As each day goes by, I’ve begun to reminisce of my time spent abroad. Life in Prague has been such a transformative experience and has brought many moments that I will never take for granted. With my departure date nearing, I know that I need to make the most of each day because once the program is over, there should be no regrets of missed opportunities. When I reflect back on the individual I was before this internship experience, there have been minor differences that captured my attention. In terms of leadership style, I have never been a natural-born leader or the type of leader that is an absolute workhorse. I have always seen myself as the leader that is transparent with others and has no issue seeking out the help that is needed for the overall betterment of a group. With that said, I never really in the past viewed myself as a leader to begin with. I think I am a valuable resource in whatever situation I am in, but was never confident in making the last decision. I take a more passive approach that pleases the majority and is risk-averse. With this internship abroad, my perspective and approach on leadership has been challenged in a sense that I need to make business decisions for myself. Working with a larger corporation means that the workload on days is a hit or miss. Majority of the time, there is a lack of duties for me to perform causing my day to end early or aimlessly sitting around. I quickly realized that I needed to start putting myself out there more, taking initiative to interact with my coworkers and reach out to supervisors. As I became aware that reaching out first would usually end up being supplied with work, this became an everyday pattern for me. Also, I started taking risks when asked to add my own personal touch which always led to good results. The more confident I became, the more natural it felt taking the initiative and doing my own thing. This experience has made me a better leader by showing me that I need to trust my skills instead of doubting myself that I am not capable of performing at a higher level. What I have learned abroad can be utilized in organizations I am involved with on campus as I can take this new perspective to achieve greater things. 

This past weekend, I concluded my adventures with my last trip to Tirana, Albania. While abroad, I was able to travel to five different countries, experiencing a diverse spread of cultures, art, and environments. The capital city of Tirana was unlike no other city I have seen before. It was packed, but not overcrowded, and its colorful ottoman architecture was all around. We were able to shop in bazaars, where I was able to buy a rug, overlook the city with 360 views at the Pyramid of Tirana, and relax at a lounge inside the Air Albanian stadium. We also explored Tirana Park, enjoying the wildlife near an artificial lake with mountain ranges in the horizon and took a spontaneous day trip to Durres beach to cool off from the heat. It was a fascinating city with so much to see and the locals were very respectful. We were surprised how reliable taxis were to get around, as the city does not have any rideshare apps, considering western views are usually negative toward taxis in foreign countries. The best part of the trip was watching the Euro League football final with Spain vs. England at an outdoor venue for free setup by the city. There was a huge projector setup in Skanderbeg Square with hundreds of people at this watchparty. The atmosphere was unreal and I am thankful I was able to watch the series from start to finish while being in Europe. On the last night, we became friends with some locals who were university students as well. It was interesting to share a moment with them, different in lifestyles, but united by curiosity. We shared our experiences with one another, learning more about perspective and how we are similar in many ways. It was a hard turnaround to leave Tirana as our flight was at 7 AM Monday morning in order for us to be back for work. We had to leave our accommodation at 4:30 AM in order to give us ample time to get through security as Albania is not in the EU. The drive to the airport was seamless and gave us a picture-perfect view of the sun rising behind the mountains. I am grateful for all of the trips I got to go on and cannot wait to spend one last full weekend in Prague before I head back to the United States.