The VineSpring Team Connects in Sonoma
Basking in the afterglow of the VineSpring second annual retreat, we are the picture of rejuvenation with renewed creative and collaborative energy.
With VineSpring functioning as a remote workplace, this annual retreat means the world to us. It’s a treasure to be in the same room, to look at each other in the eyes and give each other hugs… it’s invaluable for contributing to our cohesiveness as team members and as people. The twelve of us genuinely enjoy one another and truly appreciate this time spent team building and hanging out.
This year, we were generously hosted at Durell Vineyard - thank you for the hospitality, Chris! Between the main house, the guest house, and the stable (the horses didn’t seem to mind), there was plenty of room for us to spread out and just ‘be’.
While we had a lot of relaxation time, we also engaged in some really fun activities. Not the least of which was an Escape Room at Chateau St. Jean. We had one hour to ‘escape the Chateau’. Puzzles, riddles and secret codes held the answers to unlock the clues. It’s always so cool to see how different peoples’ brains work. While one person may be great at math, another person may be amazing at seeing patterns, while yet another is talented at deciphering different kinds of locks. We all worked together and guess what? We now hold the record for the fastest escape ever (beating the last champs, who were Google engineers!)
One of the highlights of our trip was a private tasting at Auteur in Sonoma. What gorgeous wines and incredible hospitality. As one of our long-time clients, Laura and Angie of Auteur not only gave us a memorable afternoon that we will not soon forget, but they also provided valuable insight into how they use VineSpring – which helps inform how we think about making VS better and better for our clients.
Being in Sonoma County, of course, we had some crazy-awesome meals. Salt and Stone in Kenwood was very tasty, as was A taste of the Himalayas on Sonoma Square. One of the most special mealtimes, however, was a gorgeous meal prepared by Chef Adair and his crew right in the guest house at Durell. Four courses of mouthwatering amazingness, beautiful wine pairings and most importantly, fun and lively conversation that went late into the evening.
As fun as the activities were…some of the most special times were the ‘down’ times. Delicious moments when we were free to do whatever we wanted. A couple of us napped under the expansive oaks, two of us went fishing in the well-stocked Durell pond, some went mountain biking while some meditated or read a book on the wrap-around porch. It’s these moments where we could totally be ourselves. Be human. Be in the moment. And sharing these special moments deepens our connection to ourselves and to each other. And man, that’s what a retreat is all about.
