First and Final Goodbye

Stephanie Gudgeon Start Date: Jun 27, 2025 - End Date: Oct 26, 2025
  • Washington, United States of America

My Travel Story

by: Stephanie Gudgeon Start Date: Jun 27, 2025 - End Date: Oct 26, 2025
Hi, 
You don't know me or my little family but some of you may, in part, know my story. I grew up with the worlds best Uncle. His dream was to buy a lot of land that all his family could live on together and raise their families. He moved away for work but almost every year we got together, either us visiting him and his family or them visiting us.

When I was in my 30's I married a guy I thought I knew. He slowly started isolating me from my family, especially after my first child was born and destroyed my self esteem. For 7 years he tried to turn my children against me. However he under estimated my strength. When I hit my lowest I wollowed for a bit, called my Uncle and told him everything. He told me to pack myself and my kids up and come to him so he could protect us. Since neither of us could afford that, I picked myself up dusted myself off and started pulling myself back up. I started going for walks, taking my youngest out to playgrounds, loosing weight so I'd feel better about myself and focusing most of my attention on my kids. My husband didn't like it one bit and started to get more and more violent until one day he woke up and decided to end my life in front of my children. I fought back until help arrived. A few weeks later I had a restraining order in place and my Uncle was trying to scrape together enough money to get us a flight. I instead had to use the money to hire a lawyer. 

While I waited for the court battles and divorce proceedings to end I started college so at least I could get a job that paid enough to support myself and my children once we finally reached my Uncle and fam but when it rains it pours. I received a call from my cousin two months ago, my Uncle went to the hospital because he wasn't feeling so good and died two days later of a massive infection that shut down all his organs. Just one month later my divorce was finally official and the court battles over I was going to start saving up to fly us to my Uncle's family. He had been so excited to finally meet my children and I had been so excited they'd get to meet the worlds best Uncle.

His family is holding a memorial in a couple of months at his favorite getaway spot. I'm still in college and I haven't yet nor will I be able to save up enough, in time, for myself and my children to go. The cheapest option would be to rent an RV and drive. At least then I can cook our meals and we can sleep in it. Instead of paying for a flight, hotel rooms and every meal out. Please help! I want to say my final goodbye and my children to say they're first and only goodbye to the world's best Uncle.
  • Washington, United States of America