She thought divorce was the hard part. The aftermath was worse

She thought divorce was the hard part. The aftermath was worse

October 16, 2026 · 37 min

Welcome to Season 7 of the Positively Joy podcast! Today, Tracy Smith shares a deeply personal story about divorce, identity, and what it means to find yourself after life changes strip away familiar roles. In this conversation, she talks through a 26-year relationship, motherhood, military life, and the long process of rebuilding her sense of self. She also discusses her book, "The Purpose of Getting Lost: A Story of Finding Myself," and how travel, writing, and learning to say yes to herself helped her feel found again.

In the episode, Tracy reflects on how she lost and reclaimed identity not only in marriage, but also in career shifts across teaching, higher education, finance, and university health clinics. She shares that travel became both literal and metaphorical for her - getting lost physically in places like Iceland and Barcelona helped her discover parts of herself she had not known.

Tracy explains that her writing now centers on noticing small moments, naming them clearly, and using them to explore bigger questions about autonomy, choice, and self-respect.

Find Tracy's book here