that college are the best years of your life.  I don't want to fully accept this as a mantra, because I think there's still some really great years to come. But college has been a whirlwind if nothing else.  There have been a lot of incredible highs, and with those have come some lows. And as the end nears, I find myself looking back at what I would change. What I would do differently. What it all meant.

Though it was a roller coaster, I don't know if I could say I'd change any of it. I do think that certain things happen for a reason, even if that reason is simply to teach you a lesson, or help you understand yourself better over time.  But even if  I wouldn't change anything, there are things I've learned - inside the classroom and out - that I would pass on to my younger self.

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How to Rock Your Internship

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Internships are one of the most vital and important experiences as a college student when it comes to getting ready to enter 'the real world'. There is so much more to being an intern than filing papers or getting coffee - internships give you a taste of a career, of an industry. They offer you the chance to reflect on what you want in a job, and a sense of what to expect when looking for one. And ultimately, internships give you the one thing a classroom can't - experience. Working hands-on in an industry will teach you more about what jobs entail, and teach you life skills that you'll need for any career.
I spent two (and a half) summers interning for the same digital agency in their marketing and innovations team, and I've been at the same university paper as a reporting intern for three years now. I owe so much to these jobs - they've taught me how to survive in an environment that isn't a classroom, they've taught me valuable work skills, and they gave me a more educated opinion of what I want to do with my life.

Here are some of the tips that I've picked up over the years on how to rock your internship.

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Roman Holiday

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They say that Rome wasn't built in a day, and let's be honest - it'd be impossible to experience it in only one too. There is so much to experience in the Eternal City that one could spend a lifetime there and find something new every day. I spent two months living there this past summer and didn't get to see all that I had hoped. But that's the beauty of it. The city sprawls. Dusty streets wind around the seven hills. The bustle of modern city is interrupted when you wind the corner and stumble across a building as old as an empire. The city is ageless and remarkable.

The first time I visited in Rome, I spent only two days there. But I was so captivated I returned years later to spend two months. There's magic in the city. Italian culture thrives at it's heart, and it's a melting pot of history. Everywhere you turn there's the Renaissance, the Roman Empire, and simply Rome today. Which is why I believe it deserves to be on everyone's travel itinerary. The city is a step back in time.

However, if one is not fortunate enough to drop everything and move to Italy for two months as I so gratefully was, I've narrowed down the most important landmarks to experience when visiting the Eternal City.

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Fake It 'Til You Become It

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"Fake it 'til you make it."

We grew up with this idiom in the back of our minds. It's what people yelled at us in gym when we didn't want to run the extra lap.  It's what people told us when we had to spend time somewhere we didn't want. It's what we were told when our spirits crashed and we didn't think we could push through. 

It's supposed to be a helpful phrase, but I always felt skeptical whenever it was said.  How can there be anything genuine about 'faking it'?  What good is making it? In a way, the phrase aimed at breaking down negative attitudes only contributes to them. Make it through, and then you can go home. There's nothing lasting about it. Just put on a smile and get through it. 

But how does that apply to our lives when we're studying, working, or we're just trying to get through the day? Faking it 'til you make it doesn't build good study skills.  It doesn't improve your office relations.  It doesn't give you the optimism to get through the day, and the next day, and the next.  It just... gets you by.

Which is when I realized that maybe we've been saying it wrong all along.  Maybe just changing one simple word can change your whole outlook.

It changed mine.

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Conversation Hour with Anna Sui

anna sui


The world of Anna Sui is one unparalleled in the world of fashion.  Her eclectic collections are mixed with vintage influences and cultural obsessions, reflecting her boundless energy and spirit. Her products exude an air that is both feminine, young, and playful while reflecting influences like the 1960s, rock n' roll music, and street fashion.

On the Anna Sui World:
"I think that whenever somebody talks about Anna Sui fashion, there's always the same catch phrases. It's always nostalgic but trendy, a touch of rock n' roll but very feminine. But there's always that opposite. You can never tell if you're a good girl or a bad girl, and I think that's part of the appeal."

Fresh from New York Fashion Week where she launched her Spring 2016 collection, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series at the University of Michigan hosted Anna Sui for a conversation hour in the crowded Michigan Theater.

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Falling for Accessories

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"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Fall has always been my favorite season.  The trees are painted shifting hues of red and orange and yellow and brown, while the leaves already fallen form a sort of orchestra under my feet.  The air becomes chill, and I need no excuse to bundle up in sweaters and scarves and drink hot cider or read books all day by a fireplace.  Fall is also my favorite season in terms of style, as it's the last chance to make an impression before you bundle up in a parka for the long winter. 
Here are some of my favorite fall accessories this year:

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Come Fly With Me

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This past summer, I was fortunate enough to spend two months studying abroad in Italy and travelling throughout Europe - an experience which can only be described as a dream come true.

St. Augustine once spoke, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."  
Every person has a story.  Every city.  Every religion, every tradition, every culture.  
An empty lipstick-stained glass of wine left on a table on a street-side cafe table in Paris.  The crumbling walls along an ally in Budapest.  The fixated stare of a marble statue in Florence.  
They all have stories.

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College 101: Organization and Study Tips

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It's getting to that point in the semester when everything begins to catch up to you way more quickly than you'd like.  It feels like Welcome Week was just yesterday, but your professors are already assigning ridiculous amounts of reading and giving you pop quizzes, and suddenly midterms are looming closer every day.  Trust me, I've had my fair share of mental breakdowns to know the pain.  Those midnights before a paper is due when you don't even have a thesis statement?  Or those all-nighters spent cramming for exams that you know no matter how much you study for, you'll never feel prepared enough?  The woes of college life are literally endless.
 But then again, how can we complain when we're so lucky to be here?  I always feel a tinge of guilt when I'm stressed out and thinking about how I'd rather just drop out of school and join the circus.  And then I realize that I don't have the coordination to walk a tightrope and I'm not as cool as Reese Witherspoon and can't perform gymnastics on top of an elephant.  So instead, I clear my head.  I remember that I want this because I have big dreams and this is how I'm going to get there.  I get focused and I get organized.  The best way to treat a new school year is to get in control of your work before everything you feel overwhelmed.

Here I've laid out some study and organizational tips that work for me.  Granted, everybody learns differently.  How I study may not be what works best for you.  The best way to figure out what does work for you is to try out different methods.  If you are really struggling in school, talk to somebody.  There are countless resources on campus to get help - counselors, academic advisers, tutors, etc.  Utilize them.  You may feel like you're drowning in the pressure of the semester, but trust me, you are not alone in that feeling.  Getting focused and organized will help you live up to your potential.


Gone Greek: Why I Decided to Join a Sorority My Junior Year (and Why it Was the Best Decision I've Ever Made)

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Going into college, I never saw myself as a sorority girl. 
Don't get me wrong, I love Legally Blonde as much as the next girl.  Elle Woods is a total kickass feminist icon and my friends and I used to joke freshman year that we were sisters of Delta Nu because we liked boys and parties but we also wanted gender equality and to know that we could ace law school too if we wanted.  
But really, when it came down to it, I started college not knowing what Greek Life was all about.  Some people said they loved it.  Others said it wasn't for them.  I apparently missed the application for rush, so I figured I stood with the latter. 

So how did it come to be that now, as a junior at the University of Michigan, I am writing this as a sister of Gamma Phi Beta?  Let's rewind.