Welcome to Ventura (and Ojai!)

Sunset at the beach our first night in Ventura

Everyone knows that I love the beach and am the flipflop girl in the family.  Ventura is a little slice of beach heaven I have dreamed about living in.  Our house is a little over one mile from the beach, perfect for running in the morning or walking to enjoy the beach for the day!  There are sidewalks everywhere in this town, making it easy to get around without a car and not have to worry about parking.  St. Bonaventure's High School, the volunteer site my community member is at, has been very welcoming to us and we went to see their football team play Friday night.

Ojai is the town my volunteer site is in.  25 minutes away and we are driving through the mountains.  It's beautiful and there is so much exploring to be done.  We have already logged one hike in Ojai and I can't wait to go again!  The people at Villanova Prep, my other community member's volunteer site, were very welcoming and friendly.  We will meet with Br. Mike and Fr. Alvin once a week at Villanova Prep to stay connected with the Augustinians while we are here.

View on our hike in Ojai

On Friday I started at Help of Ojai, my volunteer site.  My favorite first day moment was the pirate themed note left by the former volunteer.  The note was accompanied by some mighty large shoes to fill.  Everyone in the office took time to explain to me what was going on and what projects I would be working on.  I met my first clients, including one who will be on my caseload.  I am really lucky that once again I work in a place that has welcomed me and have said they will do their best to help me grow in anyway I can.  I can't wait to dive in next week and get started!