A Path With Heart

It has been a long while since I've written a post, and I have covered a lot of ground, both mentally and physically. I have now been on this pilgrimage for just over a month! Thanks to some help from new friends and family, I have made it to Santa Cruz in incredible time. I am now resting and spending some time re-visiting my childhood with my bestfriend from elementary school, Tom. So far this has proved to be an incredible journey, the most exciting, challenging, and adventurous time of my life. I have seen almost half of the beautiful California coast and have connected with so many amazing people. I have learned that once you embark on "A Path With Heart", the entire universe conspires around you in support, propelling you forward along the path. The positive energy and intentions which I am putting forth, are coming back to me even stronger in all dimensions. I have received food, rides, money, shelter, warmth, inspiration, support, love, blessings, and much more from the most unexpected people and places. I have found that by doing my best to stay open, to shed attachments, and let the journey unfold organically, everything happens beautifully and perfectly at the exact moment it's supposed to. If you do not resist or oppose the Tao, you can simply ride the wave. I am learning to allow my heart to carry me through this dance of life and am having a ball. I want to share with everyone the hope and inspiration I have been receiving along the way. People are good, when given the opportunity. There is a conscious revolution taking place this very moment. Seeds of change have been planted and beautiful flowers are blooming in the minds of individuals all up and down the coast, and all over the planet. It is an incredible time to be alive! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in my efforts for peace. Know that you are supporting and loving yourself as well.

"The mind creates the abyss,
The heart crosses it."

Thoughts From the Road

My mind is an emtpy vessel, similar to a glass. It can be filled with water, which is pure, or the glass can be filled with alcohol, which paints the illusion of fun and happiness, however, robs me of my will and ambition, leaving me emtpy and dry in the morning. The alcohol in fact dehydrates my body, sending me aching for water, for the purity I needed all along. I have a choice what to put in my body and with what thoughts to fill my mind. Positive vibrations are key. Like water, they are refreshing and cleansing. With the right ingredients and intentions, I will only manifest good. Peace Pilgrim speaks of human potential, of how we have only scratched the surface. Once you begin living a selfless life, for the good of the whole, she says, you tap into an infinte energy source. Call it what you will, God, Buddha, Jesus... I think we are all connected to this source for it is within us, however are not accessing it daily due to the power and influence of our Ego, which creates an elusive barrier, a false self individual indentity separating you from me. Walking with a heavy pack on all day takes a tremendous amount of energy and is quite draining. Throughout the day I must continue to refuel my body and mind with water and positive thoughts, reminding myself why I am walking on this pilgrimage and of all the people supporting me. It is quite remarkable how much energy I can recieve from something as simple as a colorful flower along the roadside, passed and unseen all day by the hustle and bustle of modern life. Or maybe an elegant bird will perch itself on a tree above and chirp me a tune. Or even a simple thought, a memory of my friends in OB. Like Barclay, ripping it on the guitar as we sit around the living room and Jeremy pours us Chinese tea. These simple things provide me with much strength and joy as I walk and give me fuel for the long road ahead. While they can be external things in the environment which trigger this spark, like a flower, a bird, or the powerful ocean waves, this energy is found within in me and can be accessed at any time. It's a beautiful thing. The only thing limiting me from doing or attaining anything, is the same thing which allows me to do it, my mind. As I spend more time away from the city and in tune with nature, I notice a profound shift in my state of mind. For the first time I feel some of the conditioning and mental pollution of society starting to melt away and I'm beginning to uncover my true Buddha-nature (which has been forever flowing like a stream underground).

May all beings be Happy
May all beings be Well
May all beings be filled with Peace
May all beings be filled with Loving-Kindess

Dancing Through the Concrete Jungle

I am now at a library in the quiet beach town of Ventura after quite a ride. I made it through the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, with the help of a few vehicles and friends, and am now in my fourth county thus far. (Tomorrow I will actually be in my fifth as I make way into Santa Barbara!) I made the conscious decision to ride on a few buses to get through parts of LA, for I would have been walking through the industrial LA Harbor and most likely been stuck on the streets at night, as there is no beach camping or hostels near by. I stayed with my friend Ty again and his family in both Huntington and Longbeach, and then said goodbye as he set off for his own journey to farm in Costa Rica. Thank you for your generous hospitality and valuable friendship, bon voyage brother! I then walked and hopped on the Metro to Venice Beach, where I met up with my friend Sean, whom I worked with last summer with Environment California. This turned out to be a full day of walking, waiting, and busing through the craziness of LA. I could not believe how inefficient the public transit system is, in a city with such terrible traffic and pollution. It was quite an interesting ride as I met some strange folks, and journeyed through Compton, Inglewood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and so on. I finally made it to Venice and met up with Sean just in time for the infamous Sunday night drum circle of dancing on the beach and a wild night of fun in Venice.

I set out from Sean's place and headed north through the affluent town of Malibu, on my longest day of walking so far, 23 miles! Spotted some dolphins again in the early morning, mid-asana. The beginning of my walk consisted of dodging the tide along ridiculously luxurious coastal homes, each with their own private beach access. I'd say at least half of the homes today were going through renovations and had Mexicans working out on the deck. I spent all afternoon smiling, saying "hola" and "como estas" as they were all very friendly. About half of the walk today was spent along the shoulder of the Pacific Coast Highway, and half on the sand. I was getting real hungry for lunch and was confronted with eating fish tacos as they were highly recommended at the local seafood joint. The idea sounded delicious, however, once I got up to the restaurant, I could not pull myself to do it. The seas are drastically being over-fished due to human consumption and I decided I wouldn't be supporting it that day. I reached a coastal access staircase along the road where I collapsed to the ground for a rest. I looked down and noticed a professional photo shoot taking place on the beach. Just then, I heard what sounded like the Mexican Ice-Cream Man, as a Taco Truck came and pulled up right beside me, blasting a Spanish tune. It's truly unbelievable how things just pop up at the perfect time when you're on the road. Things have a funny and beautiful way of always working out. I got a delicious veggie burrito and chocolate milk, and the kind women even through in some free chips and guac! I headed back to the staircase to chow down. I looked down and realized there was actually a topless photo shoot taking place. So here I am, chomping down a burrito, reading my Diamond Sutra, while below me is this model, half naked and sprawled out on the sand with some blond surfer model in underwear laying on top of her. It was quite a funny scene, and a delicious burrito. I continued north through ritzy Malibu, with million dollar homes and cars zooming by me. Everybody staring at this wandering dharma bum. After walking along some beautiful shorelines, I reached the magnificent Point Dume. I hiked up the steep wooden steps and sandy trails to the top which offered a spectacular 360 degree view of the area. While taking it all in, I met three businessmen, one of which said he grew up surfing in OB! They wished me well and I hiked down to the other side of the cliff to Zuma Beach, where I rested for a little while. I walked a couple miles and then actually hitch-hiked for the first time. A friendly couple whom I had asked for directions at a gas station, pulled me over just ahead and offered a ride up to the campground. They said they were headed north and I was so exhausted I jumped right in. After much hesitation, I have decided to ride in vehicles sparingly. Like John Francis told me on the phone, it's not as if I'm giving up riding in cars for 22 years. This is my own pilgrimage and I've got to do what feels right for me. So I'm going to attempt to travel leaving as light of an imprint as I can, without killing myself. This may include riding on a bus or hitch-hiking here and there. As a guideline, I will only ride in a vehicle if it is already heading north. That way no real extra gas will be burned by my decision to ride. The bulk of my journey will definitely still be on foot.

Who Ate My Tent?

It is now Friday, May 30th and I have now been on the road for one week! I am currently at a library in Laguna Beach and am now in Orange County. A lot has happened since my last post so I will try and fill you in. My big pack and I seem to attract some attention so I have been meeting some friendly folks. Ray, who wants to hike the AT (do it!), Allen, the surfer with Surfrider Foundation, I met at Swami's who was so stoked about my trek we both let out a cheerful howl as we parted. I met Edna from New Zealand who thinks that the population size is the big problem. I met a wonderful family who I hung out and had lunch with, Jeff, Jamie and their two kids. We shared traveling stories and Jeff told me about his recent eye-opening trip to Uganda, and the atrocities take place over there right now. We played duck-duck-goose. That same night, after a long day's walk, as a I was staggering around the campground, I ran into a family from Idaho who invited me to stay with them for the evening. Their son had left early that day so they had an extra tent and cot already set up, ready to go for me. I felt like I was getting spoiled but I couldn't turn down the offer. They were having BBQ wild Elk for dinner which they had killed in Idaho and brought out to California. I briefly considered trying it, but politely refused. (This was probably the closest I've come to eating meat since I became a vegetarian. But since I didn't need the meat for survival, I chose potato salad).

My first big scare came on Monday as I was heading into Oceanside. I had been walking barefoot along the shores all day when I ran into some serious trouble mid-afternoon. I reached a point where the shoreline and the cliffs were becoming one and I could not see around the bend to know how far it would stretch or what the conditions were like. It was 2:30pm and the high tide was not supposed to peak until 4pm. As I approached, two guys were leaving the area and it looked like there was enough sand for me to walk around, so I went for it. I got around the first bend fine, however, it rapidly got worse. The water was rising and the sand was quickly disappearing. Before I knew it, I was stuck, standing on a slippery mossy rock, bare-footed with my heavy pack. For the first time on the trip, I was truly scared. All the doubts and fears I had about the journey suddenly came crashing down on me with each wave that hit, splashing water and fright, ricocheting off the cliffs and knocking me back. I steadily hopped from rock to rock, timing it in between sets of waves. A few times I slipped sending me and my pack in the water. I finally was able to make it back to the sand. I dragged my defeated body up a long staircase leading me back to the street and civilization. I dried myself off and reassessed the situation, only to find that my tent was gone! I retraced my steps back to the water to no avail. The sea had eaten my tent! I was pretty bummed but luckily found an Adventure 16 store not too far up the road and managed to purchase a new tent just before closing. Thank you Evan! Hopefully this tent will last me a bit longer. I can't take chances like that anymore and am now being extra precocious.

The next big event was walking through Camp Pendleton, San Diego's rugged 130,000 acre Military Base. This proved to be the longest and most strenuous days thus far. When I walked up to the South Main Entrance, where thousands of cars were coming in and out all day, it appeared I may not be able to walk through the designated bike path, recommended in my guidebook. The soldier at the entrance, checking ID, told me I could not go through. He said the trail was for bikers only and since I didn't have a bike, I was out of luck. Just then another Marine came running out of the office and asked what was going on. I explained that I was walking up the coast and how I needed to get through. He seemed impressed. He asked for my ID and ran inside the office. He came back out with another Marine and I told my story once more. Now they were really excited and actually invited me inside for coffee and donuts! They told me I was "like Forrest Gump or something" as I chomped down a big sugary donut. It was fun hanging out with the boys for a few minutes. Someone tried to drive through with a forged ID card and got caught. Suddenly, there was a commotion and one of the younger soldier's got real excited because he found some "action". Their job looked real boring and slow, checking vehicle ID's all day. A few of them said they wished they could walk with me. We said goodbye, unfortunately they wouldn't allow for a picture, and I headed off towards the bike trail. I was officially walking through the Military Industrial Complex. It was eerie, like an artificial town, with a shopping mall, gas stations, grocery store, suburban town-houses, even an elementary school! Much different from the "Marine World" I went to as a kid. The walk itself was brutal; long, hot, and mostly uphill.

Wednesday was a short day in terms of walking, and most of it was spent head-down looking at the sand, jumping and dodging rocks along the shore. The sand was burning hot on my bare feet as I reached the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. I slowly tip-toed my feet along a strip of gravel paved around the edge of the facility. It was a strange feeling, walking around nuclear power. The facility itself oddly resembled a prison, with warning signs all along the towering barbed walls, reading "Do Not Enter, armed response." The eroded bluffs along the San Onofre shore, however, were amazing! My guidebook says that this is how most of the coast would look if not for human development.

As I rise into my morning headstand,
The world turns upside down.
A dolphin shoots out of the ocean sky.

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.