To Days Gone By and Auld Lang Syne

New Years Eve was a cozy night this year in pajamas, spent with frozen pizza and gelato. The holiday season can be so busy for us, that it was nice to slow down for a bit. We binge watched Season 2 of Lost In Space then turned over to Rockin’ Eve and Ryan Seacrest with fifteen minutes to spare, pleased to see that it still carries the Dick Clark moniker. The ball fell, we shared our kiss, and then tried to stay awake a little longer drawn to the nostalgia and the promise of a performance by Usher. Well, it’s good to know that we aren’t the only ones showing a little rust, but he’s still got the moves!

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been”― Rainer Maria Rilke

So much has changed for us in a decade! For one thing, we didn’t even know each other a decade ago. We shared different lives, with different people, focused on the many roles that defined us. During the last 10 years, we have had life changes, career changes, and relocations. There are people who were in our lives then that are no longer, and people that we hadn’t even met yet that now are family. And somewhere along the way, I managed to finally get a college degree. Changes indeed! So as we reflect, we need to not only see changes that have taken place in the last 12 months, but also in the last 10 years. And for both of us, that is a whole lifetime ago.

Let me just start by saying, that if in January 2019, someone would have told us that we would be posting a yearly recap on our travel blog, we would have looked at them like they lost their prophetic minds! And yet … here we are!

THE WHY:

Are you familiar with Simon Sinek? He is a motivational speaker who founded the concept “Start with Why” which also happens to be the title of one of his books. He says that most people start with the how or the what, but it is in the WHY makes the difference. So what is our why? Why did we start No Roles, Just Biscuits this year?

Well, there are layers to that answer, but in a nutshell, it’s because we felt like we had a story to tell! As forty somethings with young adult children who were rediscovering ourselves after our twenty something marriages ended, we decided that we would enjoy that much more by doing it together! We had been defined by “roles” for so long, that it was time to say “no more roles, just biscuits!”

Like many others, we dream of luxury vacations to Europe or adventures in Thailand. Or maybe to retire on a beautiful beach on some small undiscovered country where we could operate a brunch bar and then rock in our hammocks to the cadence of the waves and the rusting of palm trees. But let’s face it, for most of us that is just not realistic.

THE WHAT

But what we do, and do often, is hop in the car and take the back roads to fun and amazing destinations. Two weeks in Europe takes a lot of planning and a lot of cash. Two days, however, can be spent exploring all kinds of places within a reasonable drive and a reasonable budget. And one of the benefits of a road trip are the wonderful conversations that will develop along the way.

THE WHEN

On one of our trips this summer, we were having such a great time that we wanted to share it! Sure, in the age of social media, that should be easy enough to do. But there was so much we wanted to say! How could we spread the word about this exciting place, its wonderful staff, and delicious food! The whole world needed to know!

… and No Roles, Just Biscuits was born.

THE WORST

When it comes to good news/bad news, I’m a bad news first person. So we will start with the worst of 2019.

First and foremost, I lost my dad in February. He was 91 years young and didn’t really slow down until that last year or two. He was a tough old bird, a US Marine to the core, and I can only hope that he instilled those same values in me.

The first day he met Tony, he shook his hand when he was leaving and said, “take good care of my daughter.” I think Daddy’s know these things. Tony’s response? “I’m going to do my best, Sir,” and he does every day.

THE BEST

So now that the worst is out of the way, and I’m sure there was more, but it’s funny how time really does separate us from a moment. Bad and good! Which is another reason that we decided to blog. It is a way for us to not only share with you, but to keep moments and memories fresh and alive! Here are some memorable things from this past year together:

• COBA – The Mayan ruins of Coba in Quintana Roo, Mexico are one of the few that you can still climb. It was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I knew that I needed to reach the top of that pyramid, and I was so proud of myself when I did! That was a bucket list moment.
• SEA TURTLE – our trip to Mexico was the trip of a lifetime for both of us, and I don’t want to give too much away here yet because we have so many posts that we are working on about it! But one of the most memorable things for both of us in 2019 was finding a sea turtle. We walked up and down the beach in the dark just hoping for a glimpse. And we saw this beauty just before she slipped back into the sea.

• FIRST INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TOGETHER – Tony has been so many places and done so many things that I am grateful to have him as my travel companion! It was always my responsibility to plan and coordinate any trips or vacations and there is a certain level of stress to that. But now, I am in good hands and I don’t worry at all because I know that he will make sure that everything is taken care of down to the last detail. I am well taken care of, and it is so nice to be able to trust like that.
• FACING FEARS – So while I’m talking about trust, let me just give you an example of how much I trust this man. I have ophidiophobia – a fear of snakes, not to be confused with herpetophobia – a fear of reptiles. I mean, I’m not crazy about lizards and the like, but I can’t even watch snakes on TV. Tony has always been really good about this, and yet has always encouraged me to try to face my fears – in my own time, when I was ready. Well, on my birthday trip to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, I decided that it was as good a time as any. I tried to prepare him as best I could for what he was in for, and he was willing to do anything and everything that I needed from him.
  …He searched things out to prepare me. He stood in front of me and let me lean over his shoulder (on my tippy toes I might add) He worked really hard to guard my back and my front. (which is a difficult thing to do when your girlfriend is nuts) And I’m pretty sure that he was more stressed out by the time we got out of that cave than I was. Although I now know what the term “cold sweat” means. Now I’m not saying I will ever do that again, nor do I know if I will be able to face other fears like that, but that was a HUGE step for me and a stepping stone to build on.

• FOOD!!!! – ok, now that might be a strange thing for a yearly recap, because we have food every day right? But this year, we discovered some of the best! From authentic Mexican food to Pennsylvania Dutch brunches, an amazing international cheese store in Cape May and the best ramen place in Philly…part of our travel diary is definitely about the food. From pork rinds to cinnamon bread, we are there for it all!
• MUSIC – It seems like every trip we took this year, there was not only a playlist, but a theme song. Music can spark a memory and we love to build around it. We are in the process of compiling what we feel is the best road trip playlist, and can’t wait to share it when it’s complete. We would love for you to weigh in on that! Be sure to comment what song you think should make our list. For example, Senorita by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello will always remind us of Mexico. And Only Human by the Jonas Brothers is a reminder of our time in Pigeon Forge, TN
• CLEAN EATING – Tony has a successful history with intermittent fasting and I am on again off again WW. But we spent this last year learning more about clean eating together. We learned that if we cook at home we can better control what we eat and it saves money too! Our bodies are amazing machines and the more high quality fuel we put in it, the better it will run. But we love burgers and Doritos and chocolate covered pretzels! So it’s hard.

GOALS FOR 2020

It’s crazy to think of year 2000 as being twenty years ago! Time is steady and unchanging, and yet, it really does seem that each year goes faster and faster.

We have spent some time in the end of 2019 and in these beginning days of 2020 reflecting and I won’t say planning…more like evaluating. This is the year that we are 50. The proverbial halfway point of life. And frankly, we’d like to perch on that top for a little while before begin our descent on the other side. It’s only a number, truly it is. But it seems like a good milestone to see where we’ve been, enjoy where we are, and focus on where we’re headed. We don’t really ascribe to resolution making, we think it is better to be goal oriented. So here are the areas that we have decided to focus on in this new era.

• A FOCUS ON HEALTH – Let’s just be honest here, yes we both want to lose weight. But again, numbers on a scale are just numbers. We want to concentrate this year on improving our health…which is mostly good, and we want to keep it that way! We need to continue learning about healthy and clean eating and get our butts moving more. I’m considering doing something fun like a belly dancing class! And I for one need to get better about intentional resting and self-care. Tony tries very hard to get me to slow down and it makes him happy when I rest. And I love him, so of course I want to make him happy! 🙂
• CONTENT! CONTENT! CONTENT! – We’ve already started talking about travel possibilities for next Christmas and New Year, and everything in between! In order to do what we want – which is focus on this blog – we need to do what we love – FIND NEW ADVENTURES AND DISCOVER NEW PLACES! And sometimes the best adventures are right in your own back yard. You just have to go out and find them.
• GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES – We are so excited to see where Just Biscuits will be this time next year. We are learning and growing every day and we are looking forward to increasing our following here and on social media by providing great content, affiliating with sponsors, and partnering with other bloggers. This is a new chapter in our story and we know that we are not the only empty nesters and couples starting over. So we want to build a community that we can share the challenges with and encourage one another.
• WRITE – For Tony, that means focusing more on the creative side of the blog as well as the business side. He wants to write more content and share his travel planning insights. We’ve also talked about doing more He Said/She Said pieces because our awareness can be so different at times and together we provide a fuller perspective. For me, writing means a continued focus and growth on the creative side of this blog, but it also means a refocus on another blog that I have One Smart Fortunate Cookie. There I share more inspiration and lifestyle pieces and have spent this end of year reflection time finding my truth and determining the direction that I want to take it. Fortunate Cookie will be two years old this June, and we are contemplating the idea of putting some of the posts into book form. Which again would mean more learning and more growing, but would also be more exposure – which is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time!

We are so excited at the prospect of this new year and glad that you’re here with us! Every day is a clean white page … or I guess maybe a flashing cursor on a new document for some. This is a year to focus on living in the moment. A chance to live every day with gratitude instead of always looking to the future. It is not a matter of life being good when ——– you fill in the blank. Because life is good now. And we want to take advantage of every moment.

One thing that we talked about that we would really like to implement is to start a memory jar for the year. Nothing fancy, just jotting scraps of paper and shoving in a mason jar. All of the little things that you don’t remember at the end of the year. Like the other night, Tony turned off the TV and no other lights were on. Instead of jumping up to grab a light, we just sat there, me leaning back on his chest. It was raining just a little outside and the light tapping on the porch awning was soothing. I’m not sure how long we stayed like that, but that is a really good memory that I don’t want to forget when looking back at the year. Maybe it might be something you want to try? Fill a jar or a cookie jar or a bowl. Every time something good happens, no matter how small, jot it and jar it. Everyone in the family can do it!

Wishing you a year that is all that you want out of it. Life is an adventure and there’s a whole world out there! Go find it!