Go for it. If you know V-Day was rough then do plan to be away doing something interesting. I hope the weather is good for your trip (((HUGS)))

At the birth of our first child, my EX said I was not his mother so I should not expect M-Day gifts. Thank God for teachers...I cherished the little handmade things they brought home from school. Then when that stopped I got nothing. My kids didn't even know when M-Day was. I always directed them to sign a card and be involved in giving their dad a gift for Fathers day, even if I was the one who picked it out and shopped. Anyway, after the divorce I would just spend the day with my own Mother since my kids really didn't do anything for me. Now my D gets me flowers. She surprised me this year because she also got me flowers for V-Day!

Yes, it is awkward the first few times but then it gets to be a wonderful experience and one to look forward to. I enjoy riding, hiking and kayaking or just sitting by the pool with a book. Enjoy your time. Its a great time of reflection and renewal. :)

Yes, and yes. I've spent Valentines Day alone for 2 years and Christmas Day alone for 2 years. It sucks, but you get through it. I think your idea to spend some time photographing wildflowers is great. It will keep your mind off of things and give you something fun and positive to focus on. I've traveled to visit family and see my daughter alone and will be going to Africa completely alone next summer. I have many more trips planned that will be solo, at least for now. It's a bit unnerving at first, but once you get through it a time or two you realize just how capable you are at doing things for yourself. I wish you a wonderful Mother's Day and an enjoyable time shooting photos!

You are your own best friend. Yes it sucks but there is nothing we can do about it. I do not know where I am going this M.day. I might just go to Sunnybrooke park or stay home and relax. My daughter is going out on Sat., celebrating her 27th birthday. Wow, where did the years go. You go and do what you want to do. Now is the time for you to look after yourself. Just hugs and Happy Mother's Day.

Yes, GG, I've had a few holidays away on my own. The best one was a week by the sea where I could feed the wild dolphins. My sister is divorced and she often goes on a driving day. She checks out the country roads in her area and visits tiny towns, goes to museums. She talks to the pub owners and volunteer workers at the museums and art galleries and has a great old time. We both enjoy photography, too. I did a couple of weekend photography courses just after I moved out which was fun.

Hope you get some good shots of the flowers.

love and hugs
kamary

Thanks to all of you for your advice and support. So, my daughter texted me awhile ago and said, "you know, mother's day is sunday. i'm working but maybe i could take you out to dinner afterward.:)" I want to go to the mountains instead. I think I need some time away by myself.

It gets easier. My first lunch out alone i cried all through it. In April, I took a trip=drove 7 hours away, stayed in a hotel by myself.
I had a lot of time to myself and really worked out a lot o stuff in my head.

I reckon do what feels right for you, GG. Your daughter will understand. Maybe you can do something together another day?

Yes, I'm thinking that's a good idea, kamary. I told her that while I appreciate her offer, I need a bit of time to myself this weekend and told her where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. I didn't say that I had definitely decided to do it but that I was leaning that way. I think she was genuinely excited for me and thought that would be fun.(she is also a photographer) So, I think that this past week might have scared her a bit. She seemed contrite. Hopefully, her actions were hers and not her dads.

Lori - Nothing wrong with shedding a tear or two. I have cried more these past few months than in my entire lifetime. Crying is very healthy thing to do. It's those that don't cry that worry me!

Some time in the NC mountains enjoying the beauty of nature all around you should be wonderful. I have spent many wonderful hours there. It can really feel like God's country.

What I find is important to do is that you have to keep making sure you are focusing on the beauty around you and absorbing its every detail so that you don't get caught up in the sad feelings of being alone that can take you in a downward spiral.
I spend a lot of time alone nowdays and take little trips alone, and still have to watch that I don't focus on the aloneness as being a negative, but focus on the fact that it gives me the freedom to do exactly as I want, when and how I want
Good luck and enjoy your time in such a beautiful place. I hope that you have some breathtaking sights and sunsets to enjoy. Also enjoy a tasty treat or two in one or two of the great little coffee shops or tearooms in the quaint little towns.
Why not suggest you daughter can take you to dinner after your return so you can enjoy sharing the beauty of what you have seen and done with her then?

I remember too my first holidays during the year of divorce alone, being fresh off the press, wet and limp. In retrospect, it seems I was "alone" anyhow , especially at the beginning of the end of my marriage. I just didn't know it. I suppose I was in-training [much like the movie] while my ex forgot to tell me. So, I didn't feel the pressure of being alone but I did feel the pressure which depravity puts attention to the things I didn't have by comparison. That sucks!

As Time4Kim says, It's a bit unnerving at first. I remember my first air flight, alone post divorce, checking myself in at the kiosks. I felt like a pioneer woman despite my confidence , for the learning curve had kicked in. My motto is : JUST FAKE it until you ask someone! So yes, as we re-enter the world of singleness, we learn to venture farther away.