Adelaida Cellars

Adelaida was the only winery I had visited before and one I sincerely looked forward to returning to. The hospitality we received at Adelaida was unmatched my first trip to Paso in December. I was there celebrating a friend's birthday - it was casual trip with no appointments or tastings with winemakers. We had no connections or pull. Only common tourist enthusiasm for tasting their wines.

At that time, Adelaida went out of their way to welcome us and made everyone in the group (from novice to professional) feel comfortable. They educated us about their wines and answered our questions. There was no hard sell on their wine club and we got the feeling that everyone who worked there LOVED their job. It also helped that their wines were top quality and well-balanced. (But don't things always taste better when you're surrounded by happy people?)

This trip we (not me, but Bobbyfox and "Charlie") scheduled a tasting appointment for us where they poured about 9 nine wines - including their pinot noir and cab reserve. As if we hadn't received enough VIP treatment from Paul (our gracious host at Adelaida this trip) already, he grabbed a few bottles and glasses after our tasting and we piled into his truck to have a toast from a scenic hilltop on their land. 

Literally breathtaking.

I will go back to Adelaida every time I'm in Paso and continue to buy their wines (this trip I purchased the '06 HMR Estate Pinot Noir and the '05 Viking Estate Vineyard Cab Reserve). And next time I may bring a giant fresh pineapple with me as an overdue thank you gift.

http://www.adelaida.com/

Try Not Having Everything

Almost everyone who has access to the internet, and therefore this blog, has every thing (think Maslow) humans require to live. And a lot more. (I'm included in this group.)

Recently, I've been inspired by letting necessity facilitate action...instead of access. You will be overwhelmingly satisfied (maybe even enlightened) when you wait until you need something, become temporarily uncomfortable because you don't have it, seek it out*, and ultimately make the aquisition.

Try this with diet, medicine, wardrobe, household accessories, even your social calendar. Shock your system with raw fulfillment.

* This could even require waiting. Not as frightening as it sounds :)

City v. Country

This is an overly generalized post. Want to get this thought down though. I think it's important to know if you're a city or country person.

CITY = bustle, buzz, small, expenses, fashion, creative, proximity

COUNTRY = slow, peace, nature, big spaces, savings, comfort

There's convenience and inconvenience to both. As well as competitive economies. Governing bodies and extracurricular activities. Families and friends. Social ladders. Poor and rich. Skirts, suits, and white tee-shirts. Jeans.

We're all working, shopping, eating, drinking, sleeping, and (hopefully) loving and being loved.

Choose to live your life where you feel comfortable. City? Country? That perfect place in between? I truly believe we can survive anywhere so, if this is the case, you might as well live a happier life by surviving in a location you prefer*.

*Friends, family, career and other factors play a role but sometimes it's healthy to think about questions in absence of these factors. You can always include them later and reevaluate.

Routines

I struggle with the right balance of routines. While at times I think they can build discipline and foster steady improvement, I also fear the comfort zone they can create. In a perfect world I would try a new form of exercise every three months, buy assorted foods at the grocery store, and explore one of the many places I haven't been to in Southern California on the weekends. But going for walks and bike rides, eating cereal, apples, bell peppers, and shrimp cocktail, and spending every weekend going to my favorite spots in Corona Del Mar makes me happy. 

And that's great. 

But I look back to times in my life when I broke away from a routine or regimented lifestyle and recognize the extreme benefits that these deviations brought to my life. A few examples are transferring high schools my sophomore year, studying and working in London my junior year in college, barely breaking even every month during my first job at Deloitte Consulting in New York City, and leaving Michael and Las Vegas after two years to spend a month in Champagne and Burgundy discovering my passion for wine. Throughout these experiences I was challenged, humbled, inspired, exhausted, exhilarated, sad, and happy. I'm still getting to know Newport Beach and Orange County, but am aware it is going to be very easy to get into a comfortable routine here. I ask of my friends to help me when this happens. It's healthy to get your ass kicked every now and then.