Grief and Solo Travel: Finding Space to Heal After Loss//198

Grief can feel like you’re fine one minute and flat on the floor the next and that swing can make you wonder if you’re “doing it wrong.” I’m Cheryl Esch, and I’m sharing a personal, honest look at loss through two very different stories: losing my mom to breast cancer and, more recently, losing my dad after years of Alzheimer’s. When someone fades in front of you, grief starts early, arrives in waves, and keeps changing shape.I explore how travel, especially solo travel, can support the grieving process without pretending it’s a quick fix. We talk about the real-life stages of grief and why they don’t move in a straight line. I also share practical grief travel ideas you can actually use: start with a day trip, keep your itinerary light, and build in breathing room for walks, meals, journaling, and rest. If you’re worried you’ll fall apart on the road, you’re not alone and you can plan for support with a trusted friend, a check-in call, or traveling with others when solo feels like too much.Faith is part of my story too, so I offer a simple way to invite God into your trip without putting pressure on yourself to have a profound spiritual breakthrough. We also name the quiet fear of being judged for “moving on” and why you don’t owe anyone an explanation. Whether your next step is a weekend near home, a place tied to memories, or a completely new setting, the goal is space to breathe and space to heal.If this speaks to you, subscribe, share it with someone who’s grieving, and leave a review so more listeners can find support when they need it most.Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

Guilt can sneak in the moment we even consider stepping away. If you’ve ever wondered whether resting is selfish, whether spending money on yourself is wrong, or whether you should be doing something “more productive,” you’re not alone and you’re not failing. We name the hidden pressure so many Christian women carry, especially in midlife, when years of caregiving, serving, working, and staying available can make stillness feel uncomfortable.We walk through what genuine restorative rest looks like, and why it’s not laziness or something you have to earn by hitting exhaustion. We ground the conversation in Scripture, including Jesus’ invitation to the weary and the biblical rhythm of work and Sabbath rest, and we talk about rest as an act of trust and surrender. When we pause, we practice believing that God continues to care for what we’re stepping away from.Then we get practical with restorative travel: trips designed around renewal rather than achievement. Think a quiet weekend, a retreat center, a beach day, a cabin, or even one night in a hotel that breaks your routine. We share why solo travel can be especially healing, plus simple ideas like slow walks, journaling, naps without apology, turning off your phone, and daily questions that help you notice peace, release burdens, and hear God more clearly.If you’ve been craving spiritual renewal, clarity, and a calmer nervous system, this is your invitation to travel differently and rest without guilt. Subscribe or follow for the next journey, share this with a friend who needs permission to rest, and leave a review so more women can find this message.Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

Fall has a way of telling the truth. The light changes, the air shifts, and suddenly you can feel that something in you is changing too. Today I’m sharing what’s been on my heart as we move into a new season on the calendar, after a lunar eclipse, and even toward a new year on the Hebrew calendar. If you’ve sensed a spiritual nudge to slow down, listen, and reassess, you’re not alone.We talk about midlife travel for women through a faith lens, especially when real life rewrites your plans. I open up about being in a season of more domestic travel and the possibility of postponing a Costa Rica trip because my father isn’t well. That kind of decision can bring disappointment, but it can also bring clarity. The deeper question is whether our travel plans reflect the season we’re actually living, or the season we wish we were in.You’ll hear practical encouragement for seasonal travel planning that starts with reflection and prayer: honoring grief, making space for quiet, and refusing to force a trip just because you already paid for it. I also share why I trust closed doors, how I think about “metamorphosis” in this second act of life, and what it can look like to wait for the right trip at the right time.If this resonates, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next, share this with a sister traveler who needs permission to slow down, and leave a review to help more women find the show. What season are you in right now, and what kind of travel would truly fit it?Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

I explore sabbatical travel as an intentional way to step away for rest, renewal, and listening for God without the usual noise of home. I share why more than a week matters, what a “radical sabbatical” can look like, and how to plan it with purpose instead of escape. • what sabbatical travel means and why it is growing • Sabbath roots and a biblical rhythm of work and rest • why leaving home reduces distractions and makes room to pray, grieve, dream, and listen • realistic sabbatical options from two weeks to a few months • choosing a clear purpose such as health, emotional healing, spiritual renewal, or writing a book • planning around finances, work, and family responsibilities • caregiving support and asking for help to make time away possible • returning with renewed perspective and readiness for a new season If you want to get in touch with me, you can email me [email protected]. Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

Small towns can feel like a time machine and a deep breath at the same time. I’ve been drawn to quieter places lately, and I want to share what I’m learning as I explore small town travel in the USA as both a solo traveler and a travel coach. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to trade traffic and endless errands for a slower pace, friendlier hellos, and a main street you can actually walk, you’ll feel right at home here. We talk about why so many of us default to the kind of place we grew up in and why that can change as we get older, especially in an empty nest season or after downsizing. I also share one of the smartest “try before you buy” travel strategies I’ve seen: doing an extended stay to test a lifestyle before moving, because a quick vacation rarely shows you the real daily experience. Then I highlight small towns that deliver charm and calm, including Jefferson, Texas with its antiques and bed and breakfast warmth, Woodstock, Vermont for covered bridges and Green Mountain views, Chagrin Falls, Ohio for a walkable downtown and waterfall, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia for history and river scenery, and Mackinac Island, Michigan where there are no cars and the quiet is the whole point. If you’re craving a reset, pick one town and stay more than a night. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a change of pace, and leave a review with the small town you’d try first.Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

You can feel it building for weeks: the pressure in your chest, the restlessness, the thought that if you could just get away everything would finally make sense. We’re talking about that temptation to use travel as an escape and the sobering truth that your deeper struggles don’t stay behind when the trip ends.I share a personal story from a June road trip and what I’ve been wrestling with around my living situation after years of nomad life. I’ve been longing to settle down, put down roots, and stop “flitting around,” and I realized how easy it is to call constant motion a lifestyle when it’s sometimes a way to avoid what hurts. Through prayer and daily guidance, I found clarity about what to do next and, more importantly, a sense of peace even before anything changed on the outside.We also explore the healthier side of travel: how intentional travel can give women the space to heal from trauma, reset mentally, and see a problem for what it really is. When you step out of the day-to-day noise with purpose, you can come home renewed, able to face your real life with a fresher mind and stronger direction.If you’re in a messy middle season and you know you need a break without running away, this conversation is for you. Listen, share it with a friend who keeps saying “I just need to leave,” and subscribe and leave a review so more sister travelers can find intentional, healing travel.Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

The World Cup is not just a tournament, it is a moving map. Watching fans show up with songs, costumes, and total pride for their home countries reminded me how quickly a game can turn into real travel inspiration. Even if soccer is not your thing, the feeling is hard to miss: community, curiosity, and that sudden urge to look up a country you had not considered in years.We talk about how big global events shine a spotlight on places you might never have put on your travel list. Japan’s culture of respect, Scotland’s all-out fun, Norway’s crowd energy, and a first-time underdog like Cabo Verde can spark a brand-new “I want to go there” moment. That is where better travel planning starts, especially for solo women travelers: not with what is trendy, but with what genuinely pulls you in.Then I zoom out to a practical framework I love: travel with a why. Your why can be pure fun, but it helps to choose something you already care about and let it guide the destination. Think festivals, lantern nights, tulips in Amsterdam, cherry blossoms in Japan, the Northern Lights, music you would cross an ocean for, or even writing retreats if you prefer quieter experiences. When you build a trip around an event, you get the best kind of bonus, the experience you came for plus a deeper taste of local culture.I also share what I am dreaming about next, from future World Cup plans in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco to the butterfly migration in Mexico, plus an important update on the podcast schedule and where you can hear me as a guest soon. If this sparked a destination idea, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more sister travelers can find their next adventure.Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

Your 23-year-old self might have measured a trip by how fast you could pack, how far you could drive, and how many friends you could squeeze into a weekend. But as we hit midlife, travel often stops being about proving we are adventurous and starts being about getting honest with what we need. I’m Cheryl Esch, and I’m exploring a question that keeps coming up when I watch younger travelers move through the world with pure spontaneity: how would you travel differently now, as a woman 50 and up?We talk about why last-minute plans can feel exciting at 23 and oddly stressful later on, and how that shift is not a loss of fun, it’s growth. We dig into identity, confidence, and the real reason some of us avoid being alone, especially on holidays. Then we move into intentional travel planning for solo travelers: the mental, emotional, and even spiritual prep that can turn “time off” into genuine renewal.I share three grounding questions to ask before you book anything: How am I feeling right now in my body and mind? Do I feel comfortable giving myself permission to step away? What do I want to feel during the trip and when I return home? Whether you crave a quiet retreat, a break from social media, or a purpose-filled adventure, you’ll leave with a clearer sense of what meaningful travel looks like in this season.If you want support creating a purposeful solo trip, I also share how one-on-one coaching can help. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs time away, and leave a review telling me: what do you want your next trip to give you?Coaching InvitationIf you’re feeling drawn toward solo travel but unsure where to begin, this is something I support women with through 1:1 coaching. Together we can explore what kind of travel experience fits your season of life and create a thoughtful plan that reflects the woman you are becoming.https://cherylbeckesch.com/workwithme/Apply for the Set Free to Become: A Spirit-led Travel Journey Coachinghttps://forms.gle/CG6K2pXEQmiXwfBW8Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

What would change if you treated your next solo road trip like a daily conversation with God instead of a race from one stop to the next? I just got back from a 15-day U.S. road trip that surprised me in the best ways, and it started with one intentional prayer: give me a truth, a promise, a word each day while I travel. I didn’t expect how clearly those “daily nuggets” would show up once I made the space to listen. A week before I left, my friend canceled, and I had to scramble to rework my plans, my lodging, and my budget. That disruption could have derailed everything, but it became part of the gift. Road trip travel is flexible in a way air travel isn’t, and that flexibility created room for rest, reflection, and real communion with God. I share how I journal each day, how I catch quick notes while driving, and how guidance can come through surprising places like a random autoplay song or a simple daily meditation that confronts worry and calls me back to trust. I also talk about the deeper side of travel memories, including what it felt like to return to the Badlands as an adult and how nature helps us savor the moment and carry it forward. Along the way, I recap the route (16 states and 4,600 miles), a personal answer I felt God gave me about where to live, and why intentional solo travel can strengthen faith and clarity. If you’re craving a meaningful road trip, Christian encouragement, and practical ways to travel with purpose, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review. What’s one thing you’d ask God to show you on your next trip?Coaching InvitationIf you’re feeling drawn toward solo travel but unsure where to begin, this is something I support women with through 1:1 coaching. Together we can explore what kind of travel experience fits your season of life and create a thoughtful plan that reflects the woman you are becoming.https://cherylbeckesch.com/workwithme/Apply for the Set Free to Become: A Spirit-led Travel Journey Coachinghttps://forms.gle/CG6K2pXEQmiXwfBW8Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50

Loneliness can sneak in after divorce and an empty nest, not as a dramatic breakdown, but as a quiet feeling you carry while you still do your job, return calls, and tell everyone you’re okay. I’m Cheryl Esch, a travel coach and solo travel advocate, and I’m sharing what I wish more women said out loud: you can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. When big life transitions pile up at once, grief does not always look like tears in public. Sometimes it looks like isolation, numbness, and the exhausting work of pretending you’re “strong.”I talk about how my divorce collided with empty nest life, how depression can drain your motivation, and how winter and seasonal affective disorder can make everything heavier. We also get into the social side of healing: what happens when you finally get vulnerable and someone shuts you down, and why that moment can teach you to stay surface-level even when you desperately need support. If you’ve felt dismissed, too much, or hard to love during a transition, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.We close with practical ways to rebuild community and confidence, including women-to-women support, divorce support groups, church groups, and the surprising power of a small women’s travel group (think 12 or fewer). Solo travel does not have to mean being lonely. It can be a bridge back to yourself and to friendships that feel real. If this resonates, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s starting over, and leave a review. What kind of support would change everything for you right now?Support the showhttps://[email protected] @solotraveladventures50