A New Chapter — The Brave, Beautiful, Uncertain Road After Loss

There’s something tender and terrifying about starting over.

Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a career shift, a relationship ending, or simply outgrowing the life you once built—it all leads to the same threshold: a new beginning.

After my husband died, life as I knew it cracked wide open. The chapter I had written for decades ended abruptly, and no one handed me the next script. The silence that followed was deafening. And the fear? Oh, it was real. It still is.

What has helped me most in stepping into this next chapter is movement. Physically and emotionally. Traveling has given me a new lens. Whether walking the Camino or exploring quiet coastal villages, I’ve found pieces of myself in foreign streets and unfamiliar languages. Travel pulled me out of the house of my grief and reminded me—there is a bigger world, and I am still part of it.

But let me be honest: it’s not easy. The uncertainty is still there. The loneliness sneaks in when I least expect it. Every day takes effort. Every decision feels heavier when you don’t have a partner to bounce things off of. Doing life alone is overwhelming, and it’s okay to say that out loud.

And yet—there’s beauty in the becoming. In saying yes to the unknown. In opening to new ideas, new friendships, new versions of who we are becoming.

This chapter may be unplanned, but it’s mine now. And maybe yours too.

So here’s to the courage to begin again—messy, scared, open, and brave.

Love

Tania