Dec. 22, 2012 – Tracy, Calif. to San Francisco

The rain pelted against the tent, making sure I wouldn’t be sleeping in. After spending weeks passing through the arid desert, it was a weird sensation.

It also meant a nasty morning. I headed to the nearby gas station and asked the attendant whether anyone ever stopped here. She said she thought so, and told me I was welcome to stand near the store rather than out in the rain.

I had found a ride within an hour with Raul, who was heading 20 miles down the road. Good enough for me.

Unfortunately, Raul dropped me at an awful spot on the wrong side of town, meaning I had to walk a couple miles in the rain to a better interstate exit.

I was grumpy. I had spent three straight nights in my tent, I hadn’t showered since Vegas, and couldn’t remember my last hearty meal. I took an extended break inside McDonald’s, surfing the internet and loading up on fast food.

Refreshed, I headed back out there intent on powering through the last 60 miles to San Francisco. I was so close to the Pacific Ocean, unwilling to believe it was almost Mission Accomplished.

I quickly found a ride with Stu, who was pretty much heading to the outskirts of Oakland, where he turned south to San Jose. As I jumped out, he suggested I take the Bay Area Transit into San Francisco, insisting it would be unlikely for me to catch a ride into such a busy area.

I pondered his advice. He was right – after all, I had routinely been using public transit to navigate through cities. This wasn’t cheating.

I made for the nearby BART station, ready to fall asleep on the spot but also thrilled for my first glimpse of the west coast.

It popped me out right on Market and Fifth, right in the heart of downtown. As I made for the nearest hostel, I received text-message confirmation of my victory – the German girls were still en route.

Time for a shower.