Goodmorning Hostel: My experience as a Solo Traveler in Lisbon

One of life’s most precious things is unpredictability: it can make your world fall apart but can also make you feel alive. That’s exactly what happened to me on June 30, 2017: the day I left my job and was forced to find a place to live for some days. I was just going through what we storytellers call a “call to adventure”. I could have chosen many places to sleep but, deep inside, this was an opportunity to do something new. Deep down, I wanted to get to know myself better, while connecting with others like never before.

That’s how Goodmorning Hostel and I first met: when I decided to be a solo traveler in Lisbon, my hometown. Open-minded, hopeful and free. This was my state of mind as I stood in front of the hostel’s door, on a sunny summer morning. The moment I walked into its living room and started talking to people, I knew this was the right place to stay. “So, where are you from and what are you doing here?” USA, Australia, Norway, South Korea, Jordan, and… “Me? Portugal!” Everyone so far away but so close, all-in-one-place… It was about being present, enjoying the moment.

Traveling alone (even for a few blocks away), is definitely a game changer. You feel this inner drive to open up to people but, at the end of the day, you do it mainly to yourself. Goodmorning Hostel allowed me to live a real human experience which, looking back, ended up playing a major role in my storytelling path. Being an improvised tour guide, eating a pastel de nata at 4am, driving a solo traveler to the airport… Those were wonderful times that I recall with saudade in a sentimental smile.

One year and a half later, here I am now: sharing stories with my Católica Lisbon’s students, after finishing our storytelling workshop. I guess I’ve found my second home in town.