Ojai is situated in a small east-west valley, inland from Ventura and Santa Barbara, approximately 18 miles from the Pacific Coast. It has been said that "Ojai" is a Chumash Indian word meaning "Valley of the Moon." Alternatively it has been said that Ojai means "nest," which would be appropriate given Ojai's location nestled in a picturesque valley, surrounded by mountains that turn pink at sunset.
One of my favorite places, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, boasts a village center where every home has a name instead of an address. It is delightful to walk in the village and look at all of the unique and clever names of each of the homes. In Ojai, where I live, there are several homes that have been cleverly named by their owners, as well. I decided that I wanted to add to the collection of named homes, from cottages to estates, by naming my own home. Why did I name my home Rokanaeri Nest, you wonder? I decided that it should have an Ojai connection, thus the word "Nest" was selected. To me, "nest" conjures up images of a home that is safe and loving, so I thought that part of the name was perfect. I also wanted to name my home with personal meaning...like my family's name. However, my last name "Schmidt" sounds a bit harsh to me (no offense Rob), so I combined the first letters of all of the first names in my family to come up with "Rokanaeri." It sounds like it could be a Chumash word, further linking the Ojai connection...however, Rokanaeri is a made-up word representing Rob, Katrina, Nate and Eric.
Rokanaeri Nest is corny and cute, but I love it!
Katrina
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