I left home alone, but I never traveled solo.

Solo traveling: it’s not really a solo experience… at least not the whole time. You depart from your home city solo, but once you arrive wherever you might be going, you’re bound to meet new people.

This trip, I intentionally tried being on my own for a while, just because back home I would overbook myself with social gatherings, events, and jobs. Kind of just wanted to reset, think about my life, and learn a little more about the Spanish culture.

But by the end of this trip, I ended up with several new friendships. It’s almost impossible for me to keep to myself and just live quietly. I love sharing experiences and stories with others, so even though I found some reflection time at the beginning of the trip, the best part was towards the end, meeting new people and celebrating life.

And by the way, it’s not just the friendships. It’s the barista you often see at your go-to coffee shop, the street musician who wrote a song for you, the Airbnb host who is also a night owl, the souvenir shop owner who’s trying to convince you they have a great discount, the families speaking Spanish and Catalan all around. There are so many people - some of them you’ll encounter just once, and others many more times - which makes solo traveling “technically” impossible. You’re always surrounded by more people, which is absolutely beautiful.

Anyways, I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to explore this city a little more. One of the reasons I loved the past few weeks here is that I didn’t plan anything except when it was really needed (like getting tickets to La Sagrada Familia).

Every day I would wake up, check what my energy levels were like, and write down a few things I wanted to do. The most freeing part about being on your own is that you can “plan” to go to a museum, but on the way there you can stop by as many shops, bakeries, murals as you want without anyone else around you getting frustrated. Maybe you don’t even end up at that museum, but you got to see so much more of what YOU wanted to see.

Sometimes when waiting for my food I would journal using pen and paper, which I highly recommend: especially describing the present moment with all five senses, so one day you can read those notes and it will bring you back to that exact moment.

Sometimes when sitting on the metro I would put my phone away and just sit, which I also highly recommend. It’s honestly difficult and can feel unnatural sitting there, but it’s a challenge I tried many times, and helped me become a little more observant.

If I could’ve done anything differently, it would’ve been to book my stay a little bit longer. There is always more to see, people to meet, experiences to be had. Barcelona has been an amazing time, and I hope that I’ll be back again soon.