Pre-Departure (the 25 1/2 hour countdown)

Well, it's nearly time. My bags aren't packed, but I'm ready to go... Nearly 24 hours until I will be at the airport tomorrow for this whirlwind trip around Central and Eastern Europe.

In my experiences of traveling, you can never really have expectations about what the trip will be like. I like to approach travel with an open mind and heart and a willingness to go with the flow. That said, I am excited about the people we will encounter and the places we will see. I am particularly looking forward to exploring the cities and soaking in the culture and history. I expect that any of my preconceived notions about European countries will be blown away and replaced with real memories and concrete experiences. I want to find out more about what life is like in the four countries we will be seeing. I'm interested in learning about business practices in Europe and how sustainability fits into their business model.

From my pre-departure paper, I would like to share a passage where I reflected upon awareness of cultural dimensions after completing the class readings and interacting with my classmates: "For women living in Central Europe, India or the United States, having children still makes it more difficult to advance in the workplace. There is still the existing stigma that women should fulfill certain roles, while men should be in others. It is often expected that women should raise the children while men will financially support the household. This pushes women into either staying home to care for the children, or taking jobs that allow them to bring in additional income while working with the children's schedule. In some countries in Europe, it is easier for a women to take time off because there are social supports for this. Many countries offer several months of time off for maternity leave and it is even paid time off in some areas. There are often times when women have to choose between the work and family and this makes it challenging for women to rise to leadership positions." I am interested to see if this perception holds true and see how women balance their busy lives.

I know this is going to be an incredible experience. I am looking forward to sharing it with the other women and professors who are coming along. It is certain that we will all learn a lot and will hopefully be able to bring back some key learning experiences to apply to our lives at home.

Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

-Justine