Three flights, two overpacked suitcases, and one girl absolutely terrified of heights. That girl scared of heights would be me, traveling alone to Europe for the first time. This past December, I decided to fly to Barcelona to visit my best friend for a week. It was slightly nerve-wracking, but exciting, and honestly? I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Embracing Doing Things Alone
As someone who with slight social anxiety, it can be intimidating doing things alone, especially something completely new and outside your comfort zone. I had to learn how to navigate multiple different airports alone while trying not to miss my flights. Also traveling alone as a young woman comes with it’s own fear and worries. I didn’t have anyone to turn to for comfort, I could only rely on my own abilities and trust that it would all work out. However, through this experience I was able to truly overcome with social anxiety. By the end of the trip where I had to fly back home, I was pretty confident that I could navigate my different flights and take care of myself.
The Charm of barcelona’s streets
First and foremost, I LOVED Spain. From the food to the architecture to the people, it was such an amazing experience. If you love art and architecture, Barcelona is the place to go. I went to the Picasso Museum, the Cathedral of Barcelona, and the Casa BatllĂł. My FAVORITE place was the gothic quarter, specifically the mural The World Begins With Every Kiss. You may just see two people kissing, but if you look closely the mural is made up of thousands of individual pictures. This mural emphasizes the passion of living life and loving others.
Even better than the art was the FOOD. One thing my friend introduced me to was tapas, small plates or finger foods that are popular throughout Spain (similar to appetizers). We would order multiple different tapas and taste test each of them for meals. The best part is that we would still get full off tapas and it wasn’t expensive at all. Moreover, the one thing I still think about to this day is the COFFEE. If you think you’ve had a good cup of coffee in America, I promise the coffee in Spain is 10 times better.
Lastly, let’s talk about the fashion. The locals looked so effortlessly put-together with a sleek trench coat and perfectly draped scarves. I immediately had to go out and buy some piece to add to my closet. After seeing how put-together the locals looked, I wanted to be more intentional about my outfits and make sure that I look that put together when I got back to the states.
Some of my takeaways
I highly recommend that any girl in college should do a solo trip. It doesn’t have to be a big trip to Europe, but it could simply just be a trip to another state or city. It’s important to do things for yourself and embrace doing things alone. I think it’s also good to get out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in different cultures. Trying new things in college is SO important for personal growth.
This is your sign to just plan a solo trip and get those tickets.