Hi from Valencia! After spending several weeks here, it really does feel like I am starting to get involved in my new community. It has not come easy, but over this period of time, I have realized that the biggest contributing factor of my new feelings is both the active work at trying to be open minded, and the way I have worked on my personal growth here. The open my open mindedness needed to begin as soon as I stepped foot on the plane taking me to Spain, but honestly due to some nervousness and insecurity, it was hard for me to open up to the reality of experiencing cultures different from my own at first. Over time, however, I learned just how important it is to be both flexible and open minded when trying to successfully navigate different countries, and this has led me to appreciating the different communities I have interacted with in Valencia.
The other thing that has led me to increased participation in my environment is the forced independence that I have taken on since living in Valencia. I have experienced problems that I never would have faced had I just stayed in Florida, but actively solving these issues has honestly instilled a newfound confidence in me that I have never had before. I am excited to bring this new mentality back to Tallahassee; I believe it is going to do lots of good for me!
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