My very first impression of Athens came from the drive from the airport to the hotel. The views were so beautiful. We could see hills, mountains and even graffiti during the drive which felt completely different from the flat terrains we see in Texas.
Experiencing Greek culture throughout this trip so far has been a dream come true. We got to visit the Parthenon and the museum and learn more about its history and significance. As someone who loved the Percy Jackson series growing up, seeing the places I read about when I was younger was one of my favorite experiences. I also really enjoyed the traditional Greek cooking lesson and the bike tour around Athens. It was such a unique way to experience the culture and the city of Athens. During these experiences, some of the differences I saw between Greece and U.S. culture was how relaxed and community-oriented it feels here. For example, meals here are much slower and more social while in the U.S. they are often more fast-paced and a bit more individualized.
Moreover, I have really liked how the program has been structured so far. It was really great to be able to explore Athens and understand its current economic state prior to meeting the Global Business Brigade clients.
Everyone involved in the Global Business Brigade program seemed so passionate and enthusiastic about this program and I feel like that energy really rubbed off on all of us. Meeting the past clients especially showed me how much of an impact we can make on people’s lives and it made me even more excited to meet our client.
When we met Fekerte (our client) it was truly a special moment. My group and I stayed and talked to her for 2 hours about her life, her business and her dreams. It was truly beautiful to see how passionate she was about her Ethiopian culture and how much joy she got from sharing it with others. We learned that she didn’t have menus, logos, business cards and a few other things that are essential to businesses and got to work immediately. The next day, when we went to show her what we had come up with, she ran out of her store crying with happiness. It was one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had.
