A handsome stranger convinced me to travel to Barcelona. We lasted only 3 days, but I’ve now lived here for 4 years.

I’ve fallen in love with Barcelona.

It was the first week of November 2019, and I was spending time with my family, who’d come to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to celebrate my birthday.

As we made our way back to our hotel down one of Playa’s most crowded streets, I locked eyes with a tall, handsome man. The connection was so intense that we continued looking back at each other as we walked away.

In the midst of all of this, my mom interrupted and asked whether we were going in the right direction. I’d forgotten I was leading the way.

As we continued walking toward the hotel, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the guy, and he was with another man.

The second man said, “I’d like you to meet my friend,” and joined our hands together before disappearing into the crowd.

My encounter with a stranger changed everything

Initially, I was confused and asked the guy whether he knew the man who’d left. He didn’t. It felt like that other man was Cupid — he’d seen our connection and brought us together.

The guy invited me to hang out that evening, but I had to decline since my family was in town. I asked whether we could meet after they left.

He told me he was leaving the following morning but said, “If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet somewhere in the world.”

I laughed off his statement but gave him my phone number. I had a feeling I’d see him again, but I wasn’t sure where.

At the time, I’d planned to live in Playa for the next year. But life had other plans.

Over the next few weeks, nothing went as expected, and it felt like the city was pushing me out. I went back to the United States for a while but kept in touch with the guy.

He helped get me to Barcelona, which I fell in love with and now call home

Barcelona is a beautiful city, and I’ve met so many wonderful people here.

The guy was on what seemed like his own “Eat, Pray, Love” journey. He’d quit his job and was traveling around the world.

Each time he arrived in a new city, he’d ask me whether I wanted to join him, and I always declined. After about three months of messaging on WhatsApp, he mentioned he was going to Barcelona and invited me to come with him.

This time, I seriously considered it: Barcelona and I had a history.

It was the first place I traveled to after I left my job in New York City to travel the world for eight months. It was a special place, and I knew I’d go back someday.

Finding a flight there for only $161 felt like a sign. I went.

We met in Barcelona and had an incredible time together until our three-day rendezvous abruptly ended. We ultimately went our separate ways, but I stayed in the city.

Two weeks later, Barcelona went into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, which lasted for what seemed like forever.

As life slowly returned to a “new normal,” I began to connect with expats and locals in Barcelona, building friendships and a community that made the city feel like home. I decided to make it just that, and I’ve now lived in Barcelona for about four years.

Interestingly, one of the first things the guy said to me when we met was that he invited me to Barcelona because he sensed Playa was no longer where I belonged.

It seems he was right. I often think about this story and how life has a way of moving us toward unexpected places and people.

What may seem like a fleeting moment can lead to an entirely new path — one that wasn’t part of the original plan but ends up being exactly where you need to be.