Going to Portugal was my first time exploring a culture outside of the States and is an experience I will never forget. Upon returning, I realized I want to pursue as many study abroad opportunities as I can during the remainder of my time at A&M and see as much of the world as I can even after that. Portugal carries so much beauty both externally in the environment and internally in the kind hearts of the Portuguese people that I was lucky enough to encounter. I had such a positive experience, and I think everyone should have the international experience that I had.
We were exposed to several different industries, and it was so interesting to see the different philosophies used to carry out business practices. There is a lot of emphasis on sustainability and efficiency. One day we got to make pastries from scratch in a family-owned business, and that was personally one of my favorite companies that we visited. During our free time, I was able to visit many shops and restaurants, and in my observation, the employees always seemed to be more relaxed and happy, and the environments had a more slow-paced, calm energy.
10/10 experience with a 10/10 group of people! I am eager to discover where I can go next.