This week marks my final week in Lisbon, Portugal. I have fallen in love with this city and this country. The people, the culture, and mostly the food! I have encountered many locals and the overall denominator has been that they want me to love my time here in Portugal. I am always getting recommendations and being asked if I am enjoying it. I talked with my program director about this, and she said it is definitely a part of their culture to ask or want to make sure everyone is having a good time. I have seen this play out in many of their celebrations. This is a very lively and festive city and there is always a party celebrating something. My office even had a party to celebrate me being here (seen in pictures)! It consisted of traditional Portuguese food (such as the snails and sardines pictured) and music, but they still asked me to play country music and teach them line dances!
My time here has changed my initial expectations. My initial perception of everyone being late has been accurate, but I was wrong in thinking this applied to everything. If there was a meeting or my boss needed me, I was to act promptly. I see why in the workplace that this laid-back attitude sometimes is not accepted. My view of my supervisor also has changed. Initially, I looked at him as high above me, even though he did not treat me that way. Throughout my time here, I now see that he looks at us as equal people who can influence the company. Everyone here has welcomed me like I have always been a part of the team, and not like I was merely an intern. At my internship, I was taught more things than I expected as well. I was hoping to learn basic skills and see if I like the field I was in, but I learned much more. I was put through trainings, sat in interviews, and was given projects that were actually useful for the team. I have been thoroughly surprised by the time and attention I was given even though my internship here was so short-term. I am so grateful for this experience and this amazing city!
