A few days ago I returned from what can only be described as the trip of a lifetime. My program included seven countries across Europe making stops in London, Paris, Avignon, Nice, Monte Carlo, Verona, Innsbruck, Munich, and Lucerne. Each city was vastly different from the next, and yet I managed to love them all.
In nearly every country we had the opportunity to visit several businesses and make note of the differences in how they might operate compared to the U.S. One thing I noticed across several of the countries is how Mondays and Fridays are typically “work-from-home” days. We rarely ever hit rush hour traffic on these days nor would we conduct business visits. This was particularly interesting to me as the U.S. workforce is also seeing a shift towards remote and hybrid positions. Perhaps it’s time for us to make the change as well and create four-day weekends!
Our trip was not all business though, in fact, it was mostly pleasure. One of the most fun parts of our program was the interactions with the locals and the interviews we were instructed to conduct in each country. In each destination, I asked residents what they thought about Texans or Americans in general. More often than not they said we are easy to talk to and quick to befriend. This is something I had noticed very early on in our program as well. My peers and I were always talking; to each other, to strangers, to waiters, to cashiers, to everyone! I soon realized this was not exactly normal in Europe. Europeans tend to keep to themselves and are just naturally on the quieter side when it comes to public settings. This was no problem for us, however, because we loved getting to know new people.
All in all, this experience abroad taught me to appreciate other cultures and leave behind the American attitude that it’s all about us all of the time. This is the reason why I believe every student should have the opportunity to study abroad and learn what the other side of the world has to offer!
