Getting lost.

I was driving down to Bouchon last night, a fancy french restaurant, when I got lost and ended up going the wrong way. If you know how I travel, I actually like getting lost because I stumble upon interesting things off the beaten path. Well, I ended up at the Yountville cemetary and I had to stop! For some reason, I am drawn to older cemetaries. There is a lot of history behind the people who lived there and I like to read their names, find out when they died.

I got out of my car and brought my camera. It's a little plot of land, empty with maybe a few birds swooping in and out. When I entered the cemetary I immediately knew that I was drawn here, but I didn't know why. With hands reached out, palms facing up, I let the earth guide me to what it wanted me to see. I felt a tug on my right hand and knew I had to turn right. I walked in that general direction, not knowing exactly where I had to go so I kept asking "Where?"

As I walked through the various graves, I started to feel sensations on my feet. The best way to describe it is when someone puts their hand on your foot and you feet the warmth of their hand. That's what it felt like. Then I felt it on my ankle, up my calf. I instinctively knew that the spirits were reaching out to me. I continued walking and felt the spirits holding my hands. Three fingers on my right hand started to curl, like a child had grabbed my hand but wasn't big enough to wrap it around my palm. I acknowledged it. I soon walked to a grave that had a faded yellow wrought iron fence around it. I stood there for a moment and allow myself to feel what they were trying to tell me. You won't believe it, but I felt an immense sense of sadness and loss and started to cry. Yep, me crying at a cemetary - Good Lord! I actually forgot to read the grave marker, so I turned back and read it.

A little girl died when she was 7 years old. Her brother died 4 days later, he was 5 years old. How heart breaking is that?

The wind was starting to blow and I wanted to head back to the car, plus I didn't want anyone to see me crying at a gravesite. Mind you, I'm a chinese girl walking around in a white people cemetary. That'd be an odd sight! As I walked back, I could feel the energy on my hands envelope my entire right hand. Then my wrist. And my arm. And my elbow. They were begging me to stay and wouldn't let go. It reminded me of children who hang on to you when they don't want you to leave; they grasp you harder and tighter, not wanting to let go.

I bid a silent farewell and wondered if I once lived here. I don't know and I'll never know.

Bouchon Bakery Yountville
6528 Washington Street
Yountville, California 94599
Phone: 707.944.2253
Fax: 707.754.4122
Open everyday, 7:00am to 7:00pm

Pioneer Cemetery

Lincoln St & Jackson St,
Yountville, CA
(707) 967-9980‎

Woah, take it easy boy!

June 6 & 7th, 2009

Saturday came and went; I was so exhausted from the day before that I slept in until 10am. Lauren & I cooked breakfast (see attached) and sat on the outdoor patio and enjoyed the warm sunshine. The dogs were rolling around frolicking in the grass, while we sipped our hot coffee. What a beautiful day!

I've been thinking about the last few days which have been a whirlwind - the people I've met, places I've been to in a mere 7 days. Is this a sign that I'm meant to be here? Am I supposed to stay here and develop my calling?

I don't know. I'm too tired to think.... maybe I'll write more on Monday.

June 8th, 2009
I'm still tired; woke up at 9am and tried to get my act together. I have some work that needs to be done so chances are I will be staying at home. Nothing fun to report.

Like silver and gold.

June 5th, 2009

Like silver and gold. Those were the words that were used to describe friendships, love and celebration of a birthday among friends local to St. Helena. To the end of the night at Cheers! St. Helena, I stumbled upon Rory who invited me to join him at Cook, a restaurant up the street. There, I met and hung out with some of the most fabulous and sincere people in the world. In mere minutes, we were debating spiritualism, life and death - something which had taken me over 10 years to develop in Los Angeles.

I am continually amazed by the sincerity of the locals, welcoming everyone with open arms and non-judgement. I feel as if this is the place that I have been asking for over the last few years. In comparison, it has taken me 10 years in Los Angeles to develop friendships that took me 5 minutes to make here in Calistoga. Call it a tourist town, but there's really something different about it. People don't ask me what I do, they ask me who I am - who is the true Sonya Lee?

And you know, the answer to that is that I am in love with being where I am at the moment. I love being "here". I don't mean here as in a physical location, but here as a moment in time. I love being "here".

The rest of the day will be considered a wash. I spent $250 to attend Auction Napa Valley and tasted some of the finest (in barrel) wines in the world. It was unfortunate to have ended that event with a proposition as bold as "Hey, do you want to make out", mimic in slurred speech. Needless to say, I left very quickly.

But to be honest, there's something real about the people here in Napa. Call it bold, brave, honest and truthful, but I feel like I am able to truly be who I am. Yes, you can create yourself anywhere as long as you are honest to yourself. But, it always gets easier when you are readily accepted and welcomed.

I feel welcome here in Napa. Do you?

Napa Valley Vintners/Auction Napa Valley
www.napavintners.com/anv/


Cheers! St Helena
www.cheerssthelena.com

You never know!

June 4th, 2009

Much to my chagrin, I never heard back from Jim at Domaine & Chandon, so I was a bit disappointed that Lauren & I wouldn't be going to the 'sold-out' private cocktail party the winery was hosting. But, nonetheless I knew I had work to catch up on and had to continue working on my business plan. I spent much of my day at The Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co; a local coffee house that roasts and serves great coffee. Sitting there, I pondered what kind of person I'd be had I stayed in my previous marriage. My ex was never supportive of my freelance endeavors and told me I'd never succeed outside a job. Well pooh on him. I'm so relieved that I've taken the path less chosen, even if people don't call me back. Who knows what I would have been like? I'm here now and that's all that matters.

I was still feeling a little bit disappointed that my connection to the wineries was a bit fuzzy and again, I wasn't sure how my business idea would all pan out. But, as God has plans it always works out miraculously in the end. Matt has also been trying to figure out how and when he is going to visit me too, but since he has to work I guess we'll just wait and see.

After a quick lunch at Giugni's, I decided to head back home and call it quits. Plus, I had to get ready for a locals game of bocce ball, which I'd never heard of before. Interestingly enough on my drive home, I heard my cellphone jingling. I picked it up only to realize it was Jim, the winemaker, who wanted to know if I was still interested in the cocktail party. You bet your butt I am! I couldn't wait to tell Lauren the good news. She loves that bubbly stuff.

At 6pm, we met up with a few people that Rory introduced me to at the bocce ball game. Apparently, the locals get together after work every night at the park to play ball, drink, sing karaoke and then do it all over again. There was Sean & Michael (not together) who both sell wine at Napa Valley Farms. Who would say no to a day of fun? We did.

Shortly thereafter, we headed over to Domaine & Chandon, and boy, were there lots of girls wearing skimpy dresses in cold weather. Lauren & I kept chuckling about how women always pay the price for beauty while men get off wearing jeans and sports jackets. Luckily for us, we arrived wearing pants and flat shoes. We sat our butts down, enjoyed the food from the 4 star restaurant attached to the winery and didn't think much of the party or the mixed champagne cocktails. Jim found me chatting it up with an old couple and enthusiastically introduced me to few folks from the winery, including the sparkling wine maker, PR lady and someone else I can't remember. They were all very interested in hearing about my business idea and kept insisting that we get together to chat sometime.

While walking through the crowds, Lauren & I ended up chatting with a few people who surprisingly, turned out to be a chef at Bouchon, a gardener for French Laundry, and a former CPA turned pastry chef. I'm finding that the reoccurring theme here in Napa is that its important to enjoy what you do and love where you are. None of these boys are originally from Napa. The evening ended with a quick bite at Bottega where the boys seemed to know the right people. A chef even came out to say hello and ask us ladies if we needed anything else. Lauren quickly jumped at that and replied, "Oh, yes please! Something chocolate-ly would be great!". It turns out that chef was Michael Chiarello, himself. What a great night, yeah?

Domaine Chandon Winery
1 California Dr,
Yountville, CA‎
(707) 944-2892‎

Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co‎
1400 Oak Ave,
St Helena, CA‎
(707) 963-4491‎

WF Giugni & Son Grocery Co
1227 Main St,St Helena, CA‎
(707) 963-3421‎

Bottega‎
6525 Washington St,
Yountville, CA‎
(707) 945-1050‎

Bouchon Restaurant‎
6534 Washington St,
Yountville, CA‎
(707) 944-8037‎

French Laundry Restaurant
6640 Washington St,
Yountville, CA
(707) 944-2380‎

Home Sweet Home

By popular demand, okay... well only Jen Yee requested it... are photos of the house I'm staying at in Calistoga. It feels so homely, welcoming and warm. I truly wish I could live here forever, but I'm starting to realize I should have packed more clothes and stuff.

I'm especially loving the jacuzzi, as well as the BBQ grill in the back. The neighbors are super friendly, which makes me feel great and safe knowing that he is also a police officer.

Terra Valentine

June 3rd, 2009

Wednesday started off really great. I was so happy to be in Napa that I cooked breakfast for Lauren & I and made some coffee with the freshly roasted coffee beans I picked at The Roastery in St. Helena. It was really important that I put some food in my stomach, since I had a 10:30am appointment at Terra Valentine for a wine tasting. I've been emailing Rory back and forth to set time aside to visit his winery, and alas was on my way with Monster by my side.

When I showed up, I had to make sure that puppydoos was all set since the winery doesn't allow dogs inside. The building looked like a gothic castle, full of stained glass and gargoyles. Heidi, our wine guide, briefly showed us where the wine is made and then led us up into the 'castle' for some wine tasting, which was wonderful! I also caught up with Rory and had some great conversations about life, its path as well as some business ideas.

At 1ish, I headed down the mountain to the Half Bottle Party at Taylor's Refresher and was a little bit apprehensive about showing up at a party not knowing anyone. The Half Bottle Party is basically a gathering for locals to get together, share some leftover or newly brewed wine and just mingle. Since I had Monster I knew it'd be easier to meet people than not, so I sat my butt down and do what I do best. EAT.

While eating my bleu cheese burger, I started chatting up with two fellows who turned out to be wine makers at the wineries near by. It was really fun talking to them, especially since one of the guys is from Domaine & Chandon. After they left, people swarmed Monster left and right, giving him plenty of love and attention. Next thing you know, I'm sitting with the locals and being introduced to several people, talking about life, spiritualism, having a good time and explained my business idea to them. They accepted me with open arms and invited me to join them over the next few days. Not only that, I've made plans to attend the Napa Auction on Friday, and volunteer at Cheer! later that evening. Not bad for day three!

To be quite honest, I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to "hit it up" with the locals and work on my business idea (which is related to the travel industry). But, it's smooth sailing so far. I am loving every second of it. Day three has ended beautifully with a dip in the jacuzzi and a nice dinner with Lauren at Rutherford Grill.

Sweet :)

Terra Valentine‎
3787 Spring Mountain Rd
St Helena, CA‎
www.terravalentine.com
(707) 967-8340‎

Taylors Refresher
933 Main St,
St Helena, CA‎
(707) 963-3486‎
www.taylorsrefresher.com

Cheers! St Helena
www.cheerssthelena.com

Day two in Calistoga

June 2nd, 2009

Day two, or officially day one here in Calistoga and I think I'm in love. Seriously, head over heels? Really? Lauren and I drove separately from Los Angeles, but we met up on the road and stopped a few times to let the dogs, Monster and PuppyNoses, out to pee. We arrived at the house last night around 8ish, dropped off the dogs, scoped out the house and went to grab a bite to eat downtown.

First off, the house is amazing. I need to read a dictionary to learn a few more words that describe how fantastic my experience is so far, but its exceeding every single expectation I have. The house is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house with a really large and well manicured backyard. Outside there is a BBQ grill, a fire pit, heated jacuzzi and a few couches to sit back and enjoy. I'm in heaven. Not only that, the house is fully stocked and feels like I'm visiting grandma's home. Did I tell you I love it yet?

So, after a morning of reading my emails I headed out to the Post Office to return Matt's cellphone charger I accidentally took with me. The mailman made a few recommendations as to where to visit and the journey has commenced! I've made plans to go wine tasting tomorrow at Terra Valentine and meet up with a friend named Rory I met this past February while wine tasting with Matt. Rory happens to be the financial guy at Terra Valentine. I'll be tasting solo, but what the heck... I'm here to enjoy it.

There's also a local event called "Cheers! St. Helena" this Friday which will premiere over 50 wineries, food vendors and just local fun stuff. I may volunteer with Rory or just hangout as a patron. Nonetheless, I'm tickled silly and love it here.

Calistoga, CA

Calistoga, here I come!

June 1, 2009

After a week of being home post-trip from Hawaii, I am ready to travel again! A few months ago I really wanted to plan a trip up to Napa Valley. Matt and I had visited a few months ago during his birthday and I fell head over heels with this part of town and swore I had to come back. And alas, here I am packing up my backs (didn't have to unpack them from Hawaii actually) and am taking my belongings, work and dog up to Calistoga for a whole month.

I'm really quite nervous about it since this will be my first time traveling away from home in a long time. There won't be a welcoming committee to greet me when I arrive, but it'll be fun exploring the wine-country alone (and with my dog). Though this trip is a much deserved vacation, I also see it as an opportunity to further develop some business ideas as well as catch up with the artistic side of my talents. Being out in the nature inspires me to paint, draw, breathe (very important) and enjoy what life has to come. And sure, it's also a much welcome escape from Los Angeles!

So my car is packed up and I'm off! See you in Calistoga, baby.

Last night, I drive 65 miles to San Juan Capistrano to attend a seminar with my friend Rima and her mother. Rima is a friend of mine from Warner Bros, who went on to become a high school art teacher.

The speakers name is Sheevan Moran and she speaks about positive thinking and the use of energy diversion. It's a matter of focusing your energy on what you want, instead of what you don't want. In the end, you attract whatever comes into your mind. Every thought is a form of energy, so you ultimately create your own success.

Hmm.. it was interesting, but I think I am spoiled by the Wayne Dyer's of my time. He focuses on positive thinking and common sense. Much better for my logical mind :)

Okay. I'm supposed to upload photos but I am procrastinating because I left my camera charger in Toronto. Nope, no intentions of buying another one so I think I will just wait until my next visit to Toronto or have my brother ship it.

Yesterday marked Matt's birthday and he celebrated in style with his coworkers in the office. I think they had a blast, but I wasn't able to join his b-day lunch because I was out in the west-side meeting with clients. Oh my my, I didn't remember how bloody horrible traffic can be on a weekday at 9am! Not only that, I noticed how drivers in LA never smile. At all! You can easily find smiling people on the streets, in the stores, walking by, but you will rarely see any smiling drivers on the freeway. If you're lucky, you might get a big middle finger!

Whats up with that?