I like to get outside every day. I honestly need it. I crave it. I feel recharged by trees and green, fresh air and quiet, animals and nature. I think I genuinely crave being outside, because the work I do is so taxing; it requires going inward and digging for different personas within, so going outside and letting nature take over feels so good.
Wills Rice Loop TrailOjai CA
For me, it’s mountains over ocean. I’m in awe of the three-dimensionality of mountains. Sometimes they look purple or brown or a deep blue, depending on how the sun hits. I love the feeling of being enclosed by them.
I really enjoy going on day trips. It always feels like I go away for much longer. Ojai’s just an hour and a half from LA, but feels like you really get away. Before hiking, I like to grab a matcha tea with homemade almond milk at Farmer and the Cook along with a gluten free almond butter cookie (they’re so good). This last time, I went with a friend, and we just sat outside and soaked in the sun before heading out for the trail. It was bliss.
The trail we hiked is about 7 minutes from town, which is really nice — it’s called Wills Rice Loop Trail. Matilija Canyon is another really good one. The trail is the perfect amount of time for me, about 4.5 miles. It’s a little challenging to follow, so I like to use All Trails maps (or keep an eye out for the trail signs).
I really love that it feels like you’re in a magical place, especially when you walk through this one pathway where the trees make a windy-road. It’s perfectly shaded and the sun peeks right through the trees. This last time we went, we saw deer and cows on the trail. It was really special - nature was just doing its thing, and we were guests. When we saw the deer, it was very clear that we were in their space. They looked at us as if saying, “You’re welcome to come here, but please just go through and enjoy. Don’t bother us.”
After hiking, we stopped by The Nest in Ojai. They have a kale salad that I literally dream about. It’s savory, but not too salty. And it’s dairy-free. They also have incredible cauliflower tacos with homemade tortillas.
Whenever I head out on a hike, I put on some Elta MD SPF or La Roche Posay SPF (they’re the only ones I use). I grab some sunglasses, Hempz chapstick (they have a fantastic, nourishing shea butter lip balm) and a hair tie (I can’t hike with my hair down).
When I was a kid, my mom and I would drive down to the ocean, and my mom would always tell me to breathe: really long inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth. I remember not understanding it as a kid, but I feel the need to really focus on my breath nowadays. I even like waking up in the morning, before cars hit the road, and go outside and breath in fresh morning air. It feels therapeutic. I also love walking barefoot on the ground - it feels like it truly reboots me.
