I can easily say that my time on the Europe Integration Business Study Abroad Program was truly an amazing experience. As the trip progressed, I was able to appreciate the culture and lifestyle of the people that we met. Initially, my thoughts were that these European countries would have a very similar culture and lifestyle as in the United States. However, that was proved to be wrong. The business culture specifically was a little more casual at the business that we visited. There was more importance placed on a healthy work life balance and taking time out of the day to either enjoy the outdoors with a quick swim or grabbing a quick coffee with coworkers. All this to say though that there was still that hard working nature in all of the employees that we met. I believe that the integration into a European business culture would be a smoother transition. Another misinterpretation I had is that “everyone speaks English”. While many people, especially in the tourist areas, speak English, I wish I would have been able to have conversational knowledge. This would have been on my own time, but through this experience I now understand the importance of knowing customs of the place you are traveling and being able to appreciate it. Learning a new language is a new goal of mine after this trip. Living internationally for some time is something that I want in my life and this program was able to give me a small taste of that. This trip has truly opened my eyes to different cultures and other parts of the world. I have been able to feed my love for travel and exploration and have gained so many new friendships and experiences. Forever grateful for this program, the people, and the memories.
