Spain

Spain was one of the first countries where I truly experienced solo travel. At the end of my senior year of high school, I landed a job writing for a tennis magazine and was given the opportunity to cover ATP tournaments in Barcelona and Madrid. As a lifelong tennis fan, it was surreal to find myself working alongside professional journalists, attending press conferences, and watching many of the world’s best players from just a few feet away. Novak Djokovic had always been one of my heroes, so having the chance to ask him a question during a press conference in Barcelona, and later have a full conversation with him in Madrid, was something I’ll never forget.

Over the years, I’ve returned to Spain many times. In Mallorca, I reunited with old friends from the Rafa Nadal Academy, where I had trained as a junior, and even convinced one of them, who was recovering from an ankle injury and on crutches, to sneak out with me for a night in Palma. That night, I met a German traveler, and a few months later we reunited in Ibiza, where we spent several unforgettable days enjoying the island’s legendary nightlife. From there, I continued north to Asturias, where a Spanish friend welcomed me into his family’s home in the beautiful coastal town of Luarca. Some of my favorite memories have come from Spain, and it’s a country I’ll always be happy to return to.