Tanner Voliva
UVA Valencia
Valencia, Spain
Fall 2021

And…we are back in the states!

I cannot believe that my time abroad has already come to an end! In all honesty, it kind of feels like a fever dream as if my time abroad was just a moment in time which wasn’t real. It all happened so fast. Yet, I know all that occurred was extremely helpful in finding myself and teaching me so much that I hadn’t known before studying abroad.

During my time abroad, I felt very humbled – not only abroad but also now that I have returned to the states. It’s humbling to understand the role we play in this immense game we call life. During my time abroad, I was living in a brand-new city where my access to help was asking questions in a language I’ve only studied for a few years; a language I wasn’t fluent in and didn’t feel comfortable communicating directly with native speakers. Yet, through this experience, I’ve learned that it’s okay to not understand everything and to ask questions. Through this experience I have gained a new level of self-confidence in myself, and I now feel wayyyyy more comfortable with myself and who I am as a person.

A good friend of mine that I met during my time abroad explained to me a method of living which was very helpful in finding this newfound confidence and relaxing outlook on life.

• There was a man who had a GOAL of asking any question he desired in one year – even if these questions seemed to be ridiculous. During this year, the man found that most of his questions were explained and understood. But what about those questions that were rejected and responded to with a NO? This man found that after getting told no hundreds of times, he no longer feared the rejection of asking questions.
This story really helped me to overcome my anxiety and fear of rejection of life. Think about it, what’s the worst that could happen when you ask a question or when you try to go do something…someone tells you no or it doesn’t turn out how you would’ve expected or hoped. There is no reason to fear life.

After my time abroad, I feel much more comfortable as a person and have this newfound confidence in myself. Because I know how much I have grown as a human, I TRULY encourage any student – or non-student – to take some time to themselves and travel abroad for a period of time. This experience is enriching and will allow any person to learn so much about themselves and who they are as a person AND who they want to be in the future.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I have been given to study abroad in Valencia, Spain. As well as the support I was given before, during, and after from those who were involved in this experience.

Muchas gracias. Siempre estaré agradecido.

Tanner Voliva