Until recently, I did not understand or agree with the Carlson School’s “global enrichment” requirement. Much of my disdain for this requirement was admittedly the finance major in me thinking about the high costs involved. That being said, no excel spreadsheet could have calculated the return on investment I received during my time in Spain. The following are a things I learned from our program that I believe will have lasting effects on my future business endeavors.

Empathy is an important quality in my future employer

During our time at Quadpack and Sphera, I found that empathy was a value I appreciate in a company. While at Quadpack, they shared a story of the company coming together to support its workers from its flooded factory in Borgonyà. Quadpack’s response to this trying time demonstrated how crucial teamwork and the empathetic side of human nature can be in positively impacting the culture of a company.

In most of my finance classes, and even in business ethics, it was stressed that a for-profit business exists solely to make money for its shareholders. Sphera’s mission, instead, was to provide healthcare to remote communities with little resources, while still operating at a profit. This site visit fueled my desire to work for a company that’s strategy and mission incorporate empathy, and one that ultimately acts as a force for good.

Things I learned about myself in Spain

As a major homebody, I was not excited to visit a completely unfamiliar culture. Making matters worse, as I read through the work of Erin Meyer and Geert Hofstede, I realized that Spain was not only an unfamiliar culture but also one that is vastly different. I still remember how shocking it was to look at a comparison between the United States and Spain on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and find that the they did not fall within fifteen points of each other on any of the dimensions.

To my surprise, our trip to Spain served as a refreshing departure from my “comfortable” US culture. Ironically, I even began to appreciate some of the biggest cultural differences I was so worried about being exposed to. In particular, I appreciated how the Spanish focus on quality of life over being the best, as expressed in the masculinity dimension. Our speaker at Sphera described her time working for an American business as “working with relentless sharks.” Upon hearing this, I realized that not only is our culture overly-competitive, but so was I.

I further appreciated how the Spanish placed a higher emphasis on “we” over “I,” as expressed in the individualist dimension. Coming from an extremely individualist culture, I realized that I should begin to think more with others at the forefront of my mind when making future personal and business decisions

Ultimately, our site visits in Spain and my overall experience abroad helped exponentially helped my growth in both self and cultural awareness. This is something I could not have put a price tag on.

During his earlier years living in Paris, Ernest Hemingway spent a great deal of time in Pamplona watching bullfights and learning about the contests. He became an aficionado (one who is passionate about bullfighting) and followed the matches closely. As it turns out, Hemingway’s passion for bullfighting extended far beyond a hobby and proved critical in the development of his famous sparse but impactful writing style, and served as an inspiration for many of his greatest works. In fact, while many critics cite his time working as a journalist as the sole reason for his unique writing style, Hemingway himself largely credited his time at bullfights:

“The only place where you could see life and death was in the bull ring and I wanted very much to go to Spain where I could study it. I was trying to learn to write, commencing with the simplest things, and of the simplest things of all and the most fundamental is violent death.”

The Sun Also Rises inspired my going to Spain and attending a bullfight

The Sun Also Rises is Ernest Hemingway’s first novel and my favorite. Truthfully, it is one of the primary reasons I applied to the IBUS 3033W program, and the only reason I considered attending a bullfight. Hemingway’s expansive expertise and beautiful description of bullfighting in this novel largely flipped my perspective from bullfighting as an act of sheer violence and cruelty to, dare I say, something truly artistic.

Our staying in a hotel just a few blocks up the street from the legendary bullfighting venue, Las Ventas, seemed to be fate. I simply could not shake my longing to step out of my comfort zone and enter into a world Hemingway so masterfully depicted and I so carefully read.

Attending a bullfight was not at all what I expected

Prior to arriving in Spain, I thought there was no chance I would attend a bullfight. While I would not consider myself an avid animal rights activist, I certainly detest animal cruelty and the mere description of the “stages of a bullfight” could have made me sick. Thankfully, I mustered up the courage to scalp tickets with a few friends to a bullfight on our Saturday evening in Madrid.

To my surprise and delight, I had an incredible time at the bullfight, which was not at all what I expected it to be. It was not nearly as gory, nor as cruel. In fact, each stage of the fight was so carefully executed that I began to understand why some consider it a form of art. Further, I found the bravery and skill exhibited by the matadors extremely impressive, and was relieved to see the fight was predominantly attended by Spanish aficionados, and not amateur tourists as I was told I should anticipate.

If it were not for Hemingway, I do not believe I could have stomached going to a bullfight, which ended up being my favorite activity of the trip. Ultimately, seeing a bullfight at Las Ventas has shown me that turning fiction into reality can result in some truly incredible and unforgettable experiences.

Throughout its rich history, the Alcázar of Segovia (Castle of Segovia) has served as a royal palace, state prison, Royal Artillery College, historical military archive, and now as a museum to the public. It is a symbol of art and history in Spain, its most recognizable castle, and one of its most visited monuments. As someone who has never left the United States, my initial expectation is to be blown away by my group’s visit to Alcázar; a castle with a history much older than the United States itself. At the moment, my main concern is navigating from Madrid to Segovia, simply given my unfamiliarity with the area. However, upon further research, my traveling anxiety has quelled and my interest in the visit has grown.

Key figures bring Alcázar to the national spotlight

The first written references to Alcázar came as early as the 12th century before it was brought to fame as the primary residence during the reign of King Alfonso VIII (1155-1214). The Alcázar later served as a place of refuge for Queen Isabella after the suspicious death of King Henry IV. It was in Alcázar where Isabella was later throned and married to Ferdinand of Aragon, sparking the Spanish Reconquista. Eventually, the Royal Court of Spain moved to Madrid where it remains today.

Alcázar has served as more than just a palace/castle

Since the Royal Court’s move to Madrid, Alcázar has served many unique functions: as a state prison for nearly two centuries, the Royal Artillery School for another century, a military college some years later, until it was restored to its original state in 1896. Since 1951, the castle has served as a museum and archive to the memory of its triple aspect of Royal Palace, military precinct, and Royal Artillery College.

Fun fact: Alcázar rumored to be the inspiration behind Cinderella’s castle

In the 1960s, Disney ‘imagineers’ traveled throughout Europe, looking for the perfect castles on which to model Cinderella’s castle in Walt Disney World. Widespread rumors claim the Castle of Segovia was one of their chief inspirations, although no original source can be reliably cited.

Regardless, the Castle of Segovia does look good enough to be from a fairytale.

The Alcázar is cheap for students and easy to get to from Madrid

Segovia is northwest of our hotel in Madrid and easy to get to. You may either take an hour and thirty-minute bus ride for under €10 or a cheap thirty-minute high-speed train ride from the nearby Madrid Chamartín train station for around €13.

You may buy tickets at Alcázar’s ticket office the day of your visit. A standard ticket for complete entry is €8, however, students are given a reduced fair of €3,50.  Audio guide service, guided group tours, and other products are available as a supplemental purchase. Purchasing a ticket is quick and simple, with no availability problems or waiting queues, and the ability to pay with cash or credit card.

You may buy tickets at Alcázar’s ticket office the day of your visit. A standard ticket for complete entry is €8, however, students are given a reduced fair of €3,50.  Audio guide service, guided group tours, and other products are available as a supplemental purchase. Purchasing a ticket is quick and simple, with no availability problems or waiting queues, and the ability to pay with cash or credit card.

The museum’s summer hours  (April 1 to October 31) are from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, providing a large window of time to attend a 45 minute guided tour or conduct hours and hours of solo exploration.