As I wrap up my final week abroad, I can sit here can say that I have learned so much. This experience was nothing like how I imagined it. I have had to learn an entirely different culture and learn new ways to act and conduct myself. Business in Iceland is very casual. After visiting the NASDAQ and other companies, many business owners have a laissez-faire mindset. They prioritize their mental health and their lives over their work. This is something that we from America dream of but it’s just not in our reality. We are always competing trying to be the best, but in Iceland, people are just trying to enjoy their lives. Communicating with some of the locals made me realize the big difference of opinion in Iceland. The youth seem to want to get out in the world and explore different countries, and the elderly enjoy staying in Iceland and experiencing a peaceful life. I used to think that most people did not want to spend their lives in Iceland and wanted to leave, but I see I was wrong. Most of the tour guides I have met are people who came for vacation and decided to stay for years. It is astonishing that a coming to country and experiencing the culture just makes you want to stay. So many tourists I have met said that they plan to return to Iceland multiple times to experience the culture and nature again. There are many things that I am going to take from this trip. It made me realize how important just living life is. Even when conducting business, it’s not about being the best, and it?s not a competition. Most businesses try to be sustainable and try to help heal the environment and the world. That?s something that I am going to try to include going forward in my career.
