I thought this experience would be about the obvious stuff. A whole new city, language, and company I had never heard of. What I realized is that what works here in the US is different than what works in Sweden. The first thing I got wrong was that it would be hard. I figured the social side of Sweden would be tough and the job would be the easy part. It was the other way around. Swedish people are reserved, and a lot of foreigners find that cold, but I found it easy to tranfer to because it is similar to my behavior.

I had never been to Europe before this trip. The only place outside of the country I had been was Canada. This was a big step for me, especially going to work over there. I only knew one kid going over and luckily we were roommates. However, during and after work I found myself exploring the city by myself. I got to learn so much about the culture and got to see a lot of parts of the city. I had the opportunity to travel to Malaga, Spain and Krakow, Poland, both of which were awesome trips. Seeing different cities all in different countries gave me a whole new perspective on the world. There are so many different cultures out there, and I had been stuck to basically one.

Professionaly I found myself grow in many ways. Going into a new job in a differen country was pretty scary. I had no idea what to expect and how it was going to go. However, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. My team was very welcoming and made me feel like I was truly a part of the company. I learned a lot of different things in that field and got to bring new ideas in for them. I got to work on and improve my excel and powerpoint skills through different projects and presentations. I think it is an experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. I learned more about AI and how to utilize it to make me more productive.

What I want to bring back to Pitt is mostly a change in default behavior rather than a set of facts. I want to be the person who says the unfinished thought in a seminar instead of waiting until its polished. I also want to be more deliberate about not reading silence as a problem, and about asking directly when I need something rather than waiting. I also picked up some habits like reading the WSJ every morning and studying for various certificates, which I want to bring with me and continue.

For the future with my career, I am heading toward a position in the financial industry. Since I was in a crypto tax software company, I think it would be an interesting point of view to come from. I want to use the skills I learned to better my understanding of the industry and to learn and grow as well. Who knows where or what I will be doing in 10 years, but I do know that the memories and skills I gained in Sweden will still be with me.