Getting the opportunity to study abroad in France has blown my expectations out of the water. Before this trip, I had never been outside the United States. With my excitement and expectations extremely high, the first couple of weeks were far better than I was expecting. The most rewarding experience for me on this study abroad trip was the ability to experience so many new cities and interesting cities that contain so much unique history. While residing in Strasbourg, I have noticed how their business interactions differ compared to the United States. For instance, one thing that has caught my attention is in the food industry. Waiters and waitresses are very relaxed when approaching customers and do not force the check to your table unlike in America. Another interesting thing I have noticed is the usage of technology systems to increase morality and efficiency. An example of this would be in grocery store self-checkout lines. You are granted access to exit the store only by scanning your receipt. I thought this was a very neat idea considering the high amounts of theft in the U.S. that just comes from self-checkout lines alone. Similarly, I have noticed that the majority of employees in all places of business speak two to three languages. With the location of Strasbourg, it is important to not only be bilingual but also trilingual. Back home, when an employee is confronted with a unique language, they often lose out on business because they cannot communicate. However, here in Strasbourg I have been able to give a lot of places my business because of the ease of communication. With a lack of knowledge about the country of France, one surprise for me has been the grocery store prices being very cost-efficient. While shopping for ingredients to last me two weeks, I have been able to walk out of the store for under 30 dollars. This was very surprising to me because of how different it is in the United States. Overall, this France trip has blown my expectations out of the water with the amazing experiences I have been able to have.
