At the end of the day, whether you plan a big blow out trip of a lifetime or take a weekend to yourself to relax and reflect, you will thank yourself.
All-inclusive resorts are popular destinations among the recently divorced. It makes sense to budget some time and resources to get away and regroup after your divorce is concluded. There are a variety of opinions about how you may treat yourself to needed down time, whether you are traveling on your own or bringing your children or a significant someone else. For many, the purpose of the post-divorce trip is to re-invent oneself in a neutral location and environment where they can be anyone they want. Much of this sounds like story lines on episodes of The Love Boat
A recent Travel Weekly article highlights a few trends and statistics about divorce and travel
- Travel agents report increases in clients planning post-divorce trips when agents ask if the trip is to celebrate a unique event or occasion;
- The American Psychological Association estimates that 40 to 50 percent of married couples eventually divorce;
- Group trips are also popular and many gather friends together for the vacation;
- Typical post-divorce travelers are women age 40 to 50;
- In addition to all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, major U.S. cities like New York and Las Vegas are also popular post-divorce vacation destinations;
- Many newly empty nesters decide they need a change, and that means divorce.
Do the kids get to come along?
Depending on your personal feelings and needs, it may be an easy or difficult decision whether to bring your kids on a vacation to celebrate your divorce. Note that you do not need to brand your trip as a post-divorce celebration, especially if you are bringing your kids. The last thing you may want to do is teach them that their other parent is bad or that divorcing him or her is a cause to celebrate (even if you feel that way inside).
Your children might be constant reminders of all you just went through in your divorce which may have involved a custody dispute. If you really need down time, consider whether your kids or close friends may bolster or hinder your ability to unplug, sign off and relax with your thoughts. Sometimes people mean well by trying to push your happiness and wellness, yet seem to only remind you about that which you may be trying to forget.
The value in celebrating your divorce anniversary.
Some people like to expand on the idea of a divorce finalization getaway and create a new tradition of taking a trip somewhere around the annual anniversary of their divorce. It may sound odd to others to continue celebrating your divorce year after year, so calling it something else might be appropriate. You will still know why you reflect on your past, present and future and how your marriage and divorce affected you then, now and may in the future.
Celebrating divorce does not need to focus on the ending of a bad marriage when it can otherwise be an opportunity to think about your independence and how many chapters we empower ourselves to write and live. At the end of the day, whether you plan a big blow out trip of a lifetime or take a weekend to yourself to relax and reflect, you will thank yourself.
