Wondering

Well, my first question was answered. We will be staying at Pebble Beach Resort on July 5th, 6th and 7th. My husband has taken care of reservations and even tees times. (No, I don't want to play Pebble Beach. I only use a 5 iron, pitching wedge, and putter. It might take a while for me to get around those 18 beautiful, expensive holes.) If I'm reading his email correctly, he and our buddy, Bob, will be making arrangements for San Francisco; staying the nights of the 8th and 9th. So, it's up to me to plan the agenda and accommodations for July 10th, 11th and 12th. We will fly home to Indiana on the 13th. (click on email for larger image)

I now know that we will have 3 days to experience wineries. It doesn't appear that our group has a preference for Napa or Sonoma, so I guess that will be decided by my findings. To begin searching, I need to find some answers to my big question: "What is the difference?" How have others decided where to go? Does a person's taste for wine determine that, or, as I'm inclined to think, is it the setting of the vinyards?

I will contact a friend who went last year. I don't know where they toured, but I know they enjoyed it! I can also talk to a couple who took a bicycling tour of the wine country. That doesn't appeal to me!, but I'll try to find out how they decided. I will also do some general searching on the internet and see if I can get a "feel" for the areas and start narrowing my choices.

While still in the "selection" stage, I am experiencing feelings of uncertainty, from "what am I going to find out" to hoping I make some good choices. I'd hate to mess up everybody's vacation by choosing the wrong spots. I'm also worried about this process as an assignment! As Carol Kulthau mentions, feelings of anxiety are possible if the selection is delayed or postponed. I didn't get back to this as soon as I had hoped.

I am quickly seeing how this process is not at all linear. Am I watching or wondering? Am I selecting or searching. The answer is "both."