Heidi’s Sonoma Journey
This is the second of three stories about Heidi’s relationship with Sonoma - I Followed a Dream to Sonoma
🟩 A Day of Rubber Stamps and Sonoma Charm — Chapter 1
Begin with “A Day of Rubber Stamps and Sonoma Charm” for Heidi’s memories of her first brief visit.
🟨 I Followed a Dream to Sonoma — Chapter 2 (You are reading this story.)
Click on “A Little Store and a Full Life” to learn how Heidi created a business that allowed her to work in the town she loved.
🟥 A Little Store and a Full Life — Chapter 3
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Heidi Geffen moved to Sonoma in 2003 after a dream prompted her to ask about working at Mrs. Grossman’s in Petaluma. A new friend helped her find a home and settle in. Walkable streets, welcoming neighbors, and the lights of the Sebastiani Theatre soon made Sonoma feel magical.
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I Followed a Dream to Sonoma
I moved to Sonoma based on a dream. Literally.
I had left a business partnership in Los Angeles after about 10 years. I was unhappy, and I needed a fresh start.
Then one night, I dreamed I was working at Mrs. Grossman’s in Petaluma.
The next morning, I called Andrea Grossman’s assistant, Cheryl. We had talked on the phone before, and we knew we were both from Michigan, but we had never met in person.
I told her, “I had a dream last night that I was working there.”
She said, “How was it?”
I said, “It was great.”
And she said, “I have a job opening.”
That’s how it began.
Andrea was going to be at a trade show in Anaheim, so I went to talk with her. About a month later, I came north for an interview.
They warned me that the company was going through a reorganization and that the finances might make it difficult to hire me. I said, “Well, you’re not telling me not to come, so I’m coming.”
Cheryl picked me up in Petaluma and invited me to stay with her and her husband in Sonoma for the weekend. We went to Murphy’s on Friday night and the Basque the next morning. They drove me all around town.
We even stopped to talk with the mayor, who was outside mowing his lawn. Cheryl rolled down the window and said, “My friend Heidi is thinking of moving here. Tell her why she should move here.”
People were so friendly.
It took several weeks before I was offered the job. Once that happened, Cheryl helped me find a place to live.
As moving day got closer, I was getting nervous. I had a dog and two cats, and I was packing the U-Haul without everything settled.
Cheryl said, “We have an extra bedroom.”
I said, “I have a dog and two cats.”
She said, “I have a backyard.”
She was going to help me make this happen.
Then a place opened up on Blue Wing Drive, in a complex we had looked at during my visit. Cheryl arranged the rental for me, sight unseen. She even offered to write the check if the landlord wouldn’t accept my out-of-town check.
My brother flew in from Colorado to help me move. When we arrived, we went straight to Cheryl’s house. She and her husband had made dinner, and we stayed the night. The next morning, she took me to my new home.
That Sunday evening, she called and said, “You don’t know how to get to work, do you?”
I said, “I don’t have a clue.”
She said, “Okay, I’ll pick you up.”
That was how I landed in Sonoma in 2003. It was welcoming and lovely from day one.
I could walk everywhere. I still joke that I don’t run my errands—I walk my errands. I could walk to the grocery store, the farmers market, or the Patch for corn, beans, tomatoes, and onions, then go home and make dinner.
Walking down First Street, I could see the lights of the Sebastiani Theatre. It felt like a storybook town.
There was the bike path, the Overlook Trail, and that view of the valley from the top. There was the Plaza, the duck pond, the holiday decorations, and the Fourth of July parade.
My upstairs porch faced west, and Cheryl announced that whether I was home or not, they would be watching the fireworks from it. The neighbors came over too. There were 12 units in our complex, and everybody looked out for one another.
I had spent more than 20 years in Los Angeles. I packed up my life and started fresh, and somehow it wasn’t hard here. I just started meeting people.
Sonoma was magic. That’s still the best way I can describe it.
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Cheryl’s practical generosity turned Heidi’s willingness to move into a workable new life. Housing, meals, transportation, and introductions gave her a welcome she could act on. Sonoma’s walkability then helped her develop daily routines and familiar connections, making a major transition feel manageable.
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This story was created from an interview with Heidi Geffen conducted by Don Lundgren. Heidi’s words have been edited for length and clarity while preserving her voice, experiences and meaning.
