Lately, the internet seems to have a new main character: your granny — apparently she’s jumping on every latest trend. She has chia for breakfast, does intermittent fasting, and even goes to colour therapy.
No, we’re not talking about a real person, but about the new trendy phrase ‘Your granny got by without…’, which keeps popping up here and there — sometimes perfectly fitting, other times not so much.
This phrase is used when someone has gone overboard with the latest trends. It carries a touch of irony, but also a gentle poke, a reminder that ‘back in granny’s day’, things were simpler, slower, and supposedly more genuine.
Sometimes with a smirk, another time with a hint of passive-aggressiveness, this phrase started being used for just about anything. Here are a few interesting examples:
- ‘Your granny got by without avocado toast for breakfast.’
- ‘Your granny got by without going on retreats for breathing exercises.’
- ‘Your granny got by without believing in retrograde Mercury.’
And as sarcastic as it may sound, there’s something deeper behind this phrase — it reflects just how much the world has changed in only a few generations.
The expression highlights the contrast between ‘your granny’ — that era when life was simpler and calmer, but also quite limited in terms of entertainment — and today’s world, where pleasures are everywhere and often just a click away.
Back then, escapes from everyday life were rare — usually to some seaside station, with the smell of barbecue in the air. Today, they look more like weekend getaways, latte in hand, matcha in the other.
No one’s to blame that your granny didn’t go to the spa or that she drank stewed fruit instead of an almond milk smoothie. So why should we feel guilty for living in a time where we can experience and be inspired in a thousand new ways? Just because your granny never went on a yoga retreat by the sea doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have enjoyed it!
Eat: ‘Back in the day, your granny got by without cooking classes.’
Can you imagine what would happen if your granny heard that you signed up for a cooking course? She’d probably be shocked that instead of going to her to learn ‘how to knead properly,’ you’re off learning how to make French macarons, Italian pasta, or Indian basmati rice.
How could you want to learn to cook anything beyond moussaka, banitsa, or tarator (not that the last one requires much skill)?
But let’s look at it from another angle. Imagine your granny loves sushi. Do you think she’d just order it for delivery? Hardly. She’d probably roll up her sleeves and learn to make it herself — and make it so well that half of Tokyo would be jealous.
Yes, your granny may never have gone to cooking classes, but she remains one of the best cooks you know. Her recipes aren’t by the book — they come from the heart. So if you want a culinary future like hers, keep learning and experimenting.
Culinary adventure for beginners and advanced
Location: Nemigenchev Culinary School, Metro Academy, and Menu Culinary School
Whether you are a fan of Bulgarian, Italian, French, Japanese, Mexican, or Spanish cuisine - we believe that you will discover or rediscover the one that excites you the most! Choose the country whose culinary characteristics and flavors you want to explore and taste... and roll up your sleeves. Sweet - salty - bitter - tart - exotic - traditional Bulgarian...
Travel: ‘Your granny got by without travelling for pleasure.’
Back in your granny’s day, travelling was a real event — nine days on camels. There were no weekend getaways to Vienna, no low-cost flights, no all-inclusive holidays in Greece.
But there’s one place we can’t buy a ticket to — our childhood in the village. Those summers at granny’s house, when you made preserves together, the smell of freshly baked banitsa, the taste of real pink tomatoes, and evenings under the stars — those moments stay in your heart forever.
And if you sometimes feel nostalgic for that time, or if you never had the chance to experience it simply because you don’t have a village, we’ve got something just for you.
The experience ‘Visiting Granny Deshka’ is like a little time machine — it takes you back to simple joys. You cook, share stories, sleep in an authentic house, and realise there’s no better detox than waking up to the crowing of roosters rather than an alarm.
Your granny may never have flown on a low-cost flight, but she was a pioneer of slow-travel experiences.
Culinary adventure and traditions for two - visiting Baba Deshka
Duration: 1 or 2 nights
Location: Gorno Draglishte village
The ever-smiling master of delicacies Baba Deshka from "The Farm" reality show awaits you in her guest house 10 km from Bansko. She will welcome you with homemade rakia, dress you in hand-sewn colorful costumes, initiate you into the secrets of local dishes, immerse you in traditions, and treat you richly. Idea: visit the dancing bears park in Belitsa, or pop into the church "St. Theodore Tyron and Theodore Stratilates" in Dobarsko – an extremely interesting late medieval church.
Love: ‘Your granny got by without going to an astrology consultation.’
Well, no — your granny didn’t go to astrology consultations. Most likely, in her time even going to church was a challenge, let alone getting a synastry chart or a solar horoscope done.
But let’s be honest — did she need it? Hardly. She never worried about when she’d meet your granddad, whether his ascendant formed a harmonious aspect with her Moon, or when was the best time to get pregnant so the child wouldn’t be a Scorpio. Back then, love just happened — at the dance, at a gathering, or in the village, willingly or not.
Irony aside, astrology is becoming increasingly popular today — and for a reason. Some people believe we don’t come into this world by chance, but that the soul itself chooses when to begin its journey. For millennia, humanity has sought answers not only through experience but also in the stars.
And what’s wrong with that? An astrology consultation isn’t just a trendy whim — it’s a way to understand yourself, to see why you attract certain people and situations in your life. Sometimes, a ‘stellar experience’ can give us those ‘Aha!’ moments and insights that provide clarity and direction.
And the approach of the New Year is the perfect moment to set an intention for the next 12 months. An astrological reading can help you organise your thoughts and start loving yourself just as you are.
And why not invite your granny along too? That way, you’ll officially shatter the phrase ‘Your granny got by without going to an astrology consultation.’
Astrological consultation: Better understanding of yourself
Duration: 90 minutes
Location: Metta space - salt rooms and flotation or online
Dive deep into self-discovery with a professional astrological analysis. Whether you are looking for clarity on your life path, relationship insights (synastry), or preparing for the year ahead with a solar return chart, this session offers a profound perspective. Available online or in the relaxing atmosphere of Metta Space.
So next time you hear a comment like that, just smile. Your granny may never have gone to colour therapy, but she knew how to balance her life better than any of us. And we — with our cooking courses, travels, and astrological insights — are simply trying to catch up to that skill.