When choosing my study abroad location I really did not have a lot of requirements or factors. I knew I wanted to go somewhere sunny in Europe. Some of my options included France, England, Italy, and Portugal. I chose Lisbon, Portugal because I felt it was close to a lot of other countries that I wanted to visit and it fit my internship needs. I ended working at the Architecture firm Rebelo de Andrade. My experience there was nothing short of phenomenal. I enjoyed Libson so much that I even extended a week! I would have extended two weeks if it was not for school starting that next week. I really enjoyed the work I did and really grew my knowledge in architecture and the software archiCAD which I used daily. I am a construction management major so I was hesitant about going to an architecture firm, but Rebelo de Andrade uses the same software (archiCAD) that I used in school and plan to use at future workplaces. I immediately felt like home as soon as I walked into the architecture firm on my first week.
Going to a new country for me was very nerve racking. I had never been to Europe or even out of the country but I decided it was time to change that. I was nervous that I would not fit in or the culture would be too different and it would be hard to meet new people and make friends. That was not the case. I was lucky enough to have great roommates, which I am still friends with, and make great friends at my workplace who I still talk to everyday! Everyone was so different in Lisbon, so when I met new people they understood we were all different so the cultural differences were never a problem.
I was lucky enough to go on two different trips while I was in Portugal. First, I went to Zurich, Switzerland! My flight landed in Zurich and I had to take a couple different trains to Lauterbrunnen where I stayed. Everywhere you looked in Switzerland was a stunning view. It is the prettiest place I have ever seen. Lauterbrunnen is a village in a valley in the Swiss Alps. I was able to take a gondola to one of the peaks and hike around for the day. I was lucky enough to meet a group of friends through API, the company through the school, that wanted to travel to Switzerland. Next we went to Ibiza, Spain. Ibiza is known for its beaches and nightlife. My friends and I really enjoyed the beaches and took part in some of the night life and met a ton of cool people.
All in all, I do not regret a single second I spent abroad. The second I get the options I will go back and visit all of the friends I have made. It is an amazing experience and journey. Being by yourself somewhere you have never been helps you learn alot about yourself. This has taught me not only about myself, but an idea of all the different cultures and people that are out there.
Holt Brindley (BS Construction Management) spent Summer 2024 studying abroad in Lisbon, Portugal through API. Holt had the following to say about studying abroad, “The only person standing in your way is you. The obstacles you see are just reflections of your doubts and fears that you have created.”
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