It has been less than a week since our study abroad program started. I have been in Spain interning in Sevilla, but it has been so nice being reunited with other Texas A&M students to start our business classes in Barcelona. My first impressions of the business program are that the professors and classes we are taking are very interesting and informative. I have seen many of the concepts explained in class in real life through my internship in Seville. For example, we learned about culture yesterday. Specifically, Spain has a more passive goal orientation according to Hofstede?s 6 Dimensions. That reigned true during my internship when meeting coworkers, forming relationships, and spending time with enjoyable coworkers was equally important as the work I was producing. I have never learned about the EU before, and I love getting to learn more about the EU, Spanish business practices, international business, and visiting companies in Spain. I like Barcelona a lot. My favorite thing to do in Barcelona is hike, especially because you can?t hike in Seville. I am grateful to be in a different part of Spain, especially because it is less hot here in Barcelona, but I do miss my host family.
From this experience, I hope to gain a true foundation in international business, form relationships with peers that I wouldn?t normally get to meet, continue practicing my Spanish, and learn more about the culture and people of Spain. Some of my favorite memories from the first week include studying with my roommates for our first test on the balcony, eating incredible food, learning how to navigate the Barcelona metro, hiking as a group, meeting two new friends, and then riding a gondola down the Spanish mountains with them, and getting to practice my Spanish by translating for my friends. I am so grateful for the opportunity to study abroad and am excited to see how the next four weeks go!
