My girlfriend of 1 an 1/2 yr just broke up with me. We were on a long distance relationship from the beginning: she's in the states, and I'm in France, but we've been able to see each other a few weeks every month, which has been amazing. (She visited me a couple of times, I visited her a couple of times, we've been on vacation together, and spent some fantastic time together).
We were both in awful segments of our lives before meeting each other. She was dealing with the recent loss of her brother while I was living nightmare in an abusive girlfriend. And then we met and went through that. She would always say that I brought her happiness back and she really started to bloom from that point.
We saw each other last month, she was visiting for two weeks and we were both very sad that she was leaving.
Right after she left, she started a thru-hike from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, which she has been planning before we even met. I was very excited for her as I knew it would be a big deal for her, as hiking was always something important for her and her brother, so I thought it could be very beneficial for her and would make her happy.
Three weeks in the trail she called in (last night), to tell me it was over. That she had found her true self, and that she was thrilled to be alone. And now that I'm out I don't know what to do... It's like she changed in a blink, and realized that she doesn't need any future right now. And certainly not a future with me.
She is moving for her job after she will be done and told me that it would be the occasion to start from a blank page and that she doesn't want to do any plan right now, and just live her trail experience fully.
She explained to me she preferred to be honest with me and told me right away, instead of dumping me after the trail.
How screwed am I? Is there something smart I can do to win her back when she's done? Any related story, of somebody leaving because he/she decided to be alone very suddenly?