Howdy from Malta! Our first couple days have been spent in the small island country of Malta! Located between Northern Africa and Sicily, the country is rich in cultural influences from the Italians, French, and British. They even drive on the left side of the road!
From our first couple days here, the global business program has exceeded expectations with an incredible field director, who has scheduled the most informative and stunning tours. The program has ensured plenty of guided time as well as independent time to explore and gain experience on our own. As far as first impressions, the cities within the country are extremely tiny, with the biggest population of 5000 in the capital, Valletta. With this, driving in a large tour bus is interesting to say the least. The cities also appear very old and more run down from the outside; however, as our guide mentioned, since 2015 Malta has been on the comeback and has begun construction of many new buildings. Outside of the city, you will find jaw dropping views of cliffs, beaches, and the Mediterranean Sea. The island also is proud to boast 365 churches throughout, with 90% of them being catholic. As we continue on this global experience, I hope to continue learning about the rich history and culture through seeing and experiencing all that the island has to offer as well as our next stops in Italy.
Malta varies significantly from the US but is also similar in some ways. Their culture dates back far before the US, so many of their buildings are much older along with a diverse history spanning 1000s of years. But similarly to the US, they have undergone the influence of many different countries, resulting in pieces of different cultures being pasted together to create Malta heritage, comparable to the different heritages and cultures found across the US as a result of previous colonization by French, British, and Spanish. Malta is also very welcoming and adaptive to international travelers as their national language is English and Maltese. I look forward to continuing to learn and experience these cultures and broaden my worldwide knowledge as the rest of the trip continues.
