This past weekend I had the chance to visit Prague! Prague was beautiful, as a group of us got to explore many sites in the city, including the Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and John Lennon Wall. This weekend allowed us to not only experience the amazing city, but also become closer to a lot of the members in the program as we were all unfamiliar with the language and had to find our way around Prague. We got accustomed to living in a hostel, traveling with trams, eating some Czech food, and having to use maps without any mobile data! Overall, it was an awesome adventure that definitely made my 20^th birthday very special and memorable!

I think one of the advantages to studying abroad in a European country is having the ability to travel throughout more of Europe on the weekends. Countries in Europe are very accessible by reasonable and cheap transportation such as train, bus, and short plane rides! During my time in Germany, I want to be able to travel to other countries, so I can see some of the most historically dense and famous places in the world. I believe I will be able to benefit from a once-in-a-lifetime, cultural experience that allows me to expand my horizons, and not only face new challenges but help me to grow as an individual (I mean I did hold a massive snake while in Prague)!

Before joining this program, I did not have the opportunity to engage in much international travel. This has all been one new, eye-opening experience! My family vacations have never really ventured outside of the United States, and I think I understand why as it is a more complicated process. Through my experiences so far, whether it has been in Germany or other parts of Europe, I have noticed how much preparation needs to go into a small weekend trip or event. Since you have no familiarity with the location, language, and cultural traditions, one must do a decent amount of research before venturing into another place. I think the biggest adjustment to international travel are the language barriers. However, luckily for me I speak some German, which is one of the reasons why I chose to be a part of IIP Berlin.  I learned German throughout high school and a couple semesters in college, which made for an easier transition into the summer. I have been able to understand conversations in the workplace and participate in German cultural traditions!

Speaking of work, this week as a finance intern at Sirius Facilities was very intense. Sirius is trying to finish up its year-end financial data metrics for the annual report, so my supervisor has assigned me many tasks that involve a lot of final valuation reconciliations. Everyone has been scrambling around to find the correct numbers, because what Sirius presents to the public must be very precise and detailed. Overall, I have been able to work directly with the company’s financial data and really contribute to its upcoming annual report!

I will be getting a little break this weekend, and a couple of us are heading to Rome! I have always wanted to see the Colosseum, and I finally get the opportunity to visit it! We are super excited as we will be staying there for three days, while making some long lasting memories. Stay tuned until next week to hear all about Rome!

Bis Später!

Logan