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I didn’t travel to heal. That came later. At the time, I just needed to be somewhere else — anywhere that didn’t carry quite so many reminders. Home had become a catalogue of absences. Streets where conversations used to happen. Rooms that still expected someone to walk in.

So I left.

Not dramatically. No grand plan. Just a ticket booked on a dull afternoon when staying felt harder than going. I remember the drive to the airport more clearly than the flight itself. Early, quiet roads. That strange numb focus you get when grief has burned through everything noisy. I’d sorted Airport Parking Heathrow Terminal 3 in advance, almost mechanically. One less decision. One less thing to unravel.

The first few days away were oddly flat. I’d expected something cinematic — tears, breakthroughs, long walks ending in clarity. None of that arrived. I wandered. Ate when I remembered. Slept badly. Grief, it turns out, travels with you just fine.

What changed wasn’t the sadness. It was the space around it.

In unfamiliar places, the loss loosened its grip slightly. There were no shared memories attached to cafés or pavements. No sudden reminders ambushing me in queues or doorways. I could sit somewhere new and feel sad without also feeling trapped by it.

One afternoon, sitting alone with a coffee I didn’t particularly like, I realised I hadn’t thought about getting through the day in a while. I was just… in it. That felt significant.

Travel didn’t give me answers. It didn’t resolve anything neatly. What it gave me was permission to exist without performing grief for people who expected a certain version of me. Strangers didn’t know what I’d lost. They let me be unremarkable.

The practical things mattered more than I expected. Planning small logistics, early flights, transfers, and airport parking deals removed friction at moments when my emotional reserves were already thin. Grief is heavy. You don’t need unnecessary stress piled on top.

I came home without closure in the cinematic sense. Nothing was finished. Nothing wrapped up.

But something had shifted.

The first “free” flight I ever booked wasn’t actually free. I’d spent months collecting points without really understanding them, clicked the wrong option, paid a pile of taxes, and still felt vaguely triumphant when the confirmation email arrived. It took a while to learn that points and miles aren’t a trick they’re a language. Once you speak it, things get easier.

The biggest shift is realising that points aren’t savings accounts. Hoarding them rarely pays. Airlines quietly devalue miles, routes change, sweet spots disappear. The best use of points is usually soon, not someday. When a redemption makes sense for your dates and your sanity, take it.

Flexibility is where the real wins are. Being able to fly midweek, leave a day earlier, or return a day later opens up options that simply don’t exist for fixed-date travellers. I’ve watched the same route swing from impossible to suddenly affordable just by shifting a departure by 24 hours.

Another thing people miss: points work best on flights that would otherwise feel painful to pay for. Long-haul economy. One-way tickets. Last-minute bookings. Using miles to “save” £80 rarely feels satisfying. Using them to avoid a £900 fare does.

Airline loyalty matters less than you think. Credit card points that transfer to multiple airlines give you leverage. You’re not chasing one programme’s rules; you’re choosing the best option at the moment you need it. That freedom is everything.

Taxes and fees are the reality check. Some airlines are generous. Others claw back value through surcharges. I always price the cash ticket alongside the points option. If the difference is small, I pay cash and save the miles for a harder day.

The unglamorous logistics still matter. Starting a trip calmly makes better decisions easier. I’ve learned that sorting airport parking deals early, especially when hunting cheap airport parking deals, removes one distraction from the process. When the edges of a trip are handled, you think more clearly about the flight itself.

The real secret, though, is this: points aren’t about gaming the system. They reward people who pay attention. Who read terms once. Who check options twice. Who stop chasing perfection and book something that works.

Barcelona is a city that is more of a place to explore than to plan. The initial visit was made with a loose list of things to visit and no timetable whatsoever. It proved to be the most appropriate choice that I could have taken. Barcelo cannot be hurried or put in time slots. It is a city which manifests itself gradually, turn, stop, surprise after surprise.

I began to spend my mornings naked to alarm and only entered the streets when I felt the streets were awake. On certain days it was a walk in the Gothic Quarter, letting the small streets lead me in this side and that side.

I would go silently through alleys and small stores, which would open their doors, and people would head to get coffee. I had no itinerary, so I was not searching after the places, I was observing details.

It happened one afternoon when I pursued the music and found myself in El Born, where the music in the street was performing on small squares, and people sat on church steps and only watched the world pass by.

I had to wait longer than I originally thought just because it was the right thing to do. That is the beauty of travelling when you have no set timetable and you give yourself a leave.

Note: Make sure to book meet and greet Heathrow before travelling fora stress-free travel experience.

Food became spontaneous too. I relied on my intuition rather than studying restaurants. Good food came with a busy tapas bar. An all-Spanish menu was normally the indicator of even better food.

I would take a quick bite and continue with the walk and allow the day to flow. Barcelona makes this easy. The process of eating in this place is an inseparable part of everyday life, something to which you do not have to think much.

Many of us think that booking a flight is simply finding the lowest price, packing our bags, and there you go. Many people don’t even bother to compare a few options. When they see a number that they were looking for and feel is right, they just book the right way without a second thought.

This habit is understandable, but it leads to many issues later on. That’s why a flight booking guide is essential. We are going to share some tips regarding it, so let’s jump into our topic.

Flight Prices

Flight prices change constantly, and the majority of the time, people overlook how flexible their travel dates actually are. If you plan your flight earlier or later, the cost can change without you realizing why. Early departures and late arrivals tend to cost less, though they can affect how tired you feel when the trip starts.

Baggage Rules Matter

Some flight tickets look cheaper at first when you book them. Later, you found that it only includes the seat itself, and carry-on bags are not part of the deal.

You will be frustrated when you find out that adding baggage costs more than expected, and you have no options left besides paying the cost and getting on board. So, don’t forget to learn the baggage rules before booking any flight.

Your Passport and Visa

Your documentations are your responsibility, so don’t forget to keep it. Check the passport validity before the flight booking, transit visa, and entry requirements. Missing these details will cancel your trip before it even begins.

Planning Airport Access

Airport planning is something most people ignore, especially when you are flying from London Heathrow Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the world, and traffic around it is always unpredictable. If you are driving, then car parking should be a part of your booking decision.

 So, don’t forget to book the short stay parking Heathrow by Ezybook. It also removes pressure on the day of travel. Knowing where your car is parked allows you to focus on the journey rather than rushing against time.

Final Thoughts

Rome is one of such cities where you anticipate people before you get there. I recall making my initial visit where I stood in a long queue in front of the Colosseum and I questioned myself whether this was a mere Roman experience.

Future journeys and visits taught me one thing. You do not have to feel absorbed by groups of tourists in Rome. You only require a little maneuver and less of a hurry.

Get Your Days into Earlier Than You Think.

Rome wakes up quietly. The city will reward you, in case you are ready to wake up early. It happened to me once that I arrived at the Trevi Fountain at the time when the sun was rising. No pushing, no noise, water and some locals walking to work.

It is much more pleasant in the early morning when major attractions, including the Vatican Museums and the Roman Forum, are much quieter. You will be moving at a higher rate, you will be viewing more, and you will be less stressed.

Note: Make sure to check Airport Parking Deals before your trip and book according to your requirements.

Go to popular sites during working days.

Romanesque weekends are the property of both the tourists and the locals. You should schedule your big sightseeing days to be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in case you are free.

I also observed that at the Pantheon there were shorter queues and accessing churches was easier in the morning of weekdays.

Even such busy places as Piazza Navona become less stressful when you do not come during weekends.

Book Tickets in Advance

This may seem like a no-brainer but it is a massive difference. Avoid the queues in ticket offices by making online reservations in attractions such as the Colosseum and Vatican Museums.

During one of these trips I would just pass by a long line as other people stood in the sun. It was the only time that I was convinced not to leave anything to chance.

Take Breaks When Others Don't