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Grief Retreats and Memorial Travel
Travel is a great way to relax, rejuvenate, learn, and escape. It gives you a chance to see new places and meet new people, and it can be an incredibly powerful tool for healing. This is why travel can also be an impactful way to deal with grief, especially grief retreats, grief camps, and memorial travel.
Grief Retreats and Grief Camps for Connecting with Others
Grief retreats and grief camps are related ideas but have different specialties. Typically, retreats are for adults and families who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, while camps are available for children who have suffered loss.
Both retreats and camps give the participants the chance to connect with others who are also grieving, to learn healthy ways to deal with grief, and to memorialize their loved ones in meaningful ways. Professionals and volunteers who understand the grieving process run both and provide age-specific counseling and activities to support the attendees.
Because everyone grieves differently, retreats and camps allow people to participate as much or as little as they want. Opportunities to interact with others are available, but nothing should feel forced.
If you or someone you love would benefit from this kind of grief travel, our guide to Resources and Support Groups for the Bereaved has a list of grief camps to get you started.
Memorial Travel to Honor a Loved One
A less formal form of bereavement getaway, traveling in honor of the deceased, can be as beneficial as a therapeutic retreat. Memorial travel can take many forms, like going to a place you and your loved one always dreamed of visiting or journeying to their land of origin or a location that meant a lot to them. Sometimes a change of scenery and experiencing new things can alter your perspective enough to allow you to heal.
For a relaxing and rejuvenating escape, a resort spa that offers massage and mindfulness practices like yoga or meditation could be just what you need. Whether you're traveling months after your loss or years afterward, taking the time to exhale can help you find a sense of peace.
On the other hand, mental stimulation might benefit you. Traveling to lands that require you to learn a new language, try new foods, and discover a new-to-you culture can distract you momentarily from your grief and allow different emotions to flow, reminding you that it's okay to feel awe, humor, and even joy while grieving.
Wherever your journey takes you, you can honor your loved one's memory by enjoying a quiet moment in a favorite place, creating a small memorial ceremony (like tossing flowers off a bridge), or reflecting on where your loved one came from. Some people even place a bit of ashes in a piece of memorial jewelry so their loved ones can literally travel with them. How you pay tribute to their memory can be as unique as they were.
We hope this introduction to bereavement getaways inspires you to find new and healthy ways to deal with loss. Remember: Wherever you journey, their love will always be with you.
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