My initial impression of the Global Business program was realizing how well-planned our trip was. The itinerary for our trip was super packed with tons of amazing experiences, ranging from seeing the main sights in the city to a cultural cooking class that was a ton of fun. When I first arrived in Athens, I was caught off guard by the many differences from cities in the United States, specifically Houston, where I grew up. Athens had many tall buildings, but they weren’t offices; they were homes and apartments stacked on each other for as long as you could see, which explains the high population density here in the city. The graffiti everywhere was a little worrying, but as I slowly got used to the city, I felt much more comfortable. The last major thing that surprised me about Athens was how busy it was throughout all hours of the day. We have learned that Greece experiences a “busy season” through most of the Summer, but it doesn’t pick up until June at the earliest. Despite this, Athens is buzzing with energy, and people line almost every city block, and there is consistent traffic no matter where you are. It feels like NYC but is busy because of a social cause instead of business, which, in my opinion, is much more enjoyable. I hope to gain a love for traveling and a better understanding of the world outside of the United States through this global experience. This was my first time being outside the country other than a cruise with family, so being able to learn about the world through business has been a great experience so far. My goal is to take this understanding moving forward to be better prepared for dealing with any international issues in my job. While there are many differences, I would say the main one is the refugees. America has plenty of different cultures, but with Greece being so close to the Middle East, it brings many different people into their country. This creates a clash of EU, Middle East, and African cultures that makes Greece what it is.
