Howdy! I was blessed to have been given the opportunity to study abroad in Italy for the past four weeks, learning about international business and business law. It is a bittersweet goodbye as I head back to the United States, but I am grateful for what I have learned during this program.
This was my first time to be fully immersed into a totally different culture and country. Reflecting on these four weeks, there have been so many adventures, obstacles, and memories. Living in Italy is vastly different than living in the United States. It took a few days to adapt to the seven hour time change and living situations. Living in a touristy area, there was not a huge language barrier, but we were able to learn a few words in Italian to try to help and be a part of their culture. We noticed that there is not much of a variety in cuisines in the city center of Florence, so we ate a lot of Italian food and gelato with a few McDonald’s trips here and there. Almost every day was packed with new things to do and see. From climbing up to the top of the Duomo to exploring the wonders of Rome, it was fascinating to truly experience Italy in all of its glory.
During our class time and visits to other cities, I learned all about cultural intelligence and how to incorporate it into cross-cultural interactions. Having cultural intelligence as a business leader allows you to set yourself apart from the rest and be successful as a global business leader. The root of cultural intelligence is having the motivation, the understanding, the knowledge, and the ability to adapt in other cultures.
Overall, this once in a lifetime opportunity is one I’ll never forget, and I thank everyone who made this program possible.
