I woke up at five in the morning and took a quick shower and put on deodorant for the last time. I enjoyed one last meal on the train and returned to my roomette to change into my hiking clothes. Everything in my is condensed into two bags. I have a backpack which is all I need and want, and a plastic garbage bag with two days of dirty clothes, my toiletries and any other trash. My backpack is my monkey on my back. The trash bag will be disposed at the first opportunity.

I arrived 30 minutes late to LA Union station to switch trains, but I still had plenty of time. As I tossed my trash in a bin, I came to the realization that at this point I am essentially homeless.

I sat quietly on the train ride to San Diego. Looking out the window brought back memories of when my wife and I lived in Southern California. It has been 21 years since we agreed that I would have a grand adventure, and sure enough that promise had come true.

When I got off the train in San Diego, it wasn’t difficult to figure out where I needed to go. I expected the station to be much bigger, but it was not. I looked around for people with backpacks. Waiting for the van already were Yuriel from Israel and Quinn from Ireland.

We waited for the yellow feather duster, and we weren’t disappointed!

When I arrived at Scout and Frodo’s, it was a mass of people mostly sitting around. Some were eating. Some were going through their packs dumping excess weight.

When we arrived at Scout and Frodo’s I looked for Jason from Utah. He was easy to find. He is as much of an extrovert as I am! I also met Jamie from Wisconsin and her friend Candace.

Jason is as extroverted as I am and will be videoing his hike. He’ll send memory sticks to his wife in Utah and she will turn them into videos on YouTube. I found an available space to put my stuff down. Then we just relaxed and talked until dinner.

I found a spot with someone from Chicago.

For dinner we had a taco salad. They were strict on how it was served. It wasn’t enough for me, so I ate a little bit from my pack. The beef sticks are heavy, so now I no longer have to carry them!

When dinner was over, Scout and Frodo gathered us around and began to teach us all the things they felt we needed to know. For the most part, I already knew what they taught. They really emphasized the proper treatment of water.

What I didn’t know is the proper way of hitchhiking. Of all the stuff I had to do on this hike that I should be scared about, it is hitchhiking that scares me the most. Not that someone is going to harm or steal from me. No, it is the rejection. I’m a middle aged man, and I suspect that it will be difficult for me because the drivers are scared of me!

As we listened, they passed around Scout’s medal for completing the PCT. Will I have one with my name in six months?

It is an early morning, so we all went to bed early. I suspect I will not sleep.