Out and Out Is in Barcelona! Any Must-Dos? (And Updates!)
Dear Out and Out readers, I miss you so.
I got to Barcelona (Barcy) Wednesday morning and have spent the past 3 days wandering, sleeping, working, eating (tapas), and drinking (sangria and Spanish wines and local craft beers).
Wandering in the Gothic Quarter
I still have 3 more full days in Barcy and am totally open to ideas about how to fill the time. I’m meeting with friends, and have a few things on my to-do list (on Todoist):
Restaurants, sites, and things to see. Anything I should add?
I’ll get up tomorrow and see La Sangrada Familia, then maybe head to the Picasso Museum and see the Arc de Triomphe along the way.
Feel free to share any tips about where to go, what to do, or great restaurants you love. I’ll try to work in as many things as possible!
A few updates
Here are a few quick off-the-cuff goings-on:
Hilton
Loving my upgraded room at the Alexandra Doubletree!
I’m at the Alexandra Doubletree by Hilton – my first stay as a Hilton Diamond guest. I got upgraded to a better room with a private balcony and a view of Las Ramblas – I love this hotel! The location is fantastic!
Full review soon. So far, impressed with Hilton Diamond perks.
AA
My miles already posted
My miles already posted! Including for the current 25K bonus miles promotion for round-trips, even though I obvi haven’t flown back yet. It seems they’re awarding the bonus miles in 12.5K chunks per segments flown, which is kind of interesting.
In any regard, I can safely say it works for AA flights purchased through the fantastic British Airways deal!
The flight over the pond was quick and easy. Again, full review soon.
And I’ll probably still ditch AAdvantage altogether after the flight home in favor of Alaska’s Mileage Plan.
Todoist
This is my first trip organizing my days with Todoist, and it’s been a godsend. I added things in rough order, and have been ticking them off one by one.
I added things like links to buy tickets, screenshots of maps, menus, opening hours, and other little notes and it’s been so helpful.
Sure, you could use any note-taking app.
I’m finding I love the easy format of Todoist. I created a new label called “Travel” that I’ll use while on trips, or as I find things to add to future trips. I’m still using Evernote and TripIt Pro to keep travel plans in order. And Todoist “on the ground.”
It’s going really smoothly so far. Not to get too “workflow” about it or anything.
New stuff
I have a few collaborations in the pipeline, and looking forward to writing about them.
These have been in the works for a few weeks now, so it’ll be exciting to finally get them out into the world.
More soon!
Money
I’ve been thinking about how to make extra dollas in 2016. I want this to be a positive, wonderful year full of travel and side hustles and money and major steps toward financial independence.
I went ahead and socked $5,500 into my Roth IRA, thus maxing it out in January and giving it a WHOLE YEAR of appreciation and dividends.
Next up: student loans, paying down the mortgage, another investment property, and who knows, maybe another Airbnb?
But for the next 3 days, I’m focused on Barcelona.
Next trip
Loving the momentum already. In early February, I’ll be heading to Martinique (Marty) on Norwegian Air!
Looking forward to experiencing a well-reviewed low-cost airline.
Bottom line
Loving this beautiful, historic city on the Mediterranean. And as a bonus, it’s 60 and sunny every day and I’m dodging a Nor’easter this weekend. Small stuff.
I can’t wait to bring it all full circle and report on the outcomes of the flights, the hotel booking, and the preparation that went into the trip.
Missing you guys!
But for the next 3 days, Barcelona is right outside. Feel free to add tips. I’d love to have a few packed days before getting back to the New York winter.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
And if you’re in New York on January 20th, consider joining us at the Reach for the Miles Meetup at Professor Thom’s from 6-9pm! I’ll be there (and definitely square).
Besos!
* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts via email (only 1 per day!) or in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update!
