My first week abroad has flown by so fast, but so much has already happened! After touching down in London, United Kingdom, we were bussed over to Oxford University where we received a tour of the many smaller universities of Oxford. My initial reaction to this trip was pure excitement to get to visit seven total countries and learn more about international business. I was initially also extremely excited to Visit London because I want to work within the fashion industry and London is a hub for fashion. Overall, from this trip I hope to gain a better understanding of global marketing and how it varies from country to country while also learning about the residents and their cultures of all the countries we travel to.
With London being our first stop, there were not many cultural differences. This country was a great way to start the trip and get the students acclimated to Europe because the main language of the United Kingdom is English. The main difference I could see is the fact that in England, they drive on the left side of the road. This was a huge shock to me right off the bat because I had never been to a country where this took place. While I went into the trip expecting to pay to use the bathroom, this was actually not as prominent as I thought it would be. Within my first week, I did not have to pay to use the restroom in London at all. My least favorite difference between the United States and the UK was the fact that they charge you for water. At restaurants, water is not free when you sit down to eat is not guaranteed. At some restaurants, you could ask for tap water without being charged but most you had to pay around 2 euros for. Overall, I am super excited for this trip and cannot wait to travel all over Europe!
