Glimmers from our last weekend in Petaluma

A San Francisco dumpling tour, very cool n/a bottle shop, one last hike & of course...more cows

Glimmers are your casual companion to the Sincerely, Soph biweekly newsletter, filled with off the cuff updates & all the little moments that made me smile this past week.

It’s hard to believe that we’re already at the end of our month in the rolling green hills of Sonoma County. Petaluma has been good to us, although not without throwing out our fair share of curve balls. From an unexpected oral surgery, to last minute trip itinerary changes, it’s been a good reminder of just how rarely life ever goes as planned. Although navigating change is a bit easier when you have the comfort and consistency of home, I can think of worse places to weather the storm than in the idyllic green hills of this sweet little farm.

Seeing how much I missed the vibration of Chicago in the months leading up to our departure, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much I have enjoyed the slower pace of our past two stays. What Lyons lacked in size, it made up for in close knit community, and while living on a farm in Petaluma may not have had the same hustling of a city, the natural ecosystem was a buzzing, vibrating entity all on its own.

A month is such an interesting length of time for a visit - long enough to feel settled, but still short enough to feel the pressure to making every day count. I’ve been trying to remind myself though, that there will never be a “perfect balance” - there are even things in Chicago that I wish I did before leaving, and I had lived there for over a decade! If anything, this trip is showing me more than ever, the importance of looking inward, and letting my desire lead the way over any external checklist. Each month and city a vessel to better know ourselves and meet our unique needs for that specific moment in time.

Although we didn’t check all the boxes on our Sonoma/Bay Area Bucket List, I’m not all that disappointed. Rather, I’m leaving Petaluma with a deep sense of gratitude for our time spent healing in these hills, the opportunity to reconnect with nature, and the gift of time spent with long distance friends.

Glimmers of the Week

• I know the animals have been a glimmer pretty much every week we’ve spent here, but there is truly not a day that goes by that I don’t stop to gaze in loving affection at all of the little creatures living in harmony. It’s something that I will definitely miss. Chickens parade across the property each morning while birds chatter relentlessly among themselves, greeting the day with their songs. Cows munch lazily on vibrant green grass while following the same grazing pattern day after day. The cyclical nature of this ecosystem made it so easy to fall into its rhythms. Also - these cows never fail to make me laugh…what personalities!

• The trees here are something to behold. With twisted branches reaching out and up towards the sky, it’s hard not to feel that they carry a wisdom beyond our understanding. We spent our last weekend hiking through Helen Putman Regional Park and the rolling landscape had us both feeling like we should be singing along to the Hills are Alive from The Sound of Music.

• Watching Violet fully relax and settle into our routine here has been incredible. Not only has she completely recovered from her injury, but she seems so much more confident and at ease. Watching her explore new places and try new things never fails to bring a smile to my face.

• One thing about me? I love dumplings. So naturally we had to spend one of our last days this weekend in the city hunting down the best Xiao Long Bao. We bopped around Chinatown trying some recommended spots from Infatuation & snagging the fluffiest pork buns ever from Good Mong Kok. Though the beef soup dumplings from Dumpling Story in Pacific Heights were the star of the day.

• Another thing about me (and Trevor)? We love ourselves a little functional n/a bevvy. This bottle shop & social club carries almost exclusively local brands (which we love), and has maybe some one of the best/kindest/most passionate sales people to ever exist. I didn’t get his name, but he gave us thoughtful suggestions, poured us samples, and gave the most descriptive/passionate overviews of his favorites. (This Bay Area, mushroom infused apertif was 10/10)

• After being let down by flat and disappointing Lagunitas IPNA, I was pleasantly surprised by this RationAle Hazy IPA I got at Brewsters Beer Garden, a really cool little space in downtown Petaluma with live music and a huge outdoor area. Good n/a beers are hard to come by, so it’s always a nice surprise when they’re actually good

On another note:

This weekend we have finally, after much deliberation, locked in our stays for a very PNW summer. If any of you have recommendations in Washington or Oregon, please send them my way!