Settling Into a New City, a New Culture – Steven Gooch

The first evenings in Barcelona were filled with tapas and good talks with new friends; some of whom came with me from A&M, and others were the clerks and barkeeps of the small and welcoming shops surrounding our apartments in the cozy Eixample district. It has been 7 years since I first fell in love with Spain, from a classroom at my small 2A high school. To be here, at last, is nothing short of surreal. Many aspects of daily life in this new country have drawn my attention: dining culture, the cost of living, and transportation systems, to name a few. But, what has opened my eyes most to the cultural differences around me has been talking directly with locals. When discussing the future of Celler Diaz, one of our company visits, with the owner and partners, it quickly became evident that people here think about business differently. While many still have an interest in entrepreneurial pursuits, it seems that business owners generally seem to care more about living a good life through their work. I believe that people here are more concerned with carrying on the tradition of the family business or serving their community through their store than is typical in the United States. So far, nobody I have interacted with seems to have ?maximize profit? written in bold at the top of their agenda, as seems to be the case quite often back home. Barcelona is a beautiful city, but this trip is more meaningful for the culture of the local people. To study entrepreneurship in a business setting so different from our own is a great gift; I look forward to learning more about the world and myself each day of this experience.