Ojai is home to a quiet little daily ritual known as “taking in The Pink Moment”. Visitors and locals alike collectively look toward the Topa Topa Mountains as the sun descends, the horizon awash in rose before giving way to nightfall. It is a characteristically “Ojai” idea, gently coaxing the harried hurriers to give her more mindful pace a try. There are hints of New Age ideals everywhere and though sophisticated developments abound these days, the soothing hamlet maintains a constant calm at its core. Far from the “hurry up and RELAX!” undertone found in more manufactured retreats, this is a place that lives its truth: in its meandering paths, in its inviting perches, even in its local tagline: “There’s nothing to do in Ojai, and not enough time to do it.”

The Pink Moment is deceptive in its lingering. While it has all the cleverness of a great slogan, the truth is, you are lured into real stillness — to being ‘one’ with nature — to giving yourself over, if only temporarily, to the awe. In this busy, beautiful life teeming with multitasking methods, singleness of thought seems like the rare commodity.

It was fitting to be walking at sunset the other day, already a week removed from our bliss-bound holiday and barreling headlong into the “one foot in front of the other” frenzy of routine. “Look up!” a voice seemed to say. Stopping to turn toward the hills, I stopped short, speechless, the hills suddenly bathed in a hazy rose light.

The Pink Moment had followed me home.

With love from Shangri-La,
Katie