The Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
By Jen Lewis
A Whole Lotta Days at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
On September 7, 2016 at 7:30pm, I sent an email to the team at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, asking if they needed any volunteers on the weekends. Just an hour before, I had officially made the decision to move down to Mendocino County to work with Thanksgiving Coffee as their new Digital Marketing Coordinator. I didn't know anyone other than the four people I'd met with at the roastery, and I knew I'd need a way to fill some time and get involved in the community.
Plus, I loved (and still currently love) lighthouses.
I got to see it for the first time on September 21, when I was on a trip scouting for a place to live on the Mendocino Coast. I came back the next day on September 22 to meet Kath and Steve at the gift shop. There was a sunset like fire that night, and it was overwhelming.
In the next couple months as I volunteered on Saturday afternoons, I got to know a lot of the other docents, and was blown away by their dedication to Point Cabrillo. There truly is something magical about this little light on the edge of California, and I was (and am) so incredibly proud to be a part of it.
Whenever I meet someone who appreciates the magic and the joy of this place as much as I do, it gives me goosebumps. The lens, the stories, the ocean, the trails, the buildings - this place reeled me in in a way that had never happened to me before.
Point Cabrillo quickly became my second home, and the folks there became family.
Last Monday, June 25th, I accepted an offer from the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association to come on board as their Retail and Outreach Manager. I'll be coordinating the schedule of volunteers, keeping track of inventory and gift shop management, as well as handling all the digital marketing for what is quite clearly my favorite spot on the planet.
I am beyond honored and SO excited to have the opportunity to join the Point Cabrillo team, and be a part of spreading its history with the visitors of the Mendocino Coastline. I can't think of a better place to spend this next period of my life.
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And Now For Something Ridiculous
So I've been volunteering at this lighthouse for almost two years, and just about every time I've been down there, I've taken a selfie with the lighthouse.
I have... a few. Here's just a couple:
PS - have you ever watched the way your eyebrows change over the course of two years? It's weird.