Impacts of COVID-19Abroad during the global pandemic.
04:00, Thursday, March 19th, 2020- I woke up to pounding on my hotel door. Within the next six hours, I had packed my bags, made my way to Stuttgart, and boarded a flight home a month earlier than I was supposed to. The previous night, we had been reassured that we would see the program through to the end despite the outbreak of COVID-19. However when President Trump announced the first travel ban between Europe and the USA, all study abroad programs were suddenly being cancelled. Being in Europe throughout the emergence of the novel corona virus was a once in a lifetime experience. It was both fascinating and horrific watching indifference transform into the panic surrounding the pandemic crisis we know today. Returning home, I have time to reflect on the warning signs and the surrealism of our collective experience. With a first-hand connection to a universal case of risk management, being present as leaders decided how to proceed was an incredible affair. From the effects on the European Tourism Association, to Ernst and Young's management recommendations, we discovered the necessity of expecting the unexpected. |
Cultural AdjustmentThree countries, countless cultures.
From transportation to education, every location had individual challenges to overcome and opportunities to take advantage of. By making an effort to wander outside of the more well-known tourist destinations, I was able to find a deeper level of connection within unfamiliar environments. My favorite part of being abroad was finding bridges that connect us and appreciating what makes us different. Exploring with the cohort while also taking time for my own independent adventures allowed me to make the most out of my time abroad. From blundering through German saunas to discovering local markets, the link below contains some of my most impactful and treasured memories. |
Missing HomeNine people for nine weeks.
From the time that we met as strangers to the end of the journey of a lifetime, the eight other people in the cohort and I have shared an indescribably meaningful experience. Sharing meals, rooms, and classrooms constantly can be taxing on relationships but examining our lives through the team development models we were learning about helped us to navigate the transitions between forming, storming and norming. Rather than missing my room or my friends, I missed the comfort of coming home and unloading the stresses of the day. Abroad, there is no downtime. There is no moment when you come home from work and put your feet up, because the experience encompasses your entire life from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep in a foreign country. This lifestyle is taxing, but it fosters independence, confidence, patience and a familiarity in unfamiliar situations. |
Throughout this journey, I have learned that the most important aspect of leadership is adaptation and continuous learning. |