down n the valley

The east-west valley of Ojai holds one safely protected from the outer metropolis of Southern California. We first lived in the Upper Valley, 1000 ft above Ojai, and the Topa Topas (highest mountains in the region) greeted us every evening with its rock stripes lit by the pink sunset rays. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, upon it's floor was covered with track homes that looked so similar that after returning home from abroad years later I lost my way.  Even though I grew up in Woodland Hills, after living 10 yrs in Ojai, I have adopted it as my hometown.  Growing up in the suburbs of L A contributed to my lack of identity and sense of place but when I lived in small towns in Italy and England I began to experience local community.  However these places were  too foreign to call my own.  Ojai claimed myself and my family and embraced us with its beauty and nuturing.  We have now ventured from "our hometown" but whenever I hear the word "valley" Ojai appears first in my mind.