I am going into my junior year of college and wanted to end my sophomore year by studying abroad. Throughout my time at Texas A&M, I know that the school has a reputation for sending students abroad, and all the stories I have heard have made me want to sign up for one, which I did. The countries that I have visited so far are Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Italy, with 2 more still on the way. From this experience, I hope to gain the ability to see the world from a whole new perspective. I have always been a person who has been fond of wanting to travel, and this program has allowed me to do that. The cultures within the different European countries all share their characteristics, but they all share similar features. For example, from what I have experienced in Europe, the people are a lot calmer when walking the streets and are against very excessively loud crowds, the people seem to be happier, and a large thing I have noticed is that there is a lot more walking and use of public transport. With the United States culture, it is different; Europeans don’t tip, and they are people who aren’t in a rush. People from the United States are always rushing, and we eat on the go, but in Europe, the people have set times to eat, and they enjoy their time. So far, this trip has been an amazing experience to see what European culture is in person. Each city and country has been very unique, and I am excited to see what all the other countries in the region are like. Being on the move all the time has helped me learn and appreciate some aspects of life in the United States, but has also made me desire some of the uniqueness that we don’t have, but these European countries have.
