One of the best things I did after the end of my marriage was make a commitment to travel with my daughter. The first time I took her to Europe, she was 5. We spent 3 weeks in France and Italy. New York when she was 6 and we spent 2 nights at the Plaza Hotel so she could pretend to be Eloise. France again, this time the countryside, Kenya, Costa Rica and many places in the United States. Even though I didn't have a lot of money for it, I figured out ways.
Great travel sites like
skyauction.com let you set a price and bid, sometimes for all inclusive trips. That's how we got to Africa and to Costa Rica without breaking the bank. I racked up frequent flyer miles by using my Am Ex for work expenses to go to France and Italy and we rented an apartment in the Italian Riviera with 2 friends which was cheaper than a hotel. The second time we went to France, we went with a friend that knew some people with a house in the Loire Valley where we could stay. Her friend in France even found a cheap, international day camp for my daughter to attend during the day so I could go exploring while she made new friends.
Travel doesn't have to be expensive, but it is something invaluable that you can do for yourself and your kids. Meeting new people, seeing new places, experiencing new things makes you and them more well rounded and can help you reconnect with your self. I never feel more open and optimistic than when I am experiencing a new place.
Camping is another great way to travel without it costing a lot. You can enjoy hiking, scenery and meeting other campers. Or hitting the road and staying at motels is an option. A friend of mine does an annual road trip up the coast with her son and their dog. They stay at Best Westerns and hit every skate park between LA and San Francisco. While her son skates, she writes, walks with the dog and just takes it in. No shopping, no expensive museums or meals, just enjoying the newness of it all.
There are also trips with meaning, like going to help build houses with
Habitat for Humanity or going to places that have been hit by natural disasters and helping. I have a friend that takes her 2 kids to
Camp Sunshine every summer and they love it. It's a camp in Maine for kids with life threatening illnesses staffed by volunteers.
For those who don't worry about money, there are a lot of options for singles. People swear by Club Med, although I have never been, and there are plenty of cruises that cater to singles. That kind of travel has never been my style, but I have friends that have gone and really enjoy it.
For the very adventurous singles, there is also the kind of travel where you stop being a tourist and just go and be. A cousin spent a year and a half traveling the world that way, meeting American, Australian and other ex pats in places like China, India, Vietnam. Before my daughter, I spent some time on the road like that and I met some really amazing people and had incredible experiences. More than seeing the world, I got to experience it. So going back to travel when I was single again felt in many ways like gaining back a part of myself I had lost. And being able to share that with my daughter was the icing on the cake!
