I cannot believe that there are only 4 days left of this program. While I am sad that it is over, I have made some of the best memories while being here. I went to the zoo, saw Charlottenburg Palace, and went to the fan zone for the Euro finals this week. The weather has finally felt like summer, and Berlin is full of people enjoying their time outside. Besides Wednesday. I arrive at work and notice the office getting dark. We looked outside and at 11am, it seemed as if day just turned to night. A few minutes went by and the loudest crack of thunder came out from above us followed by the craziest storm I have ever seen. We looked outside afterward to notice the parking lot was fully flooded and the main street turned into a rushing river. It was shortly after, and we were in the flooded streets because we heard the gym wall ripped out and all the water went rushing inside. 8 people, 2 hours, and hundreds of towels later, we finally cleaned up the water. Turns out 2 other basements next door to us also got flooded! 

Through teamwork there was little damage, and it was a great work bonding moment! On this topic, I would like to say that Germany puts a great emphasis on teamwork. I have noticed at my job that everyone actively inputs ideas and does things as one rather than having our boss make every decision. For example, we all sit at one big rectangular table. I have noticed how nice and enjoyable it is to be able to talk to my co-workers rather than having our own cubicles. I do think that my view on success in Germany will look very different to others as my office is full of young people. My boss started this business with his brother in his mid 20s and he has shown to me that regardless of where you are at, you can make it happen. They now have gallerists, DJs, authors, influencers, and singers that come to their gym. Through the teamwork of my boss and his brother, they have made their gym into something they are proud of.  

As I grew closer to my co-workers, I learned that both own their own small businesses too. Success is not just getting a proper degree, but it is through how much time you put into it. They work hard, not just at the office, all the time. I see hard work and dedication as my view of German success. They work late at night and put in the time to make sure that their business can grow how they hope it can be. I envy their hard work, but I also found it to be a little shocking as work-life balance is valued a lot more here than in America. There are long lunch breaks and down time throughout the day at my internship, but I would say that they work harder than they do relax in my eyes.  

I think that as an accountant, there are days where you do have to work extra. Sometimes, tasks cannot just wait until the next day. You must be eager and willing to put in the work if you want the reward. After seeing my boss work from the early morning to the time the gym closes, I have noticed that you must be willing to work extra time if you want to see your business thrive. I would like to say that my boss is very successful. I have enjoyed this time getting to learn from him and see what it is like to start a company. As an accountant, I hope to be just as successful as him when I get to that age.  

I do not think that there are any differences between successful employees in Germany to the USA. You need to be proactive, you need to work hard, you need to have integrity, and most importantly you need a passion. When looking at two successful people, regardless of what they do or where they are from, they become successful because they found their passion. They wake up and they love their field of work. It depends on how they define success for themselves. I see how hard my boss at my internship and my boss from my job back in the USA work. From opposite ends of the world, success is earned only by how hard you try to achieve your goal. Without a goal, you won’t ever hit success but success changes from person to person.