The day has a slight chill in the air, so a long sleeve shirt, pants and maybe a cute hat to keep your head warm are needed. The leaves on the trees are just starting to change into the amber, orange and brown leaves that welcome Fall each year. If you take a deep breath in, there is a faint smell of a wood burning fire. In the moment you close your eyes and allow the feelings of Fall to take over your senses. Time to put on your cozy UGG boots and hit the ground running. Casually, you make your way to the front desk to pick up your preprepared picnic basket. The excitement starts to build within you. With your cozy blanket and picnic basket in hand you make your way outside again. As you walk you are looking for that perfect place, that beckons you. The hills are small and rolling as you begin to explore for the perfect spot.
The smell of sweetness and rows of grape trees in the Vineyard call to you as the most enticing place to lay your blanket. Walking through the rows of trees you find the perfect spot for the day. First, you look up, feel the warm sun resting on your skin and you take a big sigh. You are a little bit of a perfectionist as you work to get your picnic blanket laid out in the perfect spot and manner for comfort. The anticipation of what is in the basket begins to rise as you slowly open, only to find a delectable assortment of cheeses, fruit, hummus, vegetables, sandwiches and your favorite bottle of wine that you enjoyed from the night before. Dolce Rosso, Sweet and semi-sparkling with notes of raspberry and made with Long Cluster Brechetto grape. The bottle is chilled perfectly with two wine glasses included. The moment has come to finally sit on your blanket and begin to indulge in the treats and delectable food choices. Honestly, the wine is the showstopper at this moment with its beautiful raspberry color and sweet bubbling texture that makes your tongue delight with anticipation of the day that is to follow. Leaning back as you take a sip of the wine you begin to see the amazement that is surrounding you.
For a moment you have some technical thoughts in your head on how a grape grows, ripens, gets picked at it’s peak and then is transformed into so many things. Maybe, you even begin to think about the delish charcuterie board you had the night before with the amazing jam that you took part in. You do digress but this is the beginning of allowing your brain to compartmentalize the world and to just focus on the moment. In true fashion you begin to look at the environment through a camera lens. Picking certain angles and views to take with your smartphone camera. Zooming in on the cluster of grapes hanging very close to your head. Looking through the lens of your camera gives you an opportunity to look at the grapes and vines in detail. Noticing the dew on the grapes and the the vines growing up towards the sun. This moment makes you think that it is hard to believe that in the next couple of months all of the grapes will be harvested and the vines will be naked and all brown with the onset of winter. The moment causes you to shake your head because you just want to focus on the purple and deep red colors that surround you.
Pictures begin to flood your camera as you click away, wanting to catch these moments for the memories. Your stomach is telling you that your belly is full and it is time to be peaceful. The friend that you are with decides to lay on one of the two hammocks that are placed in the vineyard right next to the picnic area. For a moment you watch your friend as they lie there with comfort, peace and joy on their face. The sun is glistening on their hair and cheeks. You hear them take a deep sigh and you realize now it’s your turn. You decide to step out of the box and instead of lying on the hammock you fix the blanket and you lay down. Because the vineyard is on small rolling hills, your head is tilted back a little more then usual. Sunglasses go on and now it is your turn to have that big sigh of peace and tranquility. The sky is a crystal clear blue and not a cloud in sight. Planes fly over head, leaving their white lines behind them streaking the sky with billowy white puffy designs.
In this moment you shake your head in disbelief. At this very moment you are laying on the ground in the middle of a wine vineyard. I mean who gets to do this? Maybe, could even be a bucket list item. That second you realize how unique, precious and outstanding this very moment is in your life. Damn, I am lying in the middle of a vineyard! A smile comes over your face because you are really practicing your self-care and opening yourself up to new experiences. Give yourself a little pat on your back for this one.
Maybe, you lay there quietly as your friend is on the hammock for a about two hours. The time has come to clean up and leave this beautiful wine vineyard as pristine as you found it. Before you get up you take one more look while lying on your back. The view is spectacular! The time has come to walk away from this magical place with a little sadness in your heart but the anticipation of experiencing this again in the future. This adventure has sparked in you a desire to keep the momentum going and plan your next out of the box activity. Turn around before you enter the building and just take it all in one more time. Oh the beauty of a vine vineyard.
Visualization can be an extraordinary coping mechanism. Visualizations can be drawn from actual life experiences or what you dream them to be. This technique is used often when trying to work through anxiety, stress, depression, the blues, feeling lonely or maybe you just need a mini vacation. I encourage you to tap into your visualization skills or work on improving your skills with this coping mechanism. The beauty of my visualization that I share with you is actually an experience I had a couple of weeks ago at Chateau Elan Winery in Brasselton, Georgia. I shared my personal experience with you to encourage you to expand your horizons in your everyday life. To push yourself to the limits. I call on you to tap into previous experience that were pleasurable and utilize them to form your visualizations.
I hope I have motivated you to take a trip. go to a vineyard, take a girls trip, spend time with a significant other or just lie down and envision a place you would love to go. Take it all in and begin to create a healthier you.
I have to be honest, my vineyard day didn’t end exactly as I wrote above. Really, as we were lying there at the end a group of three unruly children began to scream and play on the other hammock, as if it was a playground. This marked our decision to leave this beautiful time; however, I chose to remember it with my new ending to complete the experience in my mind. It’s all about how you decide to look at life, glass half empty or glass half full. I think I will take a glass of Half Full Please.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
CIAO
ILISE
