Approaching the end of our study abroad trip has been sad but very exciting. I am sad to leave but excited to bring back all the knowledge I have gained to the States. International Business 450 was the perfect class to take on this trip. Everything we learned seems to apply to every place we visited. For example, we visited the Barcelona Port Authority. The port is one of the most important and impressive ports in the world. They use intermodal transport more effectively than most, if not all, other ports in the world. With the port’s location only a few kilometers from the airport and a railroad station that connects directly to it, they are extremely efficient in the transportation of exports and imports. Also, they are using more and more green energy every year; ports in countries like China and even some in America could use this as an example of how a few changes could drastically help reduce environmental pollution worldwide. Also, I initially thought that most businesses were in dire need of a performance appraisal. Most customer service-related positions worked very slowly and didn’t seem to be too friendly, which could impact returning customers and positive reviews. However, after a few classes, I learned that the work culture is just like that, and that a performance appraisal linking performance and compensation would not have the same effects as it would in the United States. In addition to changing my view on the business side of Europe, this trip has also helped me learn more about the political turmoil of other countries than I ever could have if I had stayed in College Station. For instance, I would have never learned about the tension between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. Catalonia is an autonomous community that claims the right to an independent state. We had a guest speaker who spoke very strongly about the freedom of Catalonia and presented many persuasive reasons backing the movement, but then we quickly learned about the negatives and the other side of the movement. After hearing both sides, I personally think that a Catalonian independent state is not the best option. It has been fascinating to see and compare political issues like that to those in America. In the end, this is a trip I would do again, and I am very blessed to have been given the opportunity to attend.
