Vacationing with a Heavy Heart, how to make it work?

[Maryann]

Jambarney, thanks for sharing your experience. Tears here. So sorry about your dad. Reminds me of when I lost my mother.

At the time of her cancer diagnosis, we had planned for 10 days in Negril, but I immediately cancelled to care for her, and I never regretted that decision. It would have taken 10 precious days of my time away from her as she only lived 3 months after the diagnosis. After she passed, my best friend and I went to Negril for a week and it was exactly what I needed. Was so thankful to have cancelled the previous trip because I so badly needed it after my mom passed. It was such a healing experience and really cemented my love for Negril and the Jamaican people. Felt closer to God than I had in a long time and returned home feeling a lot better than when I left.

It does seem like every time we get ready to leave for vacation, though, something stressful does come up, but usuallynothing so serious that would make me want to cancel the trip. Seems like once the airplane leaves the ground, all my troubles are left behind.

[Aud-A-Sea]

I think once you get on the plane, you will naturally put all the stress and worries behind you. Things are out of your control and they will be what they will be regardless of whether you go away or not.

We went January 2009 with our daughter and son-in-law who were expecting their first baby. Hubby and I decided to go back a few months later by ourselves. The evening we arrived, we received the horrible phone call that our son-in-law died unexpectedly with our daughter 9 months pregnant.

Negril is one of our favorite places and we were hesitant about going back thinking something will happen if we leave and the fact that my mother-in-law is 95 (anything can happen at any minute). But we purchased trip insurance just in case. The trip back to Negril in November 2009 was the most magical trip there and very healing.

Bring a phone so you can be in contact and purchase trip insurance. When our son-in-law died, it was emotionally stressful being so far away, but we did not have to incur any financial stress because we had insurance and were able to book any flight back at any cost and the insurance paid for it as well as reimbursed us for the time we did not use at the hotel.

You cannot control things, but with insurance, you know you can take care of things if you need to return.

Just my opinion from experience.