The most important thing about stepping outside of your comfort zone is recognizing both what you enjoy and dislike. In order to know you have to take a leap of faith and try. Throughout high school and even my early collegiate career I never could’ve predicted that I would attend a month-long trip across the Atlantic. I have spent the past three weeks well beyond my comfort zone and I could not appreciate what I have learned on this trip more. Firstly, my knowledge of global business has expanded dramatically not only due to in-class learning but also our excursions outside the classroom. I retained an abundance of information from our meeting with the CEO of Pallarès Knives and the tour that followed. Their operations and business strategy has developed throughout three generations with massive scale in their clientele reaching all over the globe. One of the most fascinating business decisions was their commitment to in-house production of all components that go into their knife production. Claiming they strive for authenticity and take pride in hands-on production despite only having 23 employees. Secondly, I have learned to appreciate the common amenities I have enjoyed my entire life in the United States. For example, free ice water at restaurants is not common in Spain and I would’ve never thought about losing that luxury back at home. In addition, the frequency of air conditioning is dramatically different, however, it is certainly not as much of a necessity as it is in Texas. Lastly, I’ve learned about the drastic differences in perception of work-life balance abroad versus in the United States. In Spain and many other European countries, the citizens “work to live” whereas we grow up with the mindset that you “live to work” placing a huge emphasis on first job and career development. I am not siding with either mindset, just merely pointing out the differences I have acknowledged. In addition, Spanish culture promotes the idea that life outside of work is just as if not more important than your work. I have also learned about their collectivist view of success while America tends to promote success and rewards on more of an individual level. I have enjoyed this journey and look forward to finishing strong. Below I have attached photos of a church in the city of Solsona, the Catalan Parliament, and my favorite dish so far (steak tartare).
