I’ve been able to travel abroad to Europe 3 times before this trip, so I feel like I know what it’s like to go abroad, try new things, and experience new cultures. However, this trip is a little different–I feel like I’m not a tourist. Although we are doing incredible cultural visits (such as to Sintras and Cascais) and a walking tour of Lisbon (and later Porto), we have been immersed in Portuguese culture. Making Pastel de Nata, eating different traditional foods every day, walking the streets, taking the metro, and sharing time in the community through meals with my Aggie classmates has been an incredible experience. Speaking of meals, I’ve noticed how in Portugal, meals are an event–it is a time to come together with family/friends/co-workers to share a meal together, a glass of wine, and a cup of coffee with a dessert. Dinner isn’t eaten just for the sake of eating, which is how I feel like it can sometimes be in the United States, but enjoying community and building relationships with those around us. Another example of this is, in the past when I visited Italy, I could get an espresso for 1 Euro from a coffee shop that only looked to the street (nowhere to go inside), drink the coffee, and then continue on with my day. In Portugal, there is no place I’ve seen yet where you can drink your coffee standing up to enjoy quickly and then leave, they are all filled with tables so that you are able to come in, sit down, and enjoy a coffee with your community. I don’t remember the last time that I’ve even sat down at a Starbucks to have a coffee, it’s almost all drive-thru! This relationship-oriented culture has been so interesting to learn about and more importantly, be a part of.
Coming into this program, I did not know how cork was produced, how olive oil was processed, or that St. George’s Castle in Lisbon is full of peacocks! Not only has this trip been culturally rich, but also academically. Visiting a cork farm, an olive oil company, a bakery, and a porcelain factory so far has shown me the intricacies of business in real life. Having a bakery (or a coffee shop) isn’t just about making a great pastry or coffee, it’s about human resources, work-life balance, employee retention, scaling, strategic decisions, and much more. Learning about companies that are differentiators and how they’ve built their brand to do this, or vertically integrated companies and how that impacts their supply chains has been extremely interesting to learn about, and I can’t wait to continue learning more in the rest of the program.
I really hope that everyone has an opportunity to go abroad.
