A successful trip to Spain – Eddie Bouchez

Having had a few days to reflect since returning from our trip, I can confidently say that this was an experience of a lifetime. For those of you who are considering studying abroad, Barcelona was a city with so much to do. While we were only there for two weeks, we had the opportunity to visit a couple of local businesses, learn about their companies, and explore famous landmarks. I learned that aside from the different cultural differences of being in Spain, there were also many differences when it comes to doing business. For example, I noticed that there seemed to be many more small family-owned businesses in Barcelona in comparison to a large U.S. city. For this reason, a lot of businesses seem to feel more family-oriented and very focused on craftsmanship and tradition. One company we visited was called Celler Diaz, a Vermuth distillery in Sitges. We toured this business and spoke to Miguel, who now runs this business. We then had the opportunity to discuss solutions and possible ventures for this company in groups, which was a great learning experience. Overall, being able to interact with different business owners and locals was a learning experience that I couldn’t have had anywhere else. On the second week of this trip, we visited more sites such as the Parliament of Catalonia and the site for the 1992 Summer Olympics. One of my favorite places was our visit to the Port of Barcelona, which is full of history and an essential hub for all of Europe. On this tour, we learned about the current supply chain crisis and how different industries are being impacted not only in the Mediterranean but around the world. We took a boat around the port and learned about how the port is organized for efficiency and the purpose of each terminal and saw hundreds of shipping containers. As a supply chain major, this was very interesting to finally learn about in person! Another great excursion was visiting Montserrat, where we hiked and overlooked the entire city. Since returning, all I can say is that this trip expanded my cross-cultural competence and opened my mind to many new ideas. I highly recommend studying abroad through CIBS and seeing the world!