Part 1/2
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As the clock struck midnight on December 31st and the world entered into 2025, I remember sitting on the roof, watching fireworks from afar, and setting my hopes for this year- my dreams. Not resolutions.. not what I was going to “do better” or “stop doing”, but what I wanted out of this year- big picture.
And this video above… this was in it- in those goals. As January 1st came about, I was coming off of a year of travel like I had never experienced before. If there was one thing I knew about 2025… it was that adventure would be a component.
If there’s one thing in this world that I recommend anyone tries in their life, it’s to take a trip- just you. Near or far, it doesn’t matter- although I seem to always choose the latter. There are things you will discover about yourself that I don’t think any other experience can quite provide.
The thought of going somewhere completely on my own is always a little nerve wrecking, but I somehow always seem to find comfort in the adventure and the almost always guarantee that I will meet new people. If there’s one thing solo traveling has taught me (amongst a lot of other things as well), it’s that I find an immense amount of joy in the moments where strangers become more than that- a new human for the storybook. A human who has lived a completely different life in most likely a completely different place. I find joy in learning the way they view the world- even if we see it differently- and what motivates them to wake up every morning and conquer the day.
An unexpected shock of my most recent solo trip was the actual lack of direct human connection I had. It was a juxtaposing situation, really… the aura was kind, but the outreach was fairly nonexistent. Closed off. After a few conversations, I learned this is common for the place I was traveling.
This solo trip was by far the loneliest one I’ve ever taken. And do you know… I wouldn’t change it for the world, because yet again, there I was- learning. About myself, about a new place, and a different culture. I couldn’t ask for more.
Part 2/2
Amongst the silence, my second night I decided to take myself to a wine bar. All I knew is I wanted to sit outside, somewhere different than my hostel, and write, read, maybe even paint a little. As I resided at a table outside by my lonesome, an older gentleman passing by observed my book and inquired about what I was reading- I smiled.
“A romance novel… big surprise, I know.”
We laughed.
He came and sat down for a moment. A Copenhagen native himself, he asked where I was from, why of all places I chose to holiday here, and so on. As conversation dwindled, he arose from the seat and wished me a good night.
As the joy from this experience began to flow out of me, I grabbed my pen and scribbled down the recent happenings.
Someone- a stranger- had spoken to me. Had noticed me…
I felt seen in a city where I was entirely unknown.
As I got lost in the words I was messily jotting on the page, I heard his voice again. He had forgotten something inside and had to run back. As he saw me still sitting there he stopped-
“Hey!”
I looked up- shocked to see him again.
“Go look for real romance in Copenhagen…” (referencing how when he had initially found me I was reading a fictional story about love).
We smiled. I promised that I would, and with that he was gone.
And I found it- the romance. However probably not in the way he meant it, or most of you are suspecting…
As my week remained quiet- no podcasts, no music, no headphones- nothing, I was reminded of the romance of living. Of being by myself, observing the world around me, and for the first time in a very long time… letting my world go entirely silent.
