Laura Ericson

The First Three Places I Travelled to After My Divorce

Published on March 20, 2025

Laura Ericson
Founder
Laura Ericson Group Trips

I’d always been a traveller, but I tended to stick to the typical tourist path and conventional places that were deemed “safe” for female travellers. After my divorce in 2018, I made a promise to myself: I would take advantage of every opportunity to experience new places and step out of my comfort zone. Though it took a few years to find my footing, in 2021 I embarked on a series of transformative journeys that would change my perspective on both travel and life itself. Here are the three destinations that helped me rediscover myself and my love for adventure.

Colombia: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected

My journey began in Colombia, a country that wouldn’t have crossed my radar just a few years earlier. Like many, I had preconceptions about its safety, especially for solo female travellers. What I discovered instead was a hidden gem full of vibrant culture, warm people, and breathtaking landscapes.

In Medellín, known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” I found myself surrounded by perpetually blooming flowers and year-round perfect weather. Walking through Comuna 13, once considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world, I witnessed how art and community could transform a place. The stunning street art told stories of resilience and renewal – themes that deeply resonated with my own journey.

The lesson Colombia taught me was simple but profound: sometimes the most beautiful experiences lie just beyond our comfort zone. The places we fear might just become the ones that heal us the most.

Mexico City: Rediscovering Adventure in the Familiar

Mexico had always been my “safe” travel destination – the place I visited multiple times growing up and during my marriage, sticking to mostly tourist areas. But Mexico City showed me a completely different side of a country I thought I knew. Instead of predictable resort experiences, I found myself immersed in a sprawling metropolis rich with history, art, and culinary innovation.

In the heart of Mexico City, surrounded by ancient pyramids and modern art museums, I realised how much I had limited myself by always choosing the familiar path. This wasn’t the Mexico I knew from my previous trips – it was better, more authentic, and exactly what I needed to break free from old patterns.

The city taught me that even in familiar places, we can find new adventures if we’re willing to look beyond the surface.

Turkey: Embracing the Unknown

My journey to Turkey marked a complete departure from anything I’d done before. From hot air balloon rides over Cappadocia’s otherworldly landscapes to exploring ancient ruins along the Mediterranean coast, every day brought new wonders and challenges.

What struck me most about Turkey was how my preconceptions about it being “unsafe” melted away in the face of overwhelming hospitality and kindness from locals. Sipping Turkish coffee with strangers who became friends, watching the sunset over the Bosphorus, and getting lost in the Grand Bazaar – these experiences showed me that the world is far more welcoming than we often imagine.

This was the trip that inspired me to start my group travel business. As I stood in a hot air balloon overlooking the surreal landscape of Cappadocia at sunrise, I felt like I found my purpose. In that moment, I gained the courage to make a change: when I got home, I put in my 30-day notice and quit my 14-year career in higher education to start helping other travellers get out of their comfort zones and explore the world off the beaten path.

Turkey taught me that the greatest growth happens when we push ourselves beyond our perceived limitations, trust in the journey, and take big risks.

What These Journeys Taught Me

These three destinations did more than just stamp my passport – they fundamentally changed how I see myself and the world. They showed me that the “dangerous” or “sketchy” places I once avoided often held the most profound beauty and opportunities for growth.

More importantly, these trips helped me rediscover the fearless traveler I’d been in my youth – the one who moved to Spain by herself to teach English and wasn’t afraid to take the road less travelled. Each stamp in my passport became a reminder that I was capable of so much more than I’d allowed myself to believe during my marriage.

The greatest lesson from these journeys wasn’t about the destinations themselves, but about the power of pushing beyond our comfort zones. Sometimes, the best way to heal and grow is to go places that scare us a little – both literally and figuratively.

For anyone emerging from divorce or any major life change, I encourage you to consider taking that trip you’ve always dreamed of. The world is waiting, and you might just find yourself along the way.

About Laura Ericson

Laura Ericson is the founder of Laura Ericson Group Trips, where she leads curated group trips for solo travellers seeking authentic cultural experiences and personal transformation through travel.

Follow her adventures on Instagram @lolawhiskey, join her women-only Facebook Group Lola Loves Travel or visit lauraericson.com to learn more about upcoming trips.

Moving On/Well-being/Your Emotions

From Divorce to Discovery: How Travel Healed My Heart and Changed My Life

Published on December 6, 2024December 3, 2024

Seven years ago, I walked into a courtroom and ended my marriage. I didn’t mark the date on my calendar or plan to commemorate it – I actually had to look up the court records recently when someone asked. Seven whole years since I started my life over from scratch. Seven years of quiet rebuilding, finding myself, and discovering a whole new world of possibilities I never knew existed.

The Silent Journey

I did everything differently than most people expected when I got a divorce. I walked away from my marriage pretty much empty-handed, buried the pain deep inside, and didn’t even tell my parents for months. No divorce party. No dramatic name change. No social media announcements. I just…disappeared into myself for a while. In fact, it took five years before I publicly announced my divorce.

Why? Because I couldn’t bear the questions, the well-meaning but painful enquiries that reopened wounds barely beginning to heal. Every “What happened?” felt like picking at a scab that hadn’t quite formed. Every “Are you okay?” reminded me that I wasn’t – not yet.

Finding Myself in Foreign Places

But here’s what I discovered in those seven years: sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself again. For me, that meant boarding planes to places I never dreamed I’d visit. Before my divorce, I wasn’t by any means the the all-inclusive resort type, but I’d been sticking to comfortable, predictable destinations for years because it was familiar and easy. Post-divorce me? She decided to ride camels through the Sahara Desert, explore ancient Colombian cities, and watch hot air balloons float over Turkish valleys at sunrise.

There’s something magical about standing in a place that terrified you and realising you’re not just okay – you’re thriving. Each stamp in my passport became a reminder that I was stronger than I thought, braver than I knew, and capable of so much more than I’d believed during those years I’d lost myself in my marriage.

The Unexpected Gift of Starting Over

Looking back now, I realise that divorce wasn’t the end of my story – it was the beginning of a much better one. Yes, it felt like death at the time. I mourned the loss of my marriage and the person I used to be. But that loss created space for something new to grow.

Travel became my therapy, my teacher, and ultimately, my new purpose. Standing alone at an Adele concert in Barcelona (a trip originally planned with my ex-husband), I remembered the fearless young woman who once taught English in Spain. I wondered where she’d gone. In that moment, surrounded by thousands of strangers singing their hearts out, I made a promise to myself: I would find her again.

Seeing the real Kenya—complete with giraffe, hippo, rhino, lion, and zebra sightings!

Meandering inside the famous blue-painted streets of Chefchaouen, Morocco.

From Personal Pain to Professional Purpose

Now I run a travel business helping others – many of them healing from their own life transitions – discover the transformative power of experiencing new places and cultures. I’ve watched women who thought they could never travel alone climb mountains in Morocco. I’ve seen people fighting through depression find joy in Cuban street food and salsa dancing. I’ve witnessed countless moments of courage, connection, and pure joy as travellers step out of their comfort zones and into new versions of themselves.

Experiencing pure joy and celebration at a historic monument in India during Holi.

Reflecting during a peaceful moment in Greece overlooking the Fortress of Palamidi.

The Truth About Healing

Here’s what I want you to know if you’re in the middle of your own divorce journey: the pain won’t last forever. Those moments when you can barely breathe? They’ll pass. That feeling that you’ve failed? It’s not true. You’re not failing – you’re being brave enough to choose yourself.

Yes, there will still be triggers years later. A song, a smell, a casual comment from a stranger might suddenly transport you back. But each time it happens, the sting lessens. Eventually, you’re left with something that looks less like a wound and more like a map of where you’ve been – and how far you’ve come.

Getting my steps in at Panna Meena ka Kund: the ancient stepwells of India.

Making a new friend in the Sahara as the golden sun sets over endless dunes.

Your Next Chapter

Divorce isn’t the end of your story. It’s an invitation to write a new one. Fill it with adventures you never dared to take before. Pack it with moments that make your heart race and your soul sing. Make it a story about finding yourself in places you never thought you’d go.

My story led me from a courthouse in Wisconsin to sunset camel rides in Morocco. Where will yours take you? The blank pages are waiting. Make them extraordinary.