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No, seriously, my trip to Lisbon began with a dream. A couple years back, I woke up having dreamed about going to Lisbon solo. At the time, I didn’t really know much about Lisbon other than that it had what is basically a Golden Gate Bridge replica. But that dream initiated my fascination with solo tripping to Lisbon.

As the months went by, Portugal became a more popular destination amongst my friends. But I was determined to do Lisbon on my own. So when I saw a flight deal to Lisbon last summer, I immediately booked it.

To this day, Lisbon is one of my favorites, up there with Florence, night markets in Fez, and Versailles in the fall. It was in Lisbon and its surrounding towns that I started my first truly 100% solo international trip, made a new 86-year-old friend solely through expressions and gestures, learned to paddleboard off the coast of Cascais, crashed a Spanish bachelor party, learned to enjoy poetry, and drank my weight in vinho verde.

I loved the rest of my autumn 2016 Portugal and Spain trip as well, but Lisbon will forever hold a special place in my heart. Its laidback atmosphere, friendly people, delicious eats, and fascinating sites beckon me to return asap.

One day, Lisbon. For now, boa noite, and I shall dream of you.

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