MY FIRST SOLO TRIP | A BARCELONA DIARY!

Towards the end of June, I took a last minute trip to Barcelona. It was my first ever solo trip, so I’ll admit that I was completely terrified. Travelling solo is one of those things I’ve always wanted to experience but just never had the balls to. But look who’s ballsy now haha.

Why Barcelona?

I’ve always wanted to go Barcelona but just never got around to doing so. It’s just one of those cities that just breathes excitement and you should visit at least once in your life. Also, when I was using good old google to narrow down the best places for solo travel, Barcelona kept popping up. I guess the city being just a blink away from London added to my list of reasons to visit as well.

Barcelona Prep.

Lol okay, I really want to say that I was completely organised for this trip but then I would be fibbing. I packed the night before. Well actually it was the morning of the trip. In my defence it’s so much easier to pack for a long holiday than it is for a few days. And if you know me well, I’m really indecisive when it comes to picking outfits. I can just imagine all my friends reading this and nodding their heads like crazy.

Anyways, let’s get to it!

Thursday 28th June – early bird.

I was extremely early for my flight.

My flight was at 09:10am, so ask me why I was there at 06:30am when I only had hand luggage. Some will say I’m mad but the truth is that I was scared of missing my flight. I took the train to Gatwick and we all know how common delays are when it comes to London transport. Either way I got through security quickly and decided to pop to MAC to purchase a deep purple lip liner and a violet coloured lippy.

I then queued for Garfunkel’s because I wanted a satisfying big breakfast. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to get a hot chocolate or an orange juice. But the waiter recommended one of their morning cocktails. It was prosecco with pomegranate and it was lush.

As per usual my flight was delayed but luckily it was only by 45 minutes. When I got on the plane I was super excited to see who was sitting next to me. Making friends on the plane is the greatest thing but unfortunately the individuals were dry. One scrolled through his camera roll for the whole flight and the other had her headphones in for the entire time.

On a brighter note I have a new favourite Gin. I asked for gin and tonic and the air hostess recommend a Rhubarb and ginger one. I was a bit sceptical at first, but she told me to trust her. I’m so glad that I did because it’s definitely a new fave.

Thursday 28th June – Touch down.

I blinked and there I was in the beautiful city; Barcelona. I had no need to sort out transfers because conveniently enough there were two buses from the airport that dropped me 1 min away from my hostel. It was about 30-minute drive, so I just sat down and took in the views.

Once I was all checked in, I couldn’t wait to meet my roomies. I literally entered the 8-bed dorm and said “heyyy” to first person I saw. It was awkward and upsetting because the lady literally stared at me blankly and then looked away. I couldn’t believe it. I proceeded to unpack and then got into bed and cried to my friend Amanda (I didn’t actually cry). After our convo I felt so much better and decided that I would shower and then go for a little explore.

As I entered the lift two girls followed behind me. One said ‘hey’ and then we just got talking. She was on her way to meet two other girls to go bike riding. She was super nice and invited me to join them.

When was the last time I went bike riding pls?

Either way I accepted the invitation.

There was just something incredibly thrilling about exploring Barcelona by bike. The streets were full of life with many people wanting to run us over and the various smells, sounds and sites had my senses completely overwhelmed. Although the ride killed me, I truly felt connected to the city.

Lynda, Courtney and Abi (Australia)

Unfortunately, one of the girls went missing. She went off to take photos but when 10 minutes had passed we started to worry. We spent over 45 mins panicking but made a group decision to make our way back to the bike rental shop (hoping that she would be there). Of course, we got lost along the way but when we got back, Courtney was there. We were annoyed but relieved at the same time.

Thursday 28th June – Party time.

The hostel provided a daily glass of free Sangria and the opportunity to meet with the party reps. We purchased tickets for the club and enjoyed our glass of Sangria.

The plan after that was to get ready in 30 mins (sigh), have a meal and to attend a flamenco show.

On the way to the flamenco show this guy approached me and said, “I want to get you pregnant”.

Everyone was dying of laughter and there was I feeling very uncomfortable.

The flamenco show was amazing, but grandma Joy needed a quick nap before heading out to the club later.

The hostel reps ensured that we all had a free shot before boarding the coach to the club. I had such a great night because the DJ was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Me and Shoko (Germany)

Friday 29th June – Things happen for a reason.

I booked myself onto the hostel’s free walking tour at 09:30am and missed it. I was even proud of myself because after such a fun filled night I really made a huge effort to be on time. It turned out that you’re meant to come down 15 minutes before. Either way the receptionist showed me the route and said maybe I could catch them up. I then overheard the other receptionist telling three other girls the same thing, so I just asked to join them. They were so sweet, and I believe that we all missed the tour for a reason.

Fanta (New York)

We found a new ‘free walking tour’ which was two hours long and not actually free. It was nice to explore the city by foot, but I think the guide could’ve made it a tad more exciting.

After the tour, we went to have a look around the food market. There were so many things to choose from and everything was just colourful and nice to look at. It was like a food and drink paradise.

After our bellies were filled, I went back to the hostel to catch up on some sleep and the girls continued to explore the city. We then met up later on for food and drinks.

We were having such a lovely chat that I thought I’d message the girls from the day before to come and join us. Sadly, one of the girls had her phone and money stolen in the club and wasn’t in the greatest of spirits. Our little girly chat and a few drinks soon put a smile back on her face.

On the table next to us were two other ladies, so I invited them to join us as well. People always say that I’m friendly, but it honestly wasn’t until this trip that I saw the truth in that.

Again, it was free Sangria O-clock and club details.

Lisa, Fanta and Beissa (New York)

Carlota and Jeysee (Spain)

The girls decided to stay at the bar whilst I went upstairs to have another nap. After my nap, I got ready and met everyone for pre-drinks.

We went to a club called Oak and its fair to say that my fave genre is now ‘reggaetón’.

I’m completely obsessed with “Dura – Daddy Yankee and Mi Gente – J Balvin & Willy William”.

Have a listen and thank me later.

But yeah guys, the Spanish can really party hard.

We left around 5 and the club was still packed.

Sneaking into my room, removing my clothes, taking off my make-up in darkness without making any noise was such an Olympic sport.

I deserve a medal mate.

Saturday 30th June - All by myself.

I decided that I wanted to do the hop on hop off bus tour which was a waste because I didn’t hop off at any point. Sitting on the top deck enabled me to get the best views of the city whilst absorbing the heat with the wind blowing in my weave.

I really wanted to go Hard Rock Café but the waiting time was insane, so I decided to eat at the bar next to my hostel. I had plans to hop on another bus to go touring but my plans quickly changed. One of the locals I met on the day before invited me to join her and her friends at the beach.

I jumped on the metro to meet them and ended up falling asleep on the beach (I was definitely tired from last night). When I woke up, I remembered thinking to myself “can I just extend my trip or stay here forever”.

My ears were then blessed with some music. I sat up and looked around to see where it was coming from. There was a small group of people playing dancehall and catching a vibe. I really wanted to join them but my body just wouldn’t allow me.

We all left the beach around 8ish because I needed to pack and we all planned to go for drinks later.

After packing I went and had dinner at Macchina. It really reminded me of Vapiano.

After dinner, I went back to the hostel to freshen up and then met up with the gang at Bar Summon. I really wanted to hit the club but the oldies (private joke) didn’t.

Luckily, I met Tania and she was ready to party. We ended our night at ‘The blvd culture club’ which topped my first night out. All three rooms played good music that we kept having to room hop. The highlight of my night has to be when this random girl approached me and told me how beautiful I was. Her energy was so amazing and my heart actually melted.

Sunday 1st July – Until next time.

Unfortunately, I had to leave my hostel by 8am due to having a relatively early flight. It’s a good thing I packed the night before because I was only able to squeeze in an hour nap. I was so sad to be leaving because Barcelona was good to me and I met some wonderful individuals.

There’s so many things that I didn’t get to do such as the Gaudi tour, Montserrat trip, Tapas tasting and much more. So Barcelona will be seeing me again.

Thanks for reading.

Lots of love,

Joy x

Ps; I really think it’s important to take time out for yourself or treat yourself to something nice.

I mean, why shouldn’t you reward yourself for all the great things that you do?

Either way we all know ourselves better than anyone else, so you know when you’re in need of a pick me up or a little treat.

Barcelona was definitely the pick me up I needed.