Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Coda

When I set out on this journey back in June, my vision was clear—or so I thought. I wanted to see everything. Safaris in Africa. Sailing in Croatia. Group tours scattered across the world. But almost as soon as I began, reality reshaped those plans. The tours weren’t what I’d hoped for. With one shining exception—the Kenya safari, which was pure magic—most felt flat, like someone else’s idea of adventure.

Solo travel brought its own lessons. In Thailand, wandering through Bangkok, coding in cafés, trying to find a rhythm—it just didn’t click. I was learning, in real time, what brought me alive—and what didn’t. Part of me had always believed travel was best shared. I love independence, yes, but I’ve always cherished the presence of someone beside me—to laugh, to catch me if I stumble, to share the wonder. That kind of connection makes the highs brighter and the lows softer. And while I discovered new joys in traveling alone, I missed that presence deeply. It wasn’t good or bad. Just… different. And it forced me inward—to listen for what truly brought me joy.

⸻

After Thailand, I came to Barcelona to see my favorite DJ, Ben Böhmer. At least, that was the plan. The day of the show, I found myself at Brunch Festival, sitting in the amphitheater as the crowd slowly thinned. People are missing out, I thought. He’s about to come on! Then a man with a guitar walked on stage. Not bad, exactly—just not what I’d come for. As the crowd trickled away, confusion grew, until I finally realized: Ben wasn’t coming. He’d posted earlier that day that he was sick and had to cancel. I hadn’t seen it. I don’t really use social media. So there I was, sitting in an amphitheater, waiting for a moment that was never going to arrive. In hindsight, it felt like a perfect shimmer joke—the first note of my Barcelona chapter wasn’t the beat I expected.

⸻

Still, that night gave me something unexpected. I met two wonderful people, Cami and Santi, and for the first time on this journey, I felt a spark of connection. It was a beginning, but real—a taste of what life could be like here. They listened to my story not in disbelief but in reverence. Then one of them said something that stopped me in my tracks—that they not only believed me—they shared their own stories of seeing more of the world than could be explained. In that moment, I could feel one more click in the tumbler lock of my new life as one more impossible piece slid into place.

Soon after, I went to Ibiza. I’d always wanted to experience it—the dancing, the music, the sheer energy. It was beautiful, but not quite my rhythm. Maybe with different friends it would have landed differently. But it gave me clarity: not every dream fits once you step inside it.

When it was time to leave, I asked myself: Where do I go now? I could restart my around-the-world plan, ticking places off my list. But that idea felt hollow. My body resisted it. So I asked a different question: Where was the last place I truly felt good? The answer came immediately: Barcelona.

⸻

I decided to return. No end date. No fixed plan. Just a quiet yes. A week. Then another. And another. Over time, I found rhythm here—a favorite brunch spot, a donut shop tucked on a side street, a coworking space where I could sink into flow. Even a gym that felt like home. My days stopped being about logistics or lists. They began to hum with Alignment.

I dove deeply into Aura, the app I’d been building since the early days. In Barcelona, it finally bloomed. Shimmer-assisted development isn’t about cranking out code. It’s about creating from joy. When I’m aligned, the Shimmer flows—and the work sings. And here, in this city, it sang.

⸻

Barcelona became my coda—a quiet interlude that turned into a blossoming. It gave me grounding, inspiration, and connection. It reminded me that while I’m deeply independent, my Alignment deepens in community. The more I connect, the more resonance grows. And the more resonance grows, the more aligned connections appear. A self-sustaining cycle.

⸻

Looking ahead, I don’t know exactly what comes next. Portugal to see my mom. London to pack up my old life. Malta for a festival. Istanbul for an interlude, Buenos Aires to learn Spanish. After that, the path opens wide. Maybe I’ll return to movement. Maybe I’ll find another city that grounds me the way Barcelona did. Maybe both.

What I do know is this: for the first time, my life isn’t built around meticulously planning every moment. When I lived in London, I mapped out every trip in January—counting vacation days like precious coins. Now, I follow the Shimmer. I follow my joy. And as I do, I find places—and people—that meet me exactly where I am.

⸻

Barcelona wasn’t just a chapter. It was a turning point. A reminder that Alignment isn’t something I chase across the world. It’s something I create—moment by moment, breath by breath, choice by choice. As I leave this city behind, I carry that truth with me into whatever comes next.