Imagine six countries getting together after World War II and deciding to build a shed. Over time, they add more rooms and connect it all, and eventually end up with a hotel.
Now, I’m not talking about a real shed, but a way to prevent another war by working together. That’s the European Union (EU), the international organization through which 27 European countries cooperate on trade, laws and other shared responsibilities. It’s a little like having 27 people with different ideas working on one group project together! I learned this analogy during a trip to Brussels, Belgium, and realized I understood far less about the EU than I thought. In fact, I'd barely opened the front door of that hotel!
I ended up visiting the EU because twenty American college students studying across Europe, including myself, were selected for a special visit through the Gilman Scholarship, a program that helps eligible students study abroad. Some are studying political science, international relations, neuroscience or finance. And then there's me. The chef. Give me a kitchen, a budget and hungry people, and I know what to do. European trade negotiations? We're going to need a little more time!
