Goodbye… Buenos Aires

Goodbye… Buenos Aires

How do you summarize nine days in Argentina’s capital let alone all the time spent in eight business meetings, traveling to different cities, meeting new people and trying new things? 

It seems surreal knowing that we will be saying goodbye to this picturesque city. A city full of tourists, artists, writers, cultures, and indescribable architectures. The hours we spent walking on the cobble stone streets of Buenos Aires were filled sharing laughs and stories with Bryant students and professors that may not have known each other prior to this trip. We were unaware that we were making memories that will be recalled for years and new friendships that will last a life time. The late nights spent on hotel rooftops with incredible views of the Obleisco monument and the skyline of the buildings outlined by a plum sunset sky will be engraved into our minds every time the sun sets back at home.

Coming to Buenos Aires the majority of us did not know much of the Spanish language. We studied common phrases and words in our Sophomore International Experience class that truly paid off, especially when we were ordering at a restaurant, excusing ourselves when walking around Argentinians, or telling waiters and retail workers where we were from. The language barrier became smaller and smaller each and every day. The concept of adapting to new environments was studied in our Global Foundations of Business and Global Anthropology courses, where we learned that any environment, no matter how diverse the culture is, will never adapt to you. We were forced to submerge ourselves in the bold culture of South America. We began understanding this adaptation by researching the cultural, political, economical, and architectural aspects of Buenos Aires prior to this trip; however, a Google search does not quite compare to placing yourself in the city where you become one of six million. 

This new experience forced us to try new things including a new way of life. Such as watching the sunrise at five in the morning, eating dinner at eight o’clock at night, napping for an hour or so in the afternoon, and of course expanding our palettes of food. The restaurants in the city are home to a diverse amount of tastes including homemade dulce de leche pastries, Argentinian cuts of meat, yerba mate, bold wines, and literally every part of an animal.

We leave Buenos knowledgeable about various businesses that operate in the city. We departed each meeting with amazing tips and advise to further our education back at Bryant. This city gave us a true global perspective of business. So open your phone and Google Bryant University and you may come across these words:

“Bryant is a private New England university with a tradition of innovation and a global vision for success. Our academic programs are distinguished by an integration of business and the arts and sciences with a global perspective”.

There is no better example of how Bryant prepares it’s students for success in global business than allowing them to travel the world in just their second year of college.

We were accompanied by three professors who each have impressive knowledge in diverse areas of study. Professor Eileen Kwesiga specializes in organizational behavior and human resource management, Professor Ryan Marnane comes from English and cultural studies, while Professor Patricia Gómez is a senior lecturer in modern language. All three professors have pushed the idea of global business throughout the trip and how creating a network outside the United States is imperative to a future in the workplace. Us students saw each of their different professional backgrounds shine throughout our trip because they each provided different outlooks on every business meeting. We utilized their knowledge by reflecting on our own academic ambitions. How would each meeting benefit our individual majors and personal interests?

Buenos Aires, you have made living out of a suitcase for two weeks a pleasure. We will miss the beating hot sun on our skin, the busy streets filled of tourists, the taxis that fly by, the stray dogs that roam, and the walk from Avenida Leandro N. Alem and Paraguay back to our hotel.  A special thanks to our program coordinator, Sofia Guardone, who spent two weeks with us and showed us the most beautiful places. We thank Sofia and our professors for being incredibly patient, flexible, and kind!

Bryant University, you are not ready for the return of these thirty-three bulldogs. 

Go Books Go Bulldogs,

    ⁃    Olivia Pohorylo