The first week of the Europe Marketing Study Abroad has been an incredible experience. So far, we have visited several businesses around London and immersed ourselves in their culture. I was initially surprised by how diverse London is, with people from so many different parts of the world. I had conversations with many locals who were originally born in countries such as Pakistan and Germany. Immigrants from other countries seemed more
common in London than in the US. While the United States is a nation of immigrants, we have recently begun to isolate ourselves, whereas London has not.
Additionally, when I toured Parliament, I learned about the deep history of the United Kingdom. They are rooted in the traditions of the monarchy. While they are now a democracy, they still have Lords running parts of the country. This is vastly different from our young country of the United States, which has been a democracy for its entire lifetime. The US lacks tradition in their culture as a result. In the UK, traditions such as afternoon tea result from the history of royals in this country. The culture of traditions has unified the United Kingdom. In the US, however, we lack traditions. This results in an ever-changing culture, shown in the innovation and social movements. This ability to move away from the old has created growth, but also creates disunity.
We were also able to visit many of the leading companies in the United Kingdom. One visit that stood out was our tour of Lloyd’s of London. They are the leading insurance brokerage market in the world and have been running since 1689. This historic institution still continues with traditions such as ringing the same bell when a ship sinks for the past 300 years. This contrasts with US companies, which focus on efficiency and less on formality. During this visit, we were also able to go through the financial district. I noticed that workers would drink alcohol during their lunch break, then head back to the office. This would be frowned upon in the US, but is normal in the UK. This showed me how the US has a strict boundary between work and leisure, which is less prevalent in the UK.
Overall, the first week of my study abroad has been informative and exciting. I have been able to get a taste of what living in London is like. I love the culture of the city and could see myself working abroad someday. I am excited for the next three weeks and look forward to learning more about the culture of Europe.
