Something I love about moving to a new town is getting to discover all of the hidden treasures here. I have never been much of a shopper ~ haven’t been in a mall since something like 2005 ~ but this is not your usual town. There are no chain stores or restaurants within the city limits. I mean, none. And not many at all until you get to Ventura.

What is here is an eclectic and unique mix of art galleries, a couple of natural food stores, a fair share of metaphysical shops (I just discovered my new favorite, Soul Centered), a number of fantastic restaurants and a farmer’s market every Sunday morning. I am in sheer orgasmic bliss over the number of fantastic restaurants, the yoga classes, the spiritual centers, the spas. I cook daily with my sea salts and olive oil and shower with, well, sea salts and olive oil. You can’t get too much of a good thing.

But what really has my heart are the thrift stores, coffee houses and Bart’s Books, the world’s greatest outdoor bookstore. It’s almost like someone designed a town just for me, where I can spend the next few months of my life taste-testing coffee and homemade desserts, searching for new old junk, and cozying up in a bookstore that is as welcoming as your old worn bathrobe and slippers after a long day.

All this without the hassle of traffic and the claustrophobia of a mall. I may just stay awhile.