What do you do when the trip you planned as a couple turns into a solo seat on a plane?
Julia had been dreaming about this vacation for months — six nights in Punta Cana. Sunshine, palm trees, island excursions, and sunset dinners.
It was meant to be their reset. A chance to reconnect, breathe, and just be together again.
But three weeks before the flight, it ended.
No closure. No explanation that made sense. Just silence… and the quiet finality of a door closing. And the trip?
It was still there. Still booked. Still sitting on the calendar like a question mark.
“I know it’s not the conventional thing to do. Most of my girls said they would’ve just cancelled the trip and tried to move on. But I had saved for months and it was supposed to be my first international trip, I was angry and exhausted. And everything in my daily life reminded me of him. So I ultimately decided to go alone, it was like a consolation prize from me to myself”
She checked into a bed and breakfast for the first days of the trip. She decided it would be the best option to wander around and enjoy some attractions before spending the final days of her vacation, relaxing at an All Inclusive.
“Santo Domingo was the first exploration of my trip. I wanted to visit it because my ex would’ve absolutely hated it. All he wanted to do when we went about planning together was clubbing and laying by the beach. But I love to explore and learn new things, so I found the historic Zona Colonial, vibrant and full of character. I love antique cities, they remind me how empires fall. Cities burn and rebuild. And somehow, life insists on beauty. That feels oddly comforting ”
The following day, a boat ride to Isla Saona delivered something unexpected: peace.
The wind tangled her hair. The turquoise water sparkled like glass. The salt clung to her skin. And then a genuine smile.
The ride had been loud and bumpy, but the chaos faded once the island came into view. On Saona, time moved differently. Julia swam in warm, shallow water. She let the sun soak into her shoulders.
She laughed, rum in hand, straight from a coconut.
She hadn’t planned for this kind of healing.
But sometimes, life surprises you exactly when you need it most.
“There was a moment when I floated on my back in the sea, looking up at nothing but sky. And I thought about how fortunate I was in so many aspects of life. At that moment I realized I no longer felt any resentment or anger- How could I? When I loved and appreciated myself enough to give me peace and rest instead of turmoil and bitterness.”
The last two nights, Julia checked into a quiet all-inclusive resort by the beach. No agendas, no Wi-Fi, no pressure to “make the most” of anything. Just hammocks, palm trees, ocean breeze — and time.
“I mostly journaled in the mornings, cried a little in the afternoons, but tried my best to enjoy myself. One night, I sat watching the sun sink behind the horizon. The sky flared in oranges and deep purples, like a slow-burning goodbye. I thought of him again, and felt tempted to miss him. But as I reflected on our whole history, how things ended and the prospect of what this trip could’ve been if we were still together, I ultimately thought:
“Thank you for not coming. I needed this more than I ever needed you.”
No matter what you’re healing from, at Vacancy Rewards, you’ll find the perfect destination to enhance the most important relationship you have: the one with yourself!
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