Wow! It is hard to believe that my tour has already come to an end. I had the pleasure of visiting four countries throughout my program?s duration ? Spain, France, Monaco, and Italy. While my trip may have been just two weeks long, I learned a lot about international business and cultural customs while overseas. One main lesson that I took away from my trip is the high level of passion that many international businesses have. Prior to my tour, I was expecting the business visits we explored to be filled with high-level management discussions and profit-focused presentations, but it turned out that no matter which country we were in, the passion spoke louder than the product. Meaning that while the locations and languages may have changed, every business had the same purpose of generating a passion behind the product or service they create. It was amazing to see the heart behind even the smallest of businesses overseas and how they transfer that into their product. For instance, during our time in France, we had the pleasure of visiting a family-run olive oil company. The family showed us around their olive tree fields and manufacturing equipment while explaining the history that olive oil has played in their family and the meaning behind why they produce their product. Hearing their individual story was one of my favorite parts of the trip, as it was so inspiring to hear the ?why? behind a product firsthand. All in all, I am so grateful that I was able to attend this trip through Mays Business School, specifically CIBS. This program provided me with so much knowledge of international business and cultural customs that I can now apply to my future career. The memories, friendships, and knowledge gained throughout this experience are tokens that I will always cherish. Thank you!
