Over spring break I had the opportunity to go on a study abroad to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. This trip was a mixture of business visits and service projects. We were able to sit down with different business owners and talk about what international business and logistics look like. The first business we visited was a coffee shop called CalCali. This is a very successful, completely family-owned coffee shop in Santiago. CalCali is known for using fresh macadamia milk instead of creamer, and the macadamia nuts are grown on the family farm. In fact, every part of the business is completely run by the owner and his family, thus giving them a competitive advantage over other local coffee shops. The second business that we visited was an exporting company. This was also a family-run business. It was very cool to see the importance of family in the Dominican culture. Family is strongly valued, and people are willing to take time out of their day to just sit and talk with you. We had the opportunity to sit down with many people in the local village, and we thus got to experience the hospitality of the Dominican culture up close. We also did multiple service projects while abroad, such as painting a woman’s house and running a baseball camp for 50 local kids. Overall, I learned the importance of community and the importance of seeing and interacting with other cultures.
