Hello Dear NextTriber:

When my youngest started college and I fell into what I call “post-departum depression,” I took off on a hike along the Appalachian Trail with friends.

When my 29-year marriage crumbled, I went on a road trip—first to New Orleans, then Charleston, and onto upstate New York.

In each instance, moving physically helped me move emotionally. Being in new surroundings gave me fresh perspectives, and taking on challenges reminded me I was capable of handling change.

Of course I’m far from the the only one who hits the road when things get rough. On many of our trips, I meet women who signed up in response to some major shift—empty nest, divorce, death of a loved one, retirement.

I hear from a number of these travelers that the journey is like a re-set, a way to establish a new baseline. A palate cleansing, if you will.

I always find these stories inspiring and encouraging, and though we’ve published essays about this kind of growth before (such as this one and this), we want to offer more.

We are launching a series of essays called Transition Travel, and we invite you to take part. Please send us your essays—750 to 1,000 words—about how a journey helped you process a change and smooth your way ahead.

We’ll pay $100 if we publish. Send to [email protected] and put Transition Travel in the subject line.

We can’t wait to read about your experiences and share them with other NextTribers.

If photography is your thing, you have 11 days to get your shots in for our Travel Photo Contest.

Remember, the winner will choose from either a $2,000 trip credit or $1,000 in cash. Can’t go wrong. Plus awards for 2nd and 3rd places and honorable mentions.

We have almost 100 entries so far—which means your odds are pretty dang good. Judging starts immedieately after our May 15th deadline so don’t dillydally.

 Cheers and hugs—

Jeannie Ralston
Founder and CEO

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