Life at The Sequoias Portola Valley: A Community That Asks “Tell Me More”

The first time Mike and Suzanne ever saw The Sequoias Portola Valley, they weren’t visiting it. They were simply biking past. It was nearly 50 years ago. They admired the trees, the quiet hillside, and the open space, never imagining that one day it would become home.

Quick Answer

The Sequoias Portola Valley cultivates deep community connections through its intentional campus design and a philosophy centered on asking "Tell me more." Residents, such as Mike and Suzanne, experience unexpected friendships as the layout encourages constant interaction among 50 to 100 people daily. This approach fosters intimacy and meaningful relationships by facilitating "life groups" where participants engage in "big questions" rather than small talk, creating strong bonds among members.

“You never think you’re going to get that old,” Mike laughed.

Decades later, in their seventies, they realized it might actually be the exact right place. And now, two years after settling in, Mike says the most unexpected part of community living has been the connection.

There are no long elevator rides or isolated hallways at The Sequoias Portola Valley. Instead, there’s movement—everywhere. Residents cross paths constantly: on walkways, in the dining room, in the library, on their way to Windy Hill, or simply going about their day.

“I’m seeing 50 or 80 or 100 people every day,” said Mike. “The topology of our campus encourages relational interaction.”

And each interaction brings an opening to go deeper.

“You stop talking about yourself and ask the question: ‘Tell me more.’”

“Tell me more,” I inquire.

For Mike, those three words create the intimacy that makes community living feel meaningful.

'Big questions' foster deeper connections and community at The Sequoias Portola Valley by encouraging residents to engage beyond small talk and share who they truly are. This is evident in organic groups like a men’s group, where honesty and vulnerability create bonds, a couples group discussing aging realities, and an intergenerational group providing mentorship. These circles, built from shared life and proximity, serve as tools to stay fresh, give back, to share, and create vulnerability, trust, and respect among residents.

Unexpected moments often lead to friendships at The Sequoias Portola Valley, demonstrating how life on campus invites connection. For example, Mike and Susanna formed a close friendship with photographers Jon and O’Malley during a rainy photoshoot on Windy Hill. Months later, this chance encounter led to shared life experiences, including plans for Thanksgiving. Such moments happen frequently at The Sequoias, fostering connections not through structured programs, but through the natural interactions of community living.

The Sequoias Portola Valley community supports residents through service, listening, and realistic acceptance of aging by fostering an environment where individuals like Mike and Susanna connect over shared experiences, such as their time in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More profoundly, the community supports residents through life's transitions, as exemplified by a neighbor moving to assisted living. Here, staff, like a nurse, provide empathetic listening and encourage acceptance, reminding residents that 'life is still unfolding' and 'as long as we can accept where we are, then life will be rich.'

Throughout our conversation, Mike returned to a philosophy that shapes how he lives:

“Life is an individual sport played in a team environment.”

At The Sequoias Portola Valley, that team shows up everywhere: in aerobics classes (about 30 women and him), in supportive conversations in the dining room, and in everyday neighborly interactions.

“You pick your teammates,” Mike said. “And here, we’re all teammates.”

Mike never wants to stop moving forward with acceptance, positivity, and purpose.
The following words guide the way he lives each day:

• “Today is not that day.”
• “As long as we can accept where we are, then life will be rich.”
• “Life is an individual sport played in a team environment.”

Community living at The Sequoias Portola Valley gives Mike and Susanna the environment, connection, and daily touchpoints to keep living with that spirit; fully, honestly, and together.

Because at The Sequoias, they aren’t growing older alone. They’re growing older in community.