The Journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.

Yesterday was the first day of my epic adventure and it was quite an interesting one. My Pops had flown down from Oakland to San Diego the night before, so that he could walk with me the first day, and send me off right. Friday morning came quick. I finished boxing up my room and loaded up my new home, to be worn on my back for the next 2-3 months. I said goodbye to my roommates, and made it to the People's Co-Op for breakfast, my last meal in Ocean Beach. Jeremy served me up potatoes, fruit salad, brown rice, and cuban black beans. Delicious. I said a final goodbye to my friends and community I had established in OB, took a few photos, and hit the road. It was very special to have Pops accompany me for Day 1. We made excellent time as we left OB, passing through Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. Then, my first real challenge hit, hard. I know walking in California, I will be facing some of nature's harsher elements. The sun and it's heat will be a difficult obstacle. However, I wasn't expecting to deal with rain until I got closer to Northern California. But, that's just what I got, wet. Luckily I had a plastic poncho with me that I purchased at REI, which I wore over myself and my pack, saving us both from getting drenched. Pops, however, did not. We ducked inside a coffee shop in PB for an hour to let it pass through. The thought to check the weather didn't even cross my mind. It hadn't rained in San Diego in months and we just had a huge heat wave! And so it goes. While in the coffee house we learned from the television that there was a tornado that hit Sierra Madre, California, flooding the town! Rainstorms in San Diego at the end of May? Tornados in Southern California? Climate Change??? We found a dry cleaners and got Pops decked out in plastic.

Here comes the sun! When we got to La, Jolla the sky opened up and blue patches began to break on through. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as we entered the most beautiful part of our days walk. We stopped for lunch above the Cove and watched the Sea Lions. We walked along Coast Walk, which is the first of the actual California Coastal Trail ground I stepped on. It's an amazing little walk above La Jolla's caves, offering spectacular views of the area. We reached the La Jolla shores where we were to actually walk on the sand for the first time. The plan was to walk along the cliffs until I reached Torrey Pines State Park, where I would set up camp for the night. This, however, was not an option. The tide was much too high, and there's no way I could make it. The nearest campground was San Elijo, which was another 10 miles north! It was already 6pm and would start to get dark in a few hours. I was starting to get worried and had to think quick. Ty! My new friend who lives on UCSD campus! I had just met Ty a few weeks prior in a pretty cool way. He actually bought a tent from me off Craigslist. He came over to my house in OB to pick up the tent and we clicked instantly. He was gonna use the tent for his upcoming adventure in Costa Rica, and I told him all about my pilgrimage. We were both very impressed with Craig and his brilliant List. So I called up Ty and right away he told me to come over for the night. While walking to his pad, something extraordinary happened. A magnificent rainbow lit up the sky, actually leading the way to Ty's! My roommate Al came to pick up Pops, and we all said our goodbyes. I will now be walking solo. Crashing at Ty' house was a huge relief and I am now having a wonderful time with him and his friends. I decided to hang out here for the day, let the storm pass, and finish up a few things online (Hence this blog and post!) I will set out again early tomorrow morning. More to come! Many blessings.