“Travel is more than the seeing of sights. It is a change that goes on, deep and permanent .” - Miriam Beard

Introduction:

Traveling can offer several benefits for individuals who are processing the loss of a loved one. While everyone's grief journey is unique, here are some potential advantages of traveling during this difficult time:

On September 19, 2023, I'll be facing my first anniversary of my husband’s death. I was one of the lucky ones. We were married for 27 years and together for 31. Until the moment he took his last breath, we were passionately in love with one another. 

Going from being passionately in love with your best friend to being completely alone at the age of 50 was shocking, to say the least.  At the same time, I was the mother of three adult children, and I was the only child of two senior parents.  My world felt very small and very smothering as I tried to figure out a way to grieve the loss of my husband. 

My outlet became travel. Taking solo trips beginning seven weeks after his death was one of the best things I ever did for myself.  When I experienced other cultures and other environments, I got to feel alive again. I was learning, and I was living. During the quiet moments and pauses of time in a hotel room, sitting beside a lake, or on a beach, I had moments to face my grief head-on and feel my feelings without being overwhelmed by my world back home. 

I can't tell you that I will ever quit grieving my husband. I'm told the pain never goes away and that you learn to live despite it. I was allowed to truly embrace my grief and feel my feelings in a very personal and comfortable way as I traveled to England, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. 

I know traveling while grieving will not fit everybody's path, but I found that every time I got on the plane to fly home, I felt a little bit lighter, a little bit more at peace, and a little bit more accepting of my new journey as a 50-year-old widow. If you too are finding yourself in a time of grief and wonder if travel may be a way to help you process, reach out. Let's start a dialog.

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