Grief travel is when a person takes a trip after a loss to create space from daily routines, process emotions, and reflect on their departed loved one. While not for everyone, some people may benefit from new surroundings or visiting a place that brings them comfort or joy. Traveling cannot cure grief, but it may create space for remembrance and healing, according to emerging research.
What Is Grief Travel?
Grief travel is any trip intentionally taken after a loss, in response to the grieving process. It doesn’t matter where or even when you go; grief travel is about the intention behind the trip.
Often, the intention is to find space to experience emotions and take a break from familiar places and daily routines. Even if traveling may give you a break from the agony of grief, don’t expect to be able to completely ignore your feelings, since your grief will be traveling with you. For many, it’s about creating space to breathe and process emotions, rather than escaping the grief, though that is also a valid reason to travel. Sometimes being around places and things we shared with a departed loved one can create intense emotions that some distance can ease.
While research on grief travel is limited, a qualitative study of people who traveled internationally after loss suggested they were better able to adjust to life after loss once back home.
The Benefits of Traveling While Grieving
For those who wish to travel after a loss, there are many possible benefits to be gained. You might find that travel creates space for reflection on the past, present, and future; on the life you once had and the life you have now. Shifting your surroundings can also shift your perspective. It’s easy to get locked into one emotion or frame of mind after a loss due to the stress, but a change of scenery can help you see life again with new eyes, even if it’s only for a few moments.
If you choose to travel with friends and family who are also grieving, this can also be a time to strengthen existing bonds of friendship, family, and love, all while honoring your departed loved one.
Types of Grief Travel Experiences
A grief trip can be anything from a day trip to an international excursion. Here are a few ideas to get you started if you’re looking for inspiration:
- Make the trip in honor of your loved one.
- Return to a place you visited with your loved one.
- Immerse yourself in nature.
- Rest, restore, and pamper yourself.
- Make it spiritual; go on a personally meaningful pilgrimage.
- Travel solo, travel with someone, or travel with a group.
- Volunteer trips can be especially meaningful while grieving.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to grief travel. You can be spontaneous or use planning to self-soothe. What’s important is permitting yourself to go.
Tips for Making the Most of Grief Travel
Here are some tips for making the most out of your grief travel experience.
- Plan around your needs: Make sure your trip is about what you want and need during this season of grief. Do you need rest? Distraction? Solitude? Company? Plan accordingly.
- Stay flexible: Grief can have many physical symptoms, and sometimes you may just want to be alone with your thoughts. Keep your itinerary flexible so you can slow down or speed up at will.
- Be choosy with companions: If you want a travel companion, it’s important to choose someone who can support you in this time of grief. While they may be grieving, ask yourself: Is this person not only a good friend but also a good travel companion?
- Expect grief: While traveling can help with grief, you didn’t leave it behind at home. It may still come in waves and on its own time, and being ready for the unexpected moments of grief can help you process your emotions more smoothly.
- Stay connected: Especially if you’re traveling solo, be sure to stay in touch with your support system back at home.
When Grief Travel Might Not Be the Right Choice
Grief travel may not be the right choice for you if:
- The idea of planning or taking a trip feels stressful or overwhelming.
- It would put a strain on your finances.
- You’re having health issues, even temporary grief-related ones.
- You’re being pressured by someone else to travel.
- You’re heavily relying on your current support system and routines.
There’s no urgency when it comes to grief travel, and no magic fix for forcing yourself to take a trip that you’re not ready for.
Honoring Grief, Embracing New Horizons
Grief travel is not about leaving your lost loved one behind, but rather about figuring out how to live life without them. For some, a trip after loss allows them to have both remembrance and new experiences at the same time. Remember, a weekend camping trip is just as meaningful as a trip across the ocean; it’s about what you need and what you’re able to do with the resources at hand.
One way to preserve the memories you make on a grief trip and how you honor your loved one along the way is with an online Ecorial memorial on our Memory Map. Share your trip and memories with friends and family using Ecorial.
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