Before being fortunate enough to attend this study abroad program in Russia, I had never taken a trip outside of the United States before and I had only traveled to five other states. This program has done more for me than I ever anticipated and has encouraged me to continue to travel and experience the beauty of the world. 

This program was extremely beneficial to my life because not only was I able to complete six of my required credits for the Business College at Michigan State University- forwarding my academic career, but I also had the privilege to completely immerse myself in a culture I was not familiar with, stepping outside my comfort zone a little bit, and was lucky enough to meet 17 fellow business students from Michigan State as well, creating new friends who I have continued to be in touch with. Being in a different country, in a whole new continent for that matter, opened my eyes to what the world is truly like, showcasing the differences being Europe and the United States but also highlighting similarities and demonstrating that the “strangers” of the city were just like anybody one can meet back home and are even more welcoming and friendly than imagined.

Spending the first three weeks of my summer in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg I was able to learn about a countries history that I never heard of before from school. Taking tours of different cathedrals, historical buildings, and museums it exhibited the fact that there is another point of view to every world event and that perspectives change in a different geographic. Every story has multiple angles and opening my mind to one, other than the United States, was astonishing. 

Not only was the history and culture differences incredible to experience and learn about but being immersed and observing the small differences in simple everyday life was phenomenal. For example, while we were in St. Petersburg, the sun did not set until 9:00/10:00pm and rose just before 4:00am, they barely had darkness and toward the end of June, Russia experiences a few days of complete sunlight. Also, the fashion was different, driving laws and road set ups were different, the main restaurants were open 24/7 or did not close until well past midnight, the lights for the bathroom were outside, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many small differences that I did not realize could be different than the way I am generally used to in the United States. 

I will forever be grateful for this experience and have no words to express the value it has added to my life. I am already looking into other countries and continents I can travel to so I can further my cultural appreciation and to continue experiencing the beauty the world contains, in its history, landmarks, traditions, and people. 

Name: Elysia Meyers
Status: Junior
Major: Human Resource Management
Hometown: St. Clair, Michigan
Program: Business and Culture in St. Petersburg, Russia