Natalee Dyudyuk | Wine Club & Tasting Room Manager
Bailarín Cellars celebrates those who do what they love. Their passion for life is unstoppable and their enthusiasm is infectious. We celebrate these "dancers" in our hero feature and learn from their words of wisdom.
This month we celebrate one of our own, Natalee Dyudyuk, whose love of family and wine pair perfectly at Bailarin.
WHAT MAKES YOU DANCE?
“Finding the adventure in everyday makes me dance.”
Four years ago my life looked very different than it does today. During the week I was a School District Administrator organizing construction projects, working with various cities and transportation agencies, making sure teachers and kids had classrooms within which to begin the year anew. On the weekends, adventure awaited in the form of trips up and down California, mostly with one goal in mind - finding new and exciting wineries to experience, and delicious eateries to encounter. There were European vacations planned and enjoyed. And then, something entirely novel was planned; and, nearly three years ago, my husband and I welcomed our first baby - our son, Solomon.
I had been gainfully employed in some way or another since I was 15 1/2 and I applied for and received a work permit for my first job at local pizza parlor. I have always been proud of the fact that I was good at providing financially for myself; working definitely gave me a sense of purpose. But when my husband and I decided to add children to our lives, I also made the decision to give that part of myself up - at least for a while.
Two novel adventures at once - new mother, newly unemployed. To say that these journeys started off on bumpy terrain may be an understatement. I was so used to a daily regimen - suits and commutes and coffee and meetings. Now my world consisted of a tiny human and, well, the coffee was about the only thing that didn’t change. However, I was determined to find my niche in this new world.
I found it more important than ever to trust my gut; but also, to lean on my support system of family and friends - old and new. And above all, I found it important to change my perspective on sources of purpose and joy - to understand what it means to see the world through eyes that are just beginning to understand what it means to be alive. Looking through these new lenses has become a necessity for me to thrive in this life, even more so as we welcomed our second baby - our daughter, Nola.
My love for adventure and wine, and my desire to provide for myself and my family, are things that have remained constant throughout many changes. These are passions that I do not expect to leave me in this lifetime. This is why, when the opportunity arose for me to become a part of a new family - Bailarín Cellars - I jumped out of my seat and waived my hands around like a crazy person. When one door closes another one opens… and you never know what new adventures are waiting on the other side.
