This time abroad taught me so much about Italian culture. I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn and immerse myself in another culture for three weeks. Some of the biggest takeaways about conducting business in Italy is the difference in personal relationships. I believe that in America business transactions and deals are simply that. There are not many personal connections when conducting a business deal. In Italy, a personal connection is so important. When conducting business, you want to be able to trust anyone involved in that process, and Italians make sure of this by making connections beforehand. When conducting business in Italy, you need to be prepared for anything. The variety in business owners we interacted with definitely proved my initial perspective of what an Italian business owner would be like. I think coming in with more of an open mind of what these people really want for their business would help. I think America has a one way mindset of growing the company, and this was not the case for some of these companies. This time abroad expanded my perspective of Italy. I originally thought it would be a lot of small villages, which there are, but their main cities are so large and beautiful. This was a really eye opening understanding for me. I think it has definitely inspired me to up my step count in College Station. Being able to get 10,000 steps in a day normally without any exercise felt like it was a privilege. I believe I will also keep a more open mind on cultural differences within the business world in the future. When conducting international business, so many different cultures can be involved. Allowing myself to see these cultural differences as an opportunity for growth instead of a threat to the process may allow a more enjoyable business process. This trip was so amazing and fulfilling. I will be thinking about the Florence pasta for the rest of my life!
