CIEE Study abroad in Lisbon, Portugal

CIEE offered me many opportunities to get to know Portugal and the wonderful treasures it held. We went on weekly field trips to explore nearby cities, as well as visit local museums and exhibits. The orientation that kicked-off our program was helpful in cultural integration, CIEE provided cultural "buddies" for us, to create a connection. Portuguese local student, but also to have a support system. The program leaders were often in their offices and almost always accessible, which felt secure because I knew someone was close by to help.
The classes were long but enjoyable, my favorite class was International Leadership and Communication because it allowed the class of 20 students to discuss how cross-cultural communication works or doesn't work, and we were able to participate in cultural activities such as going to the mall and having typical foods, learning how to ride the metro, be respectful to the customs, and stay positive and enjoy. My Portuguese class was amazing, I was able to learn so much about the language that I craved in my university classes, we even took a field trip to a fish market and had to practice our Portuguese with the vendors. Other classes included politics and art and history; I really enjoyed learning about the history of Portugal because it opened my eyes to everything I was seeing while I was there and sparked my curiosity to explore further.
It was a great experience to travel in Portugal, I was able to go to the beach or waterfront, get to school, or even travel to a new city in a clean and efficient way. My program allowed me to have free weekends where I would travel to new countries, and I could provide travel information to CIEE to take caution when traveling to make sure I was accounted for if something went wrong.