2020 has been a year unlike any other. We have all had to change the fundamental way we live. Although it’s been quite challenging, these tweaks in ‘how we’ve always done things’ have forced us to think differently. It’s made us appreciate experiences in a whole new way.

Below you’ll find some of the unusual and unexpected things that gave the VineSpring team joy in this crazy year.

Chris Towt, Co-Founder and CEO

I am really lucky to live in Northern California. I've always felt that way—Sonoma is a wonderful place to live but during this pandemic, I look for adventures that are in our own backyard.

One of the most unexpected finds is Shelter Cove, California, out on the "Lost Coast" in Humboldt County. I am a pilot and love to fly my small Cessna to unique places, and Shelter Cove has been one of the best. The airstrip is right on the edge of the ocean and there is a brewery named "Gyppo" at the end of the runway. To make this place even more of a dreamland, there's a golf course around the entire airstrip! It's a phenomenal place and I highly recommend finding your way to get there sometime soon.

Jamison Morrow, Co-Founder

An unexpected thing that brought me joy in this tumultuous year and everything being shut down was the additional time I gained for reading, journaling, and prayer. It allowed for reflection on how I’m spending my time and energy, and has left me with a more peaceful acceptance of things beyond my control. Ironically… it took a year of perpetual chaos to help me find a sense of calm in my life.

Colin Brine, Technical Support Guru

One of the biggest things I was not expecting but turned into something awesome in 2020 was getting back into playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) with friends. I love tabletop gaming and had not expected to play D&D again because it requires more than a bit of coordination to make happen.

I played the 2nd edition of D&D back in high school but hadn’t touched it in years—now it’s onto 5th edition. At the beginning of 2020 a friend wanted to try his hand at running a game with a close group and we ended up taking it online. This reigniting my enjoyment of the game, and while I still play in that game monthly, I also started running sessions myself to keep in touch with other friends.

It’s become a wholesome way to hang out with friends online and spend a few hours doing something together while separated. We have bi-weekly sessions and I have a lot of fun with it. Without being forced apart I probably wouldn’t have spent as much time with some of these good friends —and that’s priceless.

Aku Desai, Director of Sales

Certainly at the top of the list is getting to spend concerted time with our kids and family in the safest place possible... together at home. I'm fairly certain that our kids weren't quite as happy about it, as we are lame compared to their friends, but we certainly appreciated our time with them.

Additionally, one of the best sports to play while socially distancing is golf. I walked more than I ever have which was nice and felt somewhat healthy! I ended up with 60 rounds and got my handicap down to a 7.8. Golf taxes you mentally and my game is a cautionary tale but it's progressing thanks to all my free time earlier this year.

Howard Towt, Customer Success

My gift of unexpected joy this year is from the restaurants that presented beautiful take-home dinners to all of us in quarantine. In Denver, Tavernetta had formally attired sommeliers bring out dinner with a perfectly matched bottle of wine. You would take these gifts home and prepare them along with a video from the chef explaining the correct techniques to use. It was a wonderful way to enjoy the shutdowns! Here's a picture of a sommelier delivering the goods...

Kelli Silva, Customer Success

On August 19th of this year, we were ordered to evacuate from our home due to the Solano Country fire. We were in the middle of packing up to move to a new home a week later. We received the notice on our phone that we had to evacuate and grabbed the must-haves: kids, dog, and two guinea pigs.

While we were packing the car, we received a call from Chris Towt (co-founder of VineSpring), and he said that we could stay in his Sonoma guest house. I don’t share this story for brownie points. I am sharing this story because in the middle of the chaos of evacuating, while in the middle of a move, while in the middle of a pandemic, we had such peace at Chris’ property at Durell Vineyard in Sonoma.

We were incredibly grateful he allowed us to stay there and it was like a little slice of heaven. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Each night we took a walk through the vineyards after dinner. We slowed down and enjoyed nature, family time, and all of the other blessings that came along with it.

I wish we had taken more photos, though. This is the only photo I took. If my daughter sees it, she will definitely think my son is the favorite child. Look at that beautiful background.

Kent Nowlin, General Manager

My unexpected thing that brought joy was sitting outside on our deck with the whole family just talking. It became somewhat of a ritual during the first lockdown since there wasn't really anywhere to go.

Britney Yunker, Head of Customer Success

I was admittedly a gym rat, and had been for a couple of years. I worked out several times a week, and the gym was where I did it. Going to the gym made me feel strong and confident, both mentally and physically.

Then the lockdown came in March. Where on earth am I going to work out? Like, HOW is this going to work?! There’s no way I’ll be able to stay in shape. I’m going to turn into a lazy, sad human.

My husband (who was also dependent on the gym) and I talked about it and got creative. Literally right outside our house is a long, gradual hill. We ordered some 10 lb. ankle weights and got to walking. About 1.5 miles up the hill we found a little park with pull-up and dip bars. Then we started noticing a bunch of walking trails in our neighborhood. Little hidden gems that we would’ve never discovered had we not been walking every single day. I began looking forward to those walks. And guess what? I was able to maintain my strength while really, really enjoying my workout.

When the gyms opened back up, I went a few times but found that I really missed my walks. It just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. So now I hit the trails before work and on weekends rain or shine. It makes me feel alive.

Also, I’ve been dabbling in black and white photography in the last year or so. My extra time outside had an unexpected impact on my creativity. I now plan my walks around certain times of day when the sun and shadows are juuuuuust right. (If you’re interested, you can follow my Instagram)

Unexpected Joy in 2020