Divorce is rough, we get it. Next to moving house and the death of a loved one, it’s the most stressful thing you can do.
But, as always, there is a silver lining. A group of ‘redditors’ (users of the online community, Reddit), recently revealed what their ‘post-divorce goals’ were. Something they had always wanted to do, but couldn’t while they were still married.
So if you’re in the midst of a divorce, been separated for a while, or simply ready for a challenge, here are 11 things you can do:
1. Move to a new city.
"I'm going to start looking for my perfect, warm year-round, laid-back, and slightly exotic locale for retirement. No cars, shoes, or coats required (and preferably going topless is OK too). And then I'm going to move there in a few years, long before retirement, while I'm young enough to fully enjoy it." - @wakeup_andlive.
2. Find a career you're passionate about.
"I finished my education and became a registered dietitian, a career choice he did not find worthy." - @hornpipe.
3. Make your house your own.
"Get a pool table. Put up the dart board I've had for years. Have a real place of my own in my own house that isn't "leftover" after the STBX (soon-to-be ex) decorates everything the way she wants. I don't need a "man cave." I just need a place in my own house where I get to do things I like to do." - @thrown-away_account.
4. Travel.
"See Europe again. I would love to take my kids, but that'll happen in time. I'm talking about going to Europe with (or without) people I want to be with, do things with. That was supposed to be the STBX, but whenever I'd bring up wanting us to travel together, she was almost always against it. So we just didn't travel. Now I get to travel without having to discuss it with her. And I'm fucking excited about that." - @thrown-away_account.
Watch out top 10 dream travel destinations below. Post continues after video.
5. Learn something new.
"I always wanted to learn how to fly. Once this thing is finalised, I am signing up. As it just so happens, there is a place less than 5 miles from where I work." - @therosesaredead.
6. Treat yourself to a 'divorce' present.
"My ex was not a fan of video games and I often enjoyed them. My first purchase was a GameCube, mostly because of the nostalgia (it was my first game system)." - @xv9d.
7. Spend some introspective time alone.
"I'm going to take the time to determine if I'm emotionally and mentally okay, something I never had a chance to do while married because everything revolved around her feelings, her emotions, or her desires. I'm going to travel and make friends that are my friends, not her friends that tolerate me. I'm going to do the things with the kids that I wanted to do but never could before." - @SheriffCreepy.
8. Do something you've always dreamed of.
"I have a month long motorcycle trip I'm planning. I'll be able to do a few shorter trips this year but the big one is going to take some time to save money. It's been something I've been dreaming of doing for years but always seemed to be five years in the future." - @T1MCC.
9. Spend time with family.
"Go to my mum's more often. She never said we couldn't go, but she didn't want to go and made the trip miserable, so I just skipped more often than not. I've made up for it since the divorce was final but still wouldn't mind [visiting] a little more often." - @havetobethatguy.
10. Try your hand at some herbal farming ...
"My ex's plan [is] to turn his parents' farm into a marijuana and ginseng growing operation." - @wakeup_andlive.
11. Be as selfish as you want.
"I have declared 2016 the year of ME. I am going to be incredibly selfish (without being detrimental to others). I won't be living for him anymore. I'm going to do what I want to do. I just got back from a four-day weekend trip with friends and had a total blast. I want to take some classes, I plan on bettering my German, I want to travel, I want to move out of this town. I'm excited for what the future holds." - @blueskyandhardrock.
What will you do once your divorce finalises? Let us know in the comments.