Why I Chose to Travel Alone for New Year’s Eve
Hey friends! Today I’m excited to introduce you to a new friend of mine, Dr. Leah Howell. Leah is a two time kidney transplant recipient and someone who has often used solo travel as a means of processing and healing from her trauma.
Today she shares with us about a spontaneous solo trip she took to Barcelona to ring in the new year on her own terms and celebrate her health. There is so much to love about this story but I especially love that she intentionally chose to travel solo on New Years Eve, a day that many feel needs to be celebrated with others.
When 2019 began, I was living in a small town in Indiana and feeling stagnant. My professional life had stalled, and I had finally come to terms with the reality that someone I loved deeply was utterly toxic. In April, I was offered a new professional opportunity in Chicago; I accepted and I moved sight unseen. As a newcomer to an organization with many long-standing relationships, my priority was to build my own professional relationships. This aligned with my deep belief in relational leadership, so I hit the ground running full speed, diving in full force, and making as many connections as I could. To maintain the relationships, I began spending more time on the road than in the office. Soon I was exhausted and knew that I needed a break. It became clear to me that I was not only running toward the next thing to do, but I was also running away from my need to truly process and heal.
Seeking some time for myself, I started watching flights to Europe with no real plan in mind until one day, a flight popped up to Barcelona. To be clear, Spain was never on my list of places to go. I had been watching flights to Portugal, France and Italy. But there it was - and I bought it – without even thinking beyond that, assuming I would figure it out as it came. The day after Christmas, carrying only my backpack, I jumped in an Uber, headed to the airport and was on my way. I had no plans for my time: just ten days to explore whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.
I remember the view as we began our final descent. It was stunning! The sea was this vibrant shade of blue, and when I walked out of the airport, the air just felt different. I remember knowing – consciously being aware – that I was all alone.
Having no agenda and no one to answer to for the first time in as long as I could remember was liberating. To get my bearings on the first day, I wandered around the center of the city through the Catedral de Barcelona, Arc de Triomf, and Montjuïc Castle. I ended my second day with the most beautiful performance at Flamenco Teatro Barcelona City Hall. On day three, I ventured further from home, through Camp Nou, home stadium for FC Barcelona and then to Port Vell to visit Aquarium Barcelona. I cheered and said a silent thank you to my Orangetheory coaches when I reached the top of the hike to Park Güell to explore the works of Antoni Gaudi. Other days, I got up and pulled out my maps, closed my eyes and pointed, wandering about and taking in more beauty than I could have expected or stumbling on little eateries and open-air markets – my favorite of which was Mercat de la Boqueria - savoring fresh fruit, homemade empanadas, and delicious desserts.
Through it all, I was alone. Sure, there were always other humans around, but not one of those humans knew anything about me unless I told them. Perhaps that should have made me feel uncomfortable or uncertain – but I felt none of that. I never really felt alone either. All I really felt was peace.
You may remember that I departed for this adventure the day after Christmas. That was intentional. In October 2015, my life fell out from underneath me when I walked into a hospital for a relatively routine test and did not leave for 87 days. I welcomed 2016 from a hospital bed, unsure of anything that was to come. The next several holiday seasons each had their moments, but this trip – this year – was the year I was going to bring in a New Year completely on my own terms, totally free.
December 31st is called the “nochevieja”, or Old Night (meaning party in Barcelona) and is a day full of tradition. In Catalonia, to attract money and prosperity in the new year, you toast with Cava, not champagne. Other traditions are to eat 12 grapes on the very stroke of midnight, one to bring luck for each month of the new year, and to wear red lingerie to bring good luck and happiness in love. Who was I to argue? I spent the day preparing, doing a little shopping, getting a little pampering, and taking in what was a beautiful day. Then I, along with hundreds of thousands of my closest new friends, made my way to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc to ring in the new year.
It is hard to explain the emotions that I felt that night. Everywhere I looked there were people, laughing and joyful. There were smiles and music and dancing and so much beauty. In a time and space where I should have felt small, I felt powerful and present. When the real show began at 11:45pm, I was completely entranced. I have always been someone who loves a good live show, but this experience was beyond anything I ever could have imagined. It may sound a little strange, but it was as if everything – absolutely everything – melted away: the sadness I had been carrying after so much loss, the anger I held from allowing someone to completely break me, the fear that life may never really begin again for me. I found myself smiling through tears, unable to look away from what was in front of me. And when the midnight bells finished ringing, I knew, without a question, that in that moment my life was beginning again.
The next several days were equally as beautiful as those leading up to the new year. I visited the beach, played carnival games at the pier, even set up a photo shoot with a local photographer to capture something unique. That feeling of newness of life never went away, and I sure hope it never does. It is my all-time favorite souvenir.
When I share this story with people, they are almost always taken aback asking how I could ever spend New Years Eve alone in another country. The truth is, I cannot imagine it any other way. When I left the plaza that night, I left what was there, allowing myself to be swept up by the crowd, traveling back to the city center and moving forward to what is the rest of my life.
April is National Donate Life month and Leah has invited us to join her for IG LIVE conversations around organ donation all month long. On Mondays she is myth busting, on Thursdays she is celebrating health care workers, on Fridays she is talking to organ donors and recipients about their journeys, and so much more! Check out all the details here.
Do you have a story to share about your own solo trip?
Let us know in the comments below!
