There is no shortage of information and advice on how to cope with divorce once your settlement has been finalized and you are looking at taking the next steps in your new life. One noticeable trend that may have a place in how you eventually cope with your divorce is post-divorce travel and its role in helping individuals jump start their new lives. According to Travel Weekly, start-anew-moons are on the rise. These post-divorce vacations are so named as a play on traditional terms like honeymoon and other more recent trends like babymoons which are vacations couples take before the birth of a child. With the American Psychological Association estimating 40 to 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce, this means a lot of recently divorced individuals are taking off to travel as a way to both cope with the ramifications of divorce and as a way to dive headfirst into a new life post-divorce.
Roots of the Trend
Many of us know all-too-well how much feeling stuck or being stationary can impact our everyday lives. After long periods of work, we all know how it feels to need a vacation as well as how beneficial a vacation can be in terms of our performance both professionally and personally. Divorce itself is a lot of work. When you add divorce to the pressures you experience as a result of other everyday obligations like work and school or even family commitments, many individuals emerge from divorce with an exceptionally high level of stress and emotional volatility.
The article notes that typical post-divorce travelers are women over 50. That does not mean that the trend is limited to them. A post-divorce vacation can serve multiple purposes. Not only can it bring you an opportunity to explore new and different experiences, but it can also bring you much-needed rest and relaxation. Some individuals choose group tours while some people choose to travel with friends. Others choose to make the post-divorce vacation a solitary experience while others still may take their children. Whatever the dynamics, travel industry personnel interviewed for the article say that these trips are not designed for mourning the end of your marriage. Instead, they can provide a rich opportunity to strengthen relationships with those with whom you choose to journey or simply allow you to clear your mind and regain your focus.
Making the Choice
You know yourself better than anyone else. Traveling to a new place may or may not be right for you. If there is somewhere that you always wanted to go but never had the chance to because of the demands of marriage and/or parenting, divorce may present the perfect opportunity for you to do so. One of the benefits of shared custody arrangements are that they do allow you some flexibility to dedicate some extra time and resources to yourself, and doing so can make a huge difference in how you ultimately cope with your divorce as well as in the successes you experience. Travel might not be an immediate option for you, but it can present a new goal for you to work toward.
There is no shame in admitting that divorce is hard. Anyone who has been through it understands the struggle that it brings, even in the most amicable of situations. It is never easy to watch something you have worked on for an extended period of time end, and likely not in the way you originally planned. However, travel and new experiences in general might present an opportunity for you to start enjoying your new life in a different way. That is not to say that you should shirk responsibility and begin behaving irrationally, but approaching decisions that benefit you without carrying the guilt of believing that doing so is selfish can help you understand the benefit such decisions can bring not only to you, but to everyone else involved in your divorce. A happier, healthier, more fulfilled individual is typically exponentially more capable of being a positive force in the lives of those around them than someone depriving themselves of new experiences or opportunities.
Making it Work
Vacationing certainly is not free. In fact, the cost of a getaway can significantly impact a person’s ability to actually get away. However, sound financial planning is an indispensable part of divorce throughout the entire process. Many Florida divorce attorneys who focus on working with clients experiencing divorce often recommend the assistance of a financial planner at all stages of the divorce to make sure you are making sound financial decisions when budgeting and planning for the financial effects of divorce.
Taking the advice of your Florida divorce attorney and working with them as well as a financial planning expert can not only help you make sure you are making responsible financial choices, but can also help you see if there is room for you to plan on devoting some resources to things you want and need. Perhaps a post-divorce vacation is one of those things. Either way, divorce is a deeply personal experience and working with an experienced divorce attorney can make all of the difference in the world for you and your divorce settlement. To find out more information about divorce in general or the role that responsible financial planning can play in it, contact Scott J. Stadler to schedule a consultation and find out what options might be available to you as you navigate the divorce process and after the process is over.