Finding Healing on a Griefcation

Credit: Vincent Gerbouin

When someone experiences a devastating loss, healing rarely happens quickly. Even when one is again capable of managing day-to-day life – grocery shopping, childcare, work schedules – that grief can easily get buried beneath the surface. And so healing and release may not readily happen. But a “griefcation” can positively spur that underlying grief to surface. It is a form of travel specifically intended to allow the space and time for healing.

Some individuals prefer to plan a griefcation on their own. Writing on the Lonely Planet’s website, Emma Sparks shares how travel has helped her to process the death of her father at age 17. She says travel gives her a sense of purpose, keeping her worries and fears in check. “Relaxation, good food and amazing views – key components of any holiday – can do wonders for the bereaved,” she wrote. “Time away from old haunts and everyday routines makes space for processing buried feelings and focusing on healing, consciously or subconsciously.”

Some grief cruises allow for scattering a loved one’s ashes at sea.
Credit: Andrea Piacquadio

Others seek out an organized griefcation, such as a grief cruise or grief retreat. The Grief Cruises offers tropical trips. These journeys include healing workshops and seminars, support groups, candlelight walks, and ash-scattering at sea. “When I was on the cruise, I felt like my husband was on vacation with me,” Kellie Sanchez said in a story published by MarketWatch. While she’d initially felt guilty about enjoying the trip after he died, she noted, “It was me remembering him.” Others choose to participate in a grief retreat in places such as California, Florida or Costa Rica, which can include similar offerings – or incorporate unique approaches to processing grief, such as movement.

Some griefcations offer a more personal experience

Some people have found that a griefcation designed around learning more about a deceased loved one can be especially healing. Hospice physician Dr. Karen Wyatt told the Books and Travel podcast that many years after her father died by suicide, she visited Normandy where he fought as a soldier in World War II. Wyatt said she wanted to better understand the roots of his depression and trauma.

It turned out that her tour guide to the beach of Normandy was from the same village where Wyatt’s father had once fought. “It was this moment of such healing because I realized all the grief and guilt my dad felt about participating in war and taking lives of other people, it just came full circle because here was a young woman, who might not be here today if it hadn’t been for that battle,” Wyatt said.

Whether one chooses the soothing quiet of a distant beach, the bustling noise of a city, or a structured series of workshops and support groups in a tropical setting, a griefcation may be just the thing for addressing that unprocessed pain and sadness.