Howdy everyone!
My name is Wyatt Pickering, and I am so excited to be discussing more about my experience studying abroad in Italy. We have been on the trip for 13 days, and I have been settling into life in another country. This is the second week of class, and we are working on our client projects with Italian companies. We are also studying for our first international finance exam that is happening tomorrow.
During the past week of our study abroad, we have been lucky enough to participate in company visits and learn more about business culture in Italy. One of my favorites was a company called ZeroLab. They are a newer company that upcycles leather goods and gives leather artists in the Florence area space to hone their craft. During the company visit, we got to make leather card holders out of recycled leather and create a craft that will last for years to come. One of my favorite aspects of this tour was that it taught me more about the leather industry and how much waste there is. For luxury brands, they can waste up to 60% of the leather they use to make these goods. Zerolab can take this waste and make beautiful leather goods you wouldn’t even know were considered waste.
I hope to learn more about Italian business culture during this trip and see more of the differences between American and Italian businesses. There has been a difference between the work-life balance of these two countries, and Italians are generally less stressed about work. I have loved getting to know many Italians during my time here and opening my world view to be more accepting of and acknowledging different ways of life. Thank you so much for reading my blog, and I look forward to sharing more of my experiences in Italy during my study abroad!
Best,
Wyatt Pickering
