While I was in Lisbon I met this wonderful Turkish girl names, Feyza. Well, the first meeting was kind of interesting. I woke up in the middle of the night to rustling as another person from the room came back from partying, a little too drunk to open the Locker doors… haha. But she was nice, I exchanged a few sleep filled words and I went back to bed. The next day I was going surfing and Feyza was supposed to join, but the poor girl was really hung over.
After a little propping and encouragement she decided to come along, despite her sick feelings. This girl had the best spirit ever! Despite not feeling well she gave surfing her all, and even though she struggled a lot to stand she laughed and joked the whole time. Later I found out that she lived in Barcelona! So we spent some time together in Lisbon, and then when I went to Barcelona we met up again.
Feyza reminded me of Vijay Lakshmi from the Indian movie, Queen. In that film a quiet conservative girl named Rani is dumped by her fiance before the wedding and decides to go on her honeymoon alone. She encounters a girl named Vijay Lakshmi in Paris who is free-spirited, loving and unapologetically herself. The character is a bask of warm and exciting energy with which she just embraces others, and always with enthusiasm.
Though I do not think I was like Rani, I thought Feyza was similar to Vijay Lakshmi… and looked like her too! And it was a joy to run into her.
Before I did this solo trip I was feeling kind of nervous. I have traveled alone before, but after a while it can get tiring and you don’t know what will come your way. I think our minds always assume the worst when we are insecure, but it ought not to be so. Because every time I have traveled alone I have been more open to what the world has to show me. You just never know who you will meet and what you will experience, and I am always pleasantly surprised and blessed by the surprises I encounter.
I feel like running into Vijay Lakshmi was one of those pleasant surprises and a wonderful highlight.
Now… How was Barcelona?
I thought it was an incredibly beautiful city. But it was no Lisbon.
But still cool people, cool vibes, gorgeous buildings… and food to die for. I recommend Barcelona entirely, but my heart is with Lisbon.
And that is really all I have to say about that! (Can’t beat surfing!)
Pictures from Barcelona below:
