As the crowd cheered among the explosive crackle of fireworks, upbeat dance music, and cries of “Feliz Ano Novo,” a surge of gratitude coursed through my body.
It was New Year’s Eve 2024, and I was hugging and cheering with new friends I had met just hours before.
Earlier that year, I’d spent two months gallivanting around London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, and Prague solo. Although I loved returning home to San Francisco, it didn’t take long for my wanderlust to set in again.
I knew my thirst for adventure could only be quenched by revisiting Europe. I missed the walkable cities, the slower lifestyle, and the abundance of fresh food.
I decided I’d spend mid-December to mid-January abroad. After doing tons of research on the best cities for solo travelers, I settled upon Lisbon as my monthlong home base.
To avoid the holiday rush and the inevitable spike in prices and crowds, I left San Francisco on December 7 and made plans to head home about a week after New Year’s Day.
Lisbon was the perfect early holiday destination — and I got to connect with other solo travelers
The first two weeks of my trip were a dream come true.
I loved spending my afternoons checking out bookstores (Livraria Bertrand is worth it), getting lost in the alleyways, taking in the vibrant art scene, and even trekking up a grueling hill to get to my local market.
Since I arrived early in the month before peak tourist season, I felt like I was experiencing Christmas markets and festivities alongside locals.
As December 31 approached, I began to crave some more companionship. So, I logged onto Facebook and searched for Girl Gone International’s Lisbon group.
An online community for women traveling solo, Girl Gone International had resources I’d utilized in the past. This was my first time scrolling through one of its Facebook groups in search of friends, though.
To my surprise, I stumbled upon tons of posts from other solo travelers, all hoping to find New Year’s companions. One in particular caught my attention: a post that said “I’m getting the girls together for a New Year’s celebration” with a link to a WhatsApp group.
She had a dog in her profile photo. What could go wrong?
That’s how I found myself eating steak and sipping Douro Valley wine at a table with eight strangers.
We all came from different countries and backgrounds: the Netherlands, Serbia, and South Africa, to name a few. We quickly bonded over our shared love of travel and the palpable energy of the night.
After dinner, a few other travelers from the Facebook group joined us. We squeezed our way into the crowds to the Praça do Comércio, the main square in Lisbon. The square was packed like sardines, and we held hands so we wouldn’t lose each other.
One of them held up a sign to make sure stragglers could see us. Amid the excitement, I witnessed the most spectacular fireworks display of my life.
My solo New Year’s celebration helped me connect with my values
After that epic night, the real magic of serendipitous connection took place.
I stayed in touch with two solo travelers and one local for the remainder of my trip. We met several other times to explore restaurants, visit parks, and even take a day trip to see castles in Sintra.
I believe that starting the year in a new country — and with new friends — softened my approach to achieving my goals. In the past, I felt pressured to set certain resolutions: Become fit, work harder, or be a certain way.
Instead of focusing on external validation or achieving rigid goals, though, I started the year with a focus on what actually brings me joy: adventure, global community, and authenticity.
I made new friends, too. Our short-lived connections empowered us to become vulnerable quickly, and I opened up in a refreshing way.
Ironically, it took leaving my country to remember that I am never truly alone.
Though this year’s New Year’s Eve will look a little different — I plan to spend the night locally with friends and family — I would happily ring in the New Year again with strangers in a foreign country.
No matter where I find myself in the world, I’m excited to continue bridging the gap between stranger and friend.
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