I rang in 2025 on a solo trip. Now, I'd happily celebrate every New Year's Eve abroad and surrounded by strangers.

I spent last New Year's Eve on a solo trip, celebrating with new friends from around the world . It felt meaningful to start the year focused on what brings me joy: new experiences and connection. Now, I hope to spend every New Year's Eve that I can surrounded by new friends. 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...

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