Upon traveling to Portugal I had not done much research of the country and was not quite sure what to expect. I told myself that I wanted it to be a surprise and that would make it more interesting. The first city we arrived at in Portugal reminded me a lot of New York. This city also happens to be the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. Lisbon was filled with graffiti on nearly every wall. Don’t get me wrong, there were many beautiful sights to the city, but the graffiti and somewhat rundown buildings were what mostly stuck out. One of my favorite things we did in Lisbon was travel to Sintra. In Sintra, we visited Quinta da Realeira which is a villa that looks like a castle. The villa was on several acres of land with hidden caves and rock features throughout the land. While I really enjoyed my time in Lisbon, I was looking forward to traveling to the next city, Porto.
Porto was a much quieter city with just as much stuff to see and do. The river that runs through Porto–the Duoro River–was such a breathtaking sight to see. While in Porto, we visited many businesses and spent lots of time walking around the city exploring. The business I enjoyed visiting the most is called Vista Alegre. Vista Alegre is a porcelain company that dates back to 1824. Vista Alegre has created porcelain pieces for some of the most well-known people in the world such as kings, queens, and even past U.S. presidents. I love that this company is still in operation and continues to hold on to the history of its factory. On the last day of the trip we returned to Lisbon and it was sadly time to say our goodbyes.
The only thing that initially connected me to the 27 other people I was traveling with was the fact that they were all Aggies and also business majors. Although this is how I viewed my traveling companions at the beginning of our journey to Portugal, they became much more than just fellow Aggies and business majors. They became friends with who I now share many memories of an amazing time in Portugal.
Traveling to Portugal on this study abroad was an amazing experience and if you find yourself reading this and are considering doing one, I highly recommend it! I know I was hesitant at first, but I was encouraged to go by my sister who had her own study abroad experience a few years ago. In these two short (but also long) weeks, I learned more about businesses not just by visiting different businesses, but by understanding that culture can greatly change and form the way businesses are run. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to travel to Portugal and create memories that will last forever.