Founder
Laura Ericson Group Trips
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.