It’s been quite a year!

We retired one year ago, Aug 21. We committed to spending the first year just having the adventure of our lives, and I think that we’ve earned an A+! I got this journal from my friend Sarah as a retirement gift, and it stands as a reminder of how much joy we have in every single day.

August has been very good to us so far.

We were so excited to take Livvy to a local winery again. This time, we went to Debonne Vineyards near Geneva. We brought the experts with us in planning this one. My good friend Renee and her husband Rich enjoy visiting the wineries with their adorable dog, Maisie. So we planned a date to meet them for an afternoon/evening of fun. They helped us pick Debonne as the best overall experience from a wine, food, music perspective from the list of wineries that welcomed RVs overnight. Daisy and Maisie (isn’t that cute) were well behaved while we had a great time together. We would definitely recommend this place! (It’s not CA wine, but it’s still pretty good)

Maisie!

Renee and I have been friends since our first accounting classes at Cleveland State. We studied for the CPA exam together (and passed!), started at EY together and have been friends ever since

Plenty of fun on the dog-friendly lawn with beverages, food and music. Grateful for a beautiful day since we planned it months in advance

Perfect spot to enjoy the sunset, with the place almost to ourselves. It was surprising to us that they close at 8pm on Saturdays but we planned accordingly. We loved having the beautiful view of the property over sunset, as well as for coffee the next morning, with almost no one else around. There was only one other overnight RV on property

Next up on the calendar was another adventure planned even more months in advance… we were lucky enough to get Savannah Bananas tickets! It was their first time to Progressive Field and it certainly was an entertaining sold out evening. For those not familiar, it is similar to Harlem Globetrotters, but for baseball. We had a wonderful time, and are so glad that Michele and Amber joined us!

The founder… probably quite wealthy now. Genius concept!

It was a party from beginning to end. I won’t spoil it for anyone, just go if you get the chance

We also enjoyed a lot of time with family this month, including a trip to PA, mom visiting in OH and the all important annual trip to Cedar Point with Rick’s daughter, Julia. This year, we got to take Livvy for the first time and that was great. We have always loved the waterfront cabins (highly recommend if you don’t have an RV) but for us, it was special to have the conveniences of Livvy right there. It was the first time having others staying with us. It was a little cramped with 4 people and Daisy, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

Day 1 – Rick & Julia enjoyed a riding day, including the comforts of the Millennium Lounge. Definitely necessary to cool off and relax.

Meanwhile, Daisy lounged while I did my needlepoint. Everyone was happy!

We all love the petting zoo. No, he was not in line for the coaster and had not escaped (again). I do come to the park for things like the petting zoo, country show, the beach bar… just not the rides.

Julia’s boyfriend Andrew joined us the next day, unsure if he was going to enjoy riding coasters. He loved it! They ended up spending a lot of time riding together after we left. Sorry, Rick, I think that the baton has been passed for the #1 ride companion to Andrew. (You will always be a sentimental favorite, I’m sure ??)

But Rick and Julia still got in some ride time. Andrew and I said “no, thank you”

Our view from the campground is always great. Plus you can hear Steel Vengeance and the train running, which is neat. We had such a good time that we decided to book another long weekend with them next month! Better use our passes while we have them.

We were able to celebrate with Rick’s son, Michael, to toast his recent engagement and new apartment while Rick’s mom was in town (highly recommend Crumb & Spigot in Lakewood)

We got the full tour, and cappuccino for dessert!

For my birthday, I had the best Birthday Cake Latte at Sandusky Book Bar, a place I have been wanted to visit since they opened. It did not disappoint!

And so, here we are, ready for year 2 of the retired life. We have just as many adventures planned, but I think that the biggest change is that I am (we are) better at relaxing than we were. I’ve exhausted many a to-do list, including some healthy purging of unwanted items, rearranging furniture, gathering more recipes than I will ever have time to make, etc. We’ve been so glad to spend quality time with friends and family. We’re grateful and ready for the next journey. In fact, it is time to go pack the car… get ready for some frequent posts as we tell you all about one of our favorite places soon!!

It’s been quite a year!

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