First Week in Portugal! – McKayla Young

I honestly was not sure what to expect when I signed up to study abroad in Lisbon, Portugal. However, I have learned so much about this place in the few days that I have been here. My first impressions of Lisbon were very positive. It is an extremely beautiful city that is covered in beautiful tiles, limestone streets, and views at every corner. While visiting a few cities during my time so far, I have discovered that Portugal has so much to offer. Each place is so unique, whether it is a coastal town, cork or olive oil farms, or cities covered in castles as far as the eye can see. Other than Lisbon, we have spent some time in Sintra and Cascais, as well as the farm towns. My first impressions of our tours in these places were really great because I was able to learn how businesses truly function in Portugal and the steps they have taken to be successful. Overall, the business program has truly allowed me to broaden my horizons and visit people and places that I would not have otherwise come across. I am extremely thankful for this experience and my first impressions of this beautiful place exceeded my expectations (which I did not think was possible). In my opinion, I think that if you are on the fence about studying abroad, do it! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I have already learned so much about Europe and the business environment here. For instance, I discovered that it takes many, many years for a cork tree to be stripped and made. It is very interesting to see the differences between business operations in Europe and America. So far this trip has really sparked my interest in global marketing, and I cannot wait to dive deeper and learn more as we travel to Porto this next week!