Together or apart, many of my travel memories have him attached to them.
Where should we go for our big birthdays?
he asked me, as we would reach milestone ages in the same year.
Credit:Dana Frost/Courtesy of Widows In The Wild
Without hesitation, I said, The Maldives!
When else could we make that trip or justify the cost?
The dreams we had and the grand adventures we had planned were no more.
Dana Frost/Courtesy of Widows In The Wild
I had lost my future at 35 years old.
I became part of a club no one wants to join, especially at that age…
But it turns out many are.
Dana Frost/Courtesy of Widows In The Wild
This is where young widowhood travel groups come in.
One thing I struggled with when Steven died is that I became the keeper of all those travel memories.
She lost him suddenly in 2019 while she was in her early 30s.
Dana Frost/Courtesy of Widows In The Wild
Foley and her husband traveled the world for a year before having their first child.
Then, they traveled with her, too.
How would she feel, emotionally, doing it without Steven?
When he died, I thought, Oh my God, I’m never going to travel again.
I’m never going to be able to do this again, she says.
“Losing [my travel partner] was a hit to me on top of everything else.
Your life looked a certain way, and it was going a certain way.
Then suddenly, you’re on a different path than you ever imagined being on.”
My internet and community didn’t understand that I still felt so alone.
Even my friends didnt understand, and thats part of the problem.
Loneliness exists whether you are in your community or not because they dont understand, says Frost.
This first trip really allowed me to see the wall that is immediately stripped down, Frost says.
And that level of community that is immediate is pretty powerful.
Grief comes with complicated emotions, and it is truly a wave.
Both women, though, say that these experiences changed their post-partner lives.
One of the biggest beauties of this jot down of trip is the confidence that you gain.
For us, it’s like this friendship that transcends any other friendship I’ve ever had.
We just go deep, like instantly, and there’s no judgment.
It’s just like a sisterhood, she says.
Thats another special piece, she says.
You’re going to be in good company, and you’re going to be supported.
Take a chance and do it, Foley says.
