‘This building had a lot of creative feelings, it was just right. It’s the first time in my life everything feels just right, without struggling.’

Thirty-three-year-old Avi Odeni once had a career in the fast-paced world of network news in New York City. But he gave it all up for a much different life in California, where, in a little shop near the beach, he is surrounded by crystals and gemstones, which he says provide protection, joy, happiness, healing and a variety of other benefits. Times staff writer Leslie Wolf interviewed Odeni at the Crystal Gallery in Solana Beach, and Vince Compagnone photographed him.

When I was a child in Israel, I grew up fast because of all the wars and tension. You don’t have time to play.

I spent four years in the Israeli Air Force, and at age 23 I came to the United States and got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications at New York University. I started working for NBC News, doing news-production management. A beautiful title, but what it really meant was going with Tom Brokaw everywhere and setting up his shows. I had started at NBC as an engineer and moved up, not because I’m especially smart but just because I’m very motivated. I’d say those of us who came here to “the land of opportunity” tend to be motivated, to work harder, not to take things for granted.

But then, I started asking myself questions. It started when everything became too neat--I had a great job, a great wife and a great place to live. But I knew something was not right.

So my wife and I decided to quit our jobs and take a year off. During 1984, we just traveled around to the New Age communities--where people have said we need to learn to communicate with each other, communicate with nature and not work like robots.

When I came back, my wife and I decided to write a book to tell people what television is all about, if it’s worth going into this field. It’s all about careers available in TV and how to get there. I was lucky enough to have it published in 1987. For me, it was like closing the circle with NBC.

During all those years, even in Israel as a child, I always went rock hunting. While I was still in New York, I wanted to make a living out of it, so I went to work for a gallery that dealt with gemstones. I loved the line of work.

Then something happened which changed my life. The two most important women in my life left--my mother died and I got divorced a month after that. I decided to just take off and travel because I didn’t want to be with anybody. I eventually came to visit a friend in Solana Beach, and I fell in love with the place.

I came here, to this shop, with my heart more than anything. This building had a lot of creative feelings, it was just right. It’s the first time in my life everything feels just right, without struggling. Every morning I wake up and I can’t believe it. When I worked for the news, everything was hard, meeting deadlines all the time. I don’t find that I struggle anymore.

I’ve had the shop a year and a half now. Some people have offered me money to open a bigger place, but I like to keep it small, keep the integrity, so I can work with people and the beautiful things and not spend my time with paper work.

I travel a lot. I try to find pieces nobody else has. I sell pendants made from ancient Roman glass, which I get in Israel. The colors in the glass are really amazing. The Romans were in Israel 2,000 years ago, and they were the first to invent glass. These pieces came from archeological sites and are made in a kibbutz. I like that because I know the money I pay for the pieces goes to the whole kibbutz and not just a private person.

Lots of pieces I sell are used by interior decorators. They find beauty in natural formations of gemstones and crystals. I also have some Indian pieces, like smudge fans made with crystals and feathers, which Indians use in their healing ceremonies.

I also sell a lot of pieces to people in this area who are into the healing properties of crystal jewelry. Yes, I believe in it, too, but it’s not like I’m following it blindly. You sort of work with the stone, use it as a kind of channel for your energies.

A lot of people are very skeptical. They say, “What, are you telling me, if I buy obsidian it will protect me?” But then they buy the jewelry anyway for its beauty, and they say, “Well, if it protects me as well, OK.”