The Texas A&M Marketing Abroad has been the highlight of my college experience. I was able to tour leading businesses in 7 countries this past month. Tradition and history have been deeply rooted in almost every business we visited. I initially noticed this at Lloyd’s of London, but it stood to be true. I love the tradition as it has led to the long-lasting success of many businesses. For example, we visited Riedel glassware, which started over 250 years ago. This company invented the wine glass that we use today and continues to make hand-blown glasses. They value the tradition of handcrafted glasses, setting themselves apart from the industry. At the same time, businesses are conducted similarly to the United States. They are continuously innovating and improving processes for their success. I noticed this during my visit to the Sergo Ahligeri Estate, which is a 600-year-old vineyard owned by Masi Wines. While tradition is still maintained, they have innovated to stay competitive in the overcrowded industry. For example, they developed a sweeter, fresher wine to attract a younger market of buyers. While they had to break tradition, they still chose to move forward for the company’s success. This is similar to the U.S., which lacks tradition and prioritizes profit.
As a whole, this experience has radically changed my outlook on Europe. I loved the diverse culture and the work-life balance. I could see myself working abroad in the future. This study abroad was also valuable as we went to so many different countries, all with unique cultures. During this trip, we interviewed locals from many different countries. One thing that was consistently brought up was the openness of Americans. Europeans tend to be closed off, while people from the United States are friendly to strangers. They saw this as a positive and appreciated this cultural difference. While working abroad has its challenges, I think our ability to build relationships could be an asset in another country.