It’s still unbelievable that after all of the time spent preparing for Plus3 2023, we’re finally here standing on Cyprus soil. After the strenuous day (and a half) of traveling, I and my other group members were exhausted but also very excited to be here in the beautiful country of Cyprus, and upon arrival it seemed as though Mother Nature prepared for our visit and gave us clear skies to view the scenery on the way from Larnaca to Limassol where we will be staying for the next few weeks.

Seeing the rolling hills and small neighborhoods scattered throughout the island was an eye opener for me, since I previously assumed most of the cities of Cyprus were very condensed and established. As we drove further along, more and more skyscrapers and modern architecture became visible, but while we headed into the inner city part of Limassol I started to notice a shift leaning towards older buildings and cobblestone streets. It’s so interesting to me how areas only a few miles apart can develop in such different directions, and how modernity blends into old fashioned life here.

From the mass amounts of graffiti fading on the walls to the fusion of old and new restaurants by the sea, it’s easy to follow a path between what this city used to be and what it has been turned into with the passage of time. On the outskirts of Limassol, people still live in small homes in the country and hang clothes on a clothesline, while you can find pop up fast fashion stores in the Old Town only minutes away. And while it may appear that the old ways are being lost with the new century, cultural ties live on in the music, food and people who walk the roads worn down by generations before them. These aspects of cultural significance are incredibly important to acknowledge when thinking about how a business should expand globally and where future leaders should steer their focus towards.