Katrina Julia

Jun 15, 202012 min read

5 Ways to Transform and Travel: Barcelona, Spain

Updated: Jun 22, 2020

Do you love to travel? When you travel, do you feel like your soul is set on fire?

Did you think about transforming and traveling at the same time? Is Spain home for you or close by?

There are so many hidden ways to transform and travel. With travel, we have opportunities to explore, learn and grow. When we reflect internally and take action externally, we transform into a new version of ourselves.

Maybe you love to travel alone? Or maybe you are thinking about traveling with a group or a transformation retreat? Maybe you even want to take the kids along?

Choose what’s best for you now. Each and every time you travel, challenge yourself to experience something differently besides the city or country.

Have you been dreaming about traveling to Spain? I don’t blame you. I’ve been twice now and definitely plan to go back again. Spain has something for everyone. You may experience culture, beaches and adventure to start. It truly has something for everybody.

It’s time to transform and travel. Get your journal out to make a plan. It feels great to dream about traveling to Spain and transforming. Putting pen to paper and taking action wins every time.

You want to transform and travel to Spain, but you don't want to break the bank doing it?

Check out 5 Ways to Transform and Travel in Barcelona, Spain. It’s time to turn your life into your dream.

Photo Credit: Photo by Vitor Monteiro on Unsplash

Parc Guell one of my favorite places in the world.

My Own Shot via Canon EOS M100

This post is originally published via Nourish the Free Life

Insight in Spain

Spain does it all and has it all. It’s easy to see why Spain is one of the top visited countries in the world regularly. The country combines culture, experiences, and food in every way.

It’s worth it to visit Spain whether you go for a day, a week, or a month traveling solo or with a group. After you read my recent experiences in Barcelona, Spain, you will have more ideas than you can count to transform and travel.

Photo by Tania Mousinho on Unsplash

Highlights from Barcelona, Spain Travels

I love Barcelona. What’s not to love from the culture, language, food and so much more?

Did you know that Barcelona is home to Spain’s largest park Montjuic, best beaches of the world, and food market and shopping streets?

I’ve gotten to visit Madrid and Barcelona with some friends in 2013. During that visit, we stayed at a VRBO (Airbnb didn’t exist yet) and loved it! We did a double decker tour in Barcelona, tapas tour in Madrid, and flamenco dancing at Villa Rosa in Madrid.

I highly recommend all three. A double decker tour is a great way to see any city, especially for the first time and/or if you are short on time. In Barcelona, we visited Parc Guell, enjoyed Gaudi’s architecture in the city, and took cruise at the port in Barcelona.

Recently, I visited Barcelona in 2018 again. Each and every time I go, I feel like I fall more in love. I love roaming the aisle at Mercado de la Boqueria (Food Market) and drinking yummy fruit drinks. The art and sunset at Parc Guell is absolutely breathtaking. The sites like Sagrada de la Familia remind us of how small we really are.

This time, when I went to Barcelona, Spain I knew I would be in the city for a day, and creating content and hosting the mastermind event the remainder of my time. I planned the highlights of the day in Barcelona somewhat in advance, and adjusted as I went.

I stayed at an incredible Airbnb (with a garden and a pool) in Castelldefels, which is a municipality that is part of Barcelona, Spain. It’s about 30 min away from the center and is amazing.

Before we get into the 5 Ways to Transform and Travel in Spain, I want to share some of my story. I am sure there are some travelers, adventures, and bloggers here (or those that want to be). I believe it’s important to relate so you know that I understand a variety of experiences.

Canon EOS M100

Photo by Ruggiero Calabrese on Unsplash

My Experiences with Transforming & Traveling

I was born traveling. My parents conceived me in Bulgaria, born in Poland, and in a refugee camp in Italy by the time I was six months old. I immigrated with my parents to the United States when I was a year and a half. At that point, I had traveled to over four countries.

Since then, I have traveled to over 27 countries. This includes a solo trip across the Atlantic with my brother at the age of 11, solo trips before "travel blogger" existed, and creating over 4 retreats.

My experiences include scuba diving adventures in Jamaica and Egypt, and hot air ballooning in Spain. They include giving back with community service in Cuba and other countries. I love to transform + travel and help you create it too!

Shot on my Sony in 2013

Hot Air Ballooning near Barcelona, Spain

Since I am very passionate about transforming and traveling, I thought I would share 5 Ways to Transform and Travel in Spain.

5 Ways to Transform & Travel in Barcelona, Spain

I am sharing 5 Ways to Transform and Travel in Spain so you see how easy it is for you.

You will get insight to transform and travel with:

A Day to a Week (or more) in Barcelona
Content Creation at an Airbnb
Solo, Family, and Lifestyle Transformation Retreats
Ideas on hosting events with influencers and entrepreneurs

Whatever you choose to create next, think of all the ways to transform and travel in Spain.

Each and every time you are feeling you may need to have a new experience, come back and visit this post!

Photo by Enes on Unsplash

Boat Ride in Barcelona Port with one of my best friends, Angela Reese for 20+ years, her husband Lincoln & his best friend & chef Dough.

Shot around the corner from my Airbnb on Canon EOS m100 in 2018

5 Ways to Transform and Travel in Barcelona, Spain

1. Plan Like a Boss and Play Like a Tourist

Set up an itinerary for highlights you want to see in Barcelona, Spain. This will get you excited before you go. A great idea would be to google Top 10 in Spain or hop on a doubledecker tour.

For our social media gurus, bloggers and influencers, you could reach out with a press trip request to a hotel or experience to create content to one of the top tourist destinations in the world. You could even ask if they have options for ongoing collaborations or a press or overnight stay.

For the moms, you could play tourist with your kids around the city too! You will all enjoy some fun in the sun at a Barcelona beach, shopping at Las Ramblas, and a boat ride with the family nearby.

I am a big believer that there is more than enough time to make the best of the time you have. Whether, you get to visit Barcelona for a day, a week or a month, you will enjoy yourself.

Last time, I went I spent one day in Barcelona, Spain within the city specifically. Before I went, I knew I wanted to visit my favorite Gaudi buildings again. I visited Casa Mila (La Pedrera) and Casa Batllo when I started my day.

You may see a short behind the scenes video too!

Ps. for a lot of my photos I use iPhoneX. Right before this trip, I upgraded to a Canon EOSM100. I highly recommend it with the flip screen especially for photos and video when you are traveling alone.

Then, I headed over to one of my favorites Mercat de la Boqueria, also known as St Josephs Market. This is a foodies dream especially if you love fresh fruit juices, seafood and more! It’s right in the heart of Barcelona and near Las Ramblas for shopping if you want that in.

This was one of the booth owners I met, Joy. I got 3 juices from her. She was super sweet.

After I left, the food market, I went to Park Guell. If you are planning to visit Park Guell, they now require tickets. The park used to be free years ago (and the first time I went) which was amazing. I recommend you get your ticket the day before if it is low season or weeks to months before in high season.

The art and sunset at Parc Guell is absolutely breathtaking and well worth the time you will spend and the visit.

I ended my day by visiting La Sagrada Familia before heading back to my Airbnb.

My entire day ran from roughly 1pm to 9pm and I didn’t ever feel rushed or tired. You can imagine how transformational this experience felt.

Photo by Daniel Corneschi on Unsplash

My One Day In Barcelona, Spain this time:

1-2pm: Exploring La Pedrera and Casa Battlon

3pm - 5pm: Food Market

5-8pm: Park Guell

8-9pm: La Sagrada Familia

I took public transportation the entire time. It was easy and safe with both the metro and the bus I took to Park Guell.

2. Stay at an Airbnb

Some of you may be avid hotel lovers and some of you may have stayed already at an Airbnb. I have now stayed in over 40 Airbnbs across the globe. I used to be an avid hotel stayer - including Platinum status with Hilton Hotels and Marriott years ago when I used to travel over 70% as a Corporate Exec.

So, I completely understand the reasons why you may want to stay in hotels. I stay in them sometimes now and collaborate with them as well. However, the reason I started choosing Airbnbs is I wanted an experience I couldn’t get a hotel with incredible people. I wanted to create community as well.

The stays have included entire homes, guest houses, and private rooms too. I’ve stayed in Airbnbs locally in Atlanta as staycations, in the United States, across the globe including hosting our masterminds and retreats like the one day mastermind I hosted in Spain.

When you choose to stay at a hotel or Airbnb, my advice is the same. Look at the pictures, and the reviews. If you have any questions at all, message your hosts.

For Spain specifically, my list of requirements for the Airbnb included:

Great with a patio
Nearby a beach to relax
Great reviews
In Barcelona or
Public Transportation Access
Ability to host our 1 day event

On the Airbnb platform, they give you an option to select “available for events” in the filters once you select what country. However, I knew that there is always a chance that some people simply haven’t hosted events or experiences yet.

So, I didn’t mark that filter. I’m so glad I did. I found the perfect Airbnb < 30 minutes outside Barcelona and the most incredible hosts - Kris and Carlos. Immediately, when I saw the listing I knew it was perfect. The garden is breathtaking, a pool is right outside, and the beach is <10 minutes walking distance.

I messaged Kris to let her know I was coming for three nights and four days. I asked her if it would be okay if I hosted an event with <7 people. She had never previously hosted anything in the garden.

She replied back with that she would ask her friend on some feedback on some events they had. I immediately replied back with please look at my reviews with prior experience with groups in Costa Rica and Cuba and some others so she would be able to see how respectful, quiet, and clean we are. She said yes!

They do live in the home and offer private rooms. I knew from the reviews that Kris was amazing. I’m so glad I took the chance. They picked me up from the airport (even though my flight was delayed). They cooked me an incredible yummy Spanish dinner on the garden. I had a motorcycle ride with Carlos.

I also speak fluent Spanish and we had lots of laughs. I also helped her refine her listing and let them know they could list experiences on Airbnb. If you ever go, Carlos is also a driver with the double decker tour and knows Barcelona like the back of his hand!!! You can see how this an inspiring and beautiful experience with community that I would not have had at a hotel. It is priceless.

Shot on my Canon EOS M100 Art Bold Feature

3. Create Crazy Content

Do you love to create content? Have you done it yet while you travel? This will transform your experience too whether you create content yet or not.

What better place to start creating content than Spain? You will inspire your friends and family. This is another reason why I love to stay at Airbnbs. You get to create content with an unique perspective.

You could brainstorm by outlining some content ideas that you want to cover. What I did for Spain is exactly what I am walking you through. My Content Plan for Spain:

1 Day Site-seeing and Travel Blogger Feel
Unique Content Ideas for Blog and Podcast with Health, Wealth, Business
Airbnb and Beach to use for Blogs, Social Media, Courses
Event and Influencers at Airbnb and nearby

What I Completed in <3 Days:

Over 15 Shots and 2 Videos on Day 1
Over 25 Shots and 4 Videos on Day 2

Post the Trip:

This Post
Campaigns
Brands
Creating a Barcelona in a Day Post
Retreat Posts and more!

So, what content plan could you create for Barcelona, Spain, your next trip or even in your city? You may love some of our lifestyle transformation freebies that may help. Feel free to explore.

In the Garden in the Airbnb

4. Choose a New Type of Trip

Do you always travel solo? You may want to think about going with a group or a retreat? Maybe you always go with family? How about a trip for yourself? Perhaps, the only travel you’ve done internationally has been with retreats. Think about going solo.

My point is get uncomfortable so you transform. The essence of life is growth. I love mixing up both for myself and our community all the time in every way.

As you consider this, think about what type of trip you want to have in Spain. Perhaps, you want what some solo time and some group time just like my experience. This is what I love best. I did this in Spain and the same in between with our Cuba Retreats.

I don’t know about you but I’m what they call an ambivert. This means we are naturally introverted, and love to be around people with great energy. However, the world doesn’t always have great energy. Either way, I need downtime. If this is you, you may want to create a new experience for yourself during your trip.

Our Barcelona Mastermind Social Media Session

Next time I go to Barcelona, I am visiting Tibidabo.

Photo by Biel Morro on Unsplash

5. Attend or Host Events in Spain

Last, but definitely not least - attending or hosting an event or retreat in Spain or overseas. Maybe you love the idea that I hosted a mastermind in Spain and host retreats. You can too! Let yourself dream about what is possible.

The day before I left Spain, we hosted our mastermind 1 day event with five of us.

This included hands-on workshops on:

How Passion + Purpose = Profits
Smoothie Bowls and Tasty Treats
Meal and Workout Plans
6 Pack of Wealth and Activities
Building Your Brand + Digital Tools
Interactive Tech Platform

In Garden at Airbnb

Herbalife Banana Caramel & Blueberry Protein Parfaits

Herbalife Berry Protein Drink Mix with Mint

Andrea, her daughter, Ania, and I

Tapas with Hummus, Patatas Bravas, & Quinoa

Herbalife Banana Caramel Protein with Mint

Maybe you decide to attend an event in Spain first, or anywhere in the world. Perhaps, your brain is blowing up with possibilities. That’s what I love to do. I love to help you see that a limitless life is possible with expression, time, location, and financial freedom.

What workshops could you create? How could you start hosting events locally, nationally, or internationally? This is an incredible way to transform and travel.

Don’t think for a second I didn’t have fears come up as I was reaching out to people or creating the event. However, you can’t focus on faith and fear at the same time. I choose to fight for faith each and every time.

Transform and Travel

You've got many ways on how to transform and travel in Spain.

Decide how long you want to visit Barcelona, Spain or anywhere in Spain. Think about if you want to do something solo, with your family, or with a community next. Choose to embrace transforming and traveling no matter where you are or go.

Make a plan to transform and travel to Spain. Tag a friend you want to go to Spain with.

Thank you again to Nourish the Free Life for original publication.

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