The joy of exploring Barcelona by my own

by Natalia Ventura (Mexico)

I didn't expect to find Spain

I arrived at Barcelona by the end of August carrying 30 kg of memories and souvenirs in a backpack and a suitcase. I knew it was totally impractical but I wanted to keep so many things from the last 6 months of my life that I couldn’t help it. By this time I had already been traveling around Europe for the past 6 months but never by my own. My adventure started when I got out of the train station in Paseo de Gracia avenue and I felt the majesty of the city next to me with the breath-taking masterpiece built by Gaudí: Casa Batlló. I didn’t have internet so my cellphone was practically useless, my hole sense of orientation depended on a physical map of the city and I had never used one before. I got into the hostel and I was attended at the reception by a mexican guy that immediately made me feel more confident about the idea of traveling alone. One of my biggest fears at the beginning was the whole idea of being a solo female traveler. For the first time ever, my whole schedule depended on me and me alone. I had never felt this kind of freedom of being the only one taking decisions on where to go and what to eat, I was the owner of my own time. Suddenly, the fear of being all by myself became the joy of discovering and experiencing everything by myself. During the next days, I had the chance to explore some of the most iconic places of Barcelona: I felt the breeze of the ocean while cycling at the seashore of the Barceloneta and enjoyed swimming in the sea and feeling the sand in my feet. I walked through Barrio Gótico and took a walking tour to get to know the city. I also visited Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia. Visiting the most iconic cathedral of Barcelona represented an astonishing experience. Since the moment I got into the cathedral, the beauty of its shapes that evoques patterns of nature transmitted me an energy of a immeasurable spirituality that went beyond religion, it was a sense that I had never experienced before and even though I am not a catholic, I felt forced to stopped for a moment and pray. I walked through La Rambla Cataluña and it was such an special moment because just a week before, the terrorist attack in la Rambla had just happened. The hole street was decorated with pictures of the victims and flowers and objects to honored the ones that left that day. The vibe of this iconic street was mixed, for one hand, the whole place had a sense of trauma for the horrific episode that took place there, and yet, a sense of honor and respect for the victims prevailed. Despite of doing most of my journey by myself I was lucky enough to get to know people on the way that just like me, were exploring the city alone. I met a group of american guys and an argentinian thirty-something girl. She was ending her journey in Europe after being traveling for months around Middle East and Asia. We only met a few nights at the hostel, but I cannot forget the energy that she transmitted to me with her words. The night before she left, she told me that every female should do a long travel by her own and since then I have been carrying those words with me waiting to make them true. The few days I spent in Barcelona where a life-changing experience for me. This journey made me reshaped the way I perceived my own world and allowed me to let go many of the stereotypes and fears I grew up with. I improved my self-confidence through the experience of taking my own decisions. I also realized that part of the magic of traveling alone is in the amazing people you meet on the way. Those days made me realized that if I want to, there’s nothing stopping me to explore the world by my own and for that, I will always kept Barcelona in a special place in my heart.