Nature as Medicine: How Visiting 47 National Parks Healed Me with Cyndi Francois

About this episode

Cyndi Francois shares her journey of healing through visiting national parks after the loss of her husband.

“Grief sucks your energy up, but you have all of this love that you just don't have anywhere to put... the walking and the hiking and being outside — I felt so connected to the earth and so connected to myself.” Just six weeks after her wedding, Cindy Francois became a widow at 28. Her husband Wayne — her best friend of 10 years — died suddenly of cardiac arrest. What happened next is extraordinary: instead of staying stuck, Cindy loaded up her car and drove 45,000 miles through 47 national parks, spreading Wayne's ashes along the way, writing her memoir Traveling Through Grief, and finding a path back to life. In this episode, Cindy shares: Why she felt a "magnetic pull" toward national parks after her loss How hiking and walking became unexpected grief therapy The profound signs she received from Wayne Her advice for anyone facing devastating loss Her top national park recommendations for healing If you're navigating grief, loss, or a major life transition — or if you love powerful stories of resilience and the healing power of nature — this episode is for you. To learn more about Cyndi and her book, visit cyndifrancois.com. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen…

People in this episode

Host: Donna Ferris

Guest: Cyndi Francois

Topics covered

• grief
• healing
• national parks
• resilience
• nature therapy

Keywords

• grief
• healing
• national parks
• Cyndi Francois
• Traveling Through Grief

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: cyndifrancois.com

Books & works: Traveling Through Grief

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