It has officially been one week since I was abroad, and as I reflect back on my experience I have learned many things about myself, the history behind the European countries we visited, and gained 80 new amazing friends. During my time abroad I got to encounter the culture, people, and gained new perspectives about the countries we visited.
One of the main aspects of the program is about business, specifically marketing abroad, and engaging with the individuals in each country. I’ve learned that no matter how much you think you know about the professional world, there will always be more job titles and roles than you ever know. One in particular that I found interesting was when we visited Design Bridge and Partners. We met with Meghan Claridge whose job title and role was to earn rewards for her company in order to gain recognition. I also learned that immersing yourself into the culture is the best way to respect the country you are visiting and to experience all of its beauty. Another thing that I learned is that even if the people in that country aren’t exactly the most welcoming, most service people were very friendly because of the mass tourism in each country.
Before going abroad the information I had about the countries I visited were purely from information on the internet, and what all I have heard from others. Now that I have experienced these countries myself my perspective has changed from my initial impression. Initially I thought that most European people had negative opinions about Americans, but as I began to interview people for my assignment, I found that their mindset is definitely to treat people the way you want to be treated. I also initially thought that most of our trip was going to be fast paced countries, but as we continued our adventures the countries began to slow down a little, giving us a wide variety of atmospheres and attractions.
