Life After Divorce: Your Journey
Literally. It’s a metaphor, this journey, but it’s also a destination. Blogs we’ve published before discuss the need for support from friends and family; your health; handling stress; discovering who you are post-divorce; but having a goal centering around a trip can be surprisingly freeing. It can help you find balance.
Why traveling matters:
Most Americans don’t travel enough, regardless of marital status. New research shows, however, that travel is important for overall well-being. Travel reduces stress and adds to the quality of life. Travel gives you a different perspective, and a new perspective can be just what you need.
“Traveling isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
– Anthony Bourdain
The crew:
Maybe your crew is comprised of your closest friends. Maybe it’s your children.
Maybe it’s solo. Who you share this journey with will mark the kind of personal growth you make. Going with friends can help you connect to your support group and build into your tribe. It shapes you differently than experiencing travel with family. If you are looking to create new memories with your children, begin again with them, this trip could be the foundation for a new life. It could set the tone of how your family moves forward together after a divorce. Going on a trip alone is the most formative for your individuality. A divorce is the severing of the connection you shared with another person. A trip where you connect with yourself will be painful, but it will also help you heal and discover your dreams and interests again.
“Oh Darling, Let’s Be Adventurers.”
The destination:
Your destination can be governed by your crew, but it can also be governed by what you want to accomplish. If you are going to run away and feel safe, it will differ from going on a trip to your dream destination. If you dreamed of Paris from your youth, but you want to go somewhere to center yourself and heal, a “bucket list” trip probably isn’t the right fit for self evaluation. Decide your budget and plan realistically, but if your trip is a big one, you’ll find a way.
“Travel is never a matter of money but of courage”
– Paulo Coelho
Travel is so important that Dr. Oz began an Instagram campaign to inspire people to prioritize their overall health and take their vacation days--get out and explore the world. After a divorce, it’s important to build into your future, and a post-divorce trip could be just the kind of adventure you need.