THE HOLIDAY THAT CHANGED ME

Jumping on a plane after a break-up was the best decision Katarina Polonska, 34, ever made

- JOHANNA BELL

Sat on a sunlounger with a glass of wine and a book, I took in my beautiful surroundings and sighed with pleasure. It was August 2022 and I’d been dreading this day. It was the day I was meant to be getting married. Yes, married – a day that is supposed to be filled with happy tears, lots of smiles and excitement for the future. But life doesn’t always go to plan, and instead of walking down the aisle, I was relaxing on a beach in Ibiza alone, but I was so much happier.

My ex and I had been together for three years and despite getting engaged in 2020 and planning our wedding, cracks began to appear in our relationship. We were drifting apart and as the wedding drew closer, instead of excitement I just felt dread. I knew I couldn’t go through with it – I just couldn’t imagine my future with him any more. And so, a few months before the wedding, I called things off.

Of course, family and friends asked if I was doing the right thing. ‘You’ve been together for so long, don’t make a hasty decision,’ one friend said. And moments of self-doubt did creep in. ‘Am I being too rash? Should I reconsider?’ I wondered.

Needing some time to clear my head, and also wanting to get away from everything in the immediate build-up to the wedding date, I booked a holiday to Ibiza with a couple of friends. I felt at a crossroads in life, unsure of what my future held. I hoped the trip would help bring some clarity, but right at the last minute, my friends couldn’t make it. Still,

I didn’t want to stay in London and mope, so I boarded the plane alone.

I vowed to embrace the experience and rediscover all the things I loved doing, things that I’d lost sight of in my relationship. My ex hated Ibiza and clubbing, so I hit the bars, and danced long into the nights. It was something I’d never done alone, but on the first night I got chatting to a group of people and it made me realise I could make friends easily.