The first few days of this trip have been very exciting and the cities we have been to are very unique. Much of the landscape and geography are similar regardless of where you are in the country but this is deceptive because every town feels like its own little world. My favorite city we have visited at this point was Sintra, a very quaint town that is home to the regaleria, a castle estate of an old king. It was extremely serene and had a nine-story well that you could walk down which separated into a tunnel system. The next day we went into the countryside and learned how olive oil and cork (two staple Portuguese products) were made. This was very different from the sprawling streets of Lisbon but it still had similar architecture interestingly enough. I really enjoyed learning about the different values and fundamentals in business and the ethics of the farmers. The cork farmer had a completely different perspective on business from anyone I’ve ever met in the U.S and it opened my eyes and changed how I viewed industry in America.
One of the most unexpected things on this trip is the travel. The highways are very small and there are very few cars/gas stations on the road. The gas is extremely expensive and all of the cars are very small because the roads are very narrow. I have not seen a truck in this country, even on the farms. My favorite part of the program has been meeting everyone from the school and getting closer on the trip. The best experiences are ones you share with others and there is something very beautiful in meeting all new people, seeing new landscapes, and experiencing a completely different culture all at the same time. I am excited to see how not only myself but the group as a whole grows by the end of the trip.