The person who said it's better to have loved and lost rather than to have never loved is a fool. The pain of missing someone is not something that can be described that easily. Whether the person is a child, parent, close friend, or romantic involvement, the feeling is much the same. It feels like a part of you has been ripped from the core, like some outside force is draining you of all of your energy, and an endless loop of home movies is playing in your head.
Maybe you can travel to places you would never have been able to go to. Maybe you can meet people who you never would have met. But no matter what you do, you will always feel like a piece of you is missing.
There is no true escape.