Postcards | Ojai

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Branden Peak is back with another Postcard From the Road which features his nomadic roving adventures postcard-style. We first met Branden (along with Taryn) inside the pages of Pure Green Magazine Vol. 8, in fact they were our cover story! Since then we've been following along with these postcards, which Branden has kindly been sending, since the nomadic lifestyle is one we can't get enough of. The images take you far away, dreaming of a life untethered; this time, Branden writes from Ojai, a place that has come to have special meaning to Branden. He parks at the Ojai Rancho Inn, and shares a little below about why the small California town has him so captivated. Check out the previous postcards in the series (White Sands Monument, Pagosa Springs, Lake City & Joshua Tree), and follow Branden along daily on instagram at @spacetimetimespace.  Oh, and if you really want to know more about Branden and his Airstream lifestyle, listen to our conversation on Episode 29 of the Pure Green Podcast.

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE OJAI VALLEY THAT GOT UNDER MY SKIN FROM THE MOMENT I FIRST ARRIVED, and the tiny mountain town of only 8K turned out to be more than I ever expected. The Native American people who dwelled on this land knew how special it was and how much it offered their way of life—you can still feel it, from the dedication to agriculture to the potters that have settled here, Ojai has just "got it". The energy here is as strong as I have felt anywhere, it's California's answer to Sedona for me. From the spirituality, the hiking, and the like-minded people, it really has become a place I am willing to "stay a while" (which is saying a lot).

I am lucky enough to have gotten to know great people in Ojai, therefore I truly have an incredible place to park. I constantly have to remind myself that this positive energy that pulled me to the people of this town is real and tangible—I think all of the folks I have met at the Ojai Rancho Inn where I park who feel the same, and I realize that there is just something about this magical spot that makes you feel better than you felt no matter where you came from. I appreciate every second I get to spend here and miss it every moment I'm away. I certainly don't feel this way about many places so I know every time I leave that I will be back.