Two of our best friends from Virginia, Tina and Michael, are in town for a week; and on Saturday we headed north to Sonoma and Napa for a weekend of wine tasting and lots of food. It has been so incredibly fun having visitors already--it pushed us to unpack a bit more quickly than we would have otherwise (although there's still a ton left to do), and it gave us a reason to start exploring our new state with enthusiasm. It's truly incredible to think about all the places available to us, and all within a one or two hour radius.

Wineries we visited:

• Iron Horse--one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and some of the most beautiful wine I've ever tasted. Get the bubbles flight. 
• La Crema Estate at Saralee's Vineyard--obviously one of my favorites but it was even more special to visit their new digs. We got a private tour of the grounds and ended the afternoon with some charcuterie in their gorgeous cellar. I've been a fan of La Crema long before I started working with them, so getting to visit the new space was really a treat.
• Freemark Abbey--gorgeous space and an amazing restaurant, which I'll link to below.
• Grgich Hills--delicious Zinfandel and a really nice patio to hang out on.
• Artesa--super friendly staff and unreal views of the mountains. We'd go back here in a heartbeat.

Where we ate:

• Pascaline Patisserie & Cafe--great spot for a light lunch near Iron Horse. 
• Glen Ellen Star--cute little place tucked away in Glen Ellen near our hotel. We sat at the bar ("the chef's counter," as they called it) and had some of the best chicken ever there. It was so nice to sit and watch the chefs at work while we enjoyed some truly delicious food.
• Russian River Brewing Company--amazing spot to stop and have some food while enjoying a few Pliny the Elders. We go as often as possible.
• Two Birds One Stone--we brought a bottle of Freemark Abbey rosé over and enjoyed a few snacks. Get the chips and definitely don't miss out on the black sesame soft serve with plum compote.
• Basalt--pretty spot on the Napa riverfront with great cocktails.
• Napa General Store--we stopped here on our way to lunch for a bellini and some spring rolls. Gorgeous patio.
• Morimoto--one of the most amazing lunches I've ever had. The sake was incredible and every bite was delicious.
• Celadon--swanky but approachable place for dinner. We brought a bottle of wine we had bought earlier and had them open it for us there. Everything we ordered was good but Michael definitely won with the lamb shank.

Places we stayed:

• Olea Hotel--totally worth it for the hot tub under the stars.
• Merlot House at the Old World Inn
  • Both adorable places and both with amazing breakfasts included. Totally recommend each one.

Now we're back at our place in the South Bay and excited to explore Mountain View, Palo Alto, and some more of San Francisco before they leave on Saturday! If you've been to Sonoma and/or Napa, what are some of your favorite spots? I'm already making a list for our next visit.

I wake up every morning at 6:30 AM and feel three hours behind, right away.

Part of it is because my friends on the East Coast are go-getters, and most of them are active on social media; so my habit of scrolling through my Twitter feed with one just eye open in the dark of morning really throws me off. There are newsletters and Instagram notifications and somehow not enough emails because I haven't written today's blog post yet which means I'm probably even more than three hours behind, and should I just wait until tomorrow again? In an ironic twist, social media is making me feel less connected than ever.

The other part of it is because we live really far away from "home," and I feel the distance every day. I look forward to hearing her voice every time, but it disorients me to talk to my mom at 9:00 AM--I'm just finishing my coffee or taking Ender for a morning walk, and she's telling me about lunch and the things she needs to do that afternoon.

It's only three hours but it feels a lot longer--a lot further than that.

Sleeping in a bit on a Saturday morning and waking up to feel like you missed everything. Saying "just one more" to an episode of Gilmore Girls on the couch after dinner but then realizing it's only 7:30. Unpacking (more) boxes at 8:53 PM Pacific Time when the majority of the people you know are already asleep in their beds on another coast 2,700 miles away. 

At times it has felt like an adventure, and other times it has felt so lonely that it makes my head spin.

But we're only a week and a half in, and I know I need to be patient. The windows are open, and the night is bright and clear and it's 55 degrees every morning. There are beaches and vineyards to explore and new people to meet. There are book clubs to join and cousins to meet for impromptu dinners. And most importantly, there's a tall man asleep beside me every night who no longer has to catch a Thursday red eye to wake up with me on the weekends.

Life is so strange sometimes but I don't think I'd take it any other way.

Moving weekend is officially here! I can't even believe it--it seriously feels like yesterday that Rob started traveling to and from California every week, but sure enough that was three whole months ago.

I thought I would hate living alone all summer and while I didn't love it, Ender and I did just fine together. It was so nice having Rob home every weekend and I'm so glad we made it a priority to see our friends every Saturday or Sunday instead of just taking time alone to catch up after a week apart--I'll treasure the memories of those Sunday dinners and backyard doggie play dates forever.

Our moving company packed us up yesterday and today they're taking all of our stuff. We hit the road Sunday morning after a going away party we're throwing in the empty house on Saturday. It's so surreal to me that in a few days we'll be driving away from Charlotte with our new home ahead of us.

I'm not sure how much I'll be on the blog these next six days (I know I've been pretty absent in general lately!), so make sure to follow along with us on Instagram and Snapchat (username flynnmd). I'm so excited to start sharing our day-to-day adventures on the road! And I'll be back with a big road trip update once we get settled--maybe even before then if I have time at one of our many hotel stops!

Photo by Rémy Thurston.