I wanted to say goodbye to Mark and his family. So I sheepishly knocked on their RV door. Mark was still asleep, but his daughter assured me that he would want to say goodbye. They all came out and wished me well.
I then had to figure out how I was going to get back to Julian. I really needed to get to an outfitter in order to get some sun gloves. I burned my hands very badly the very first day and I wanted some way to protect them. Mark wasn’t able to take me into town so I needed to hitch. This time was not nearly as easy as the first two times I hitched a ride. The road had narrow edges and it was curvy. It was too difficult for drivers to pull over and pick up a hitchhiker. So I walked down a couple miles until there was a really wide, broad area, and almost immediately I got a ride. I was so thankful I wasn’t even the least bit nervous when I noticed a 40 of Bud Light in his hand. He and his wife were really cool and kind – hippie like. They dropped me off at the general store. I got a small resupply and then tried to find the outfitter. I had seen signs for them coming off the trail. I finally found them, but they had been closed for over a week because prime hiker season was over. Waaaaaaa. I guess I would just have to wait for my sun gloves.
I didn’t know what to do next, but I did need to charge some of my electronics that didn’t get charged at Mark’s so I went to Mom’s Bakery and sat at a booth where I knew there was a plug. Later, a huge family from India came in (who had been living in San Diego for over 20 years). They noticed that I was sitting alone and so they asked if some of them could share my booth. Of course, I agreed happily. They were so joyful and kind. The father was very curious about what I was doing, and he was just amazed that I was going to hike all the way to Canada. He enjoyed talking to me. The uncle as well and his wife. They wanted to have a picture with me and so of course the Aunt did too. His son, even brought me a piece of apple pie! 
Such kindness and love from many different people on a day I was feeling very depressed and seriously questioning my future on the trail.
It was time to get back. I just couldn’t go back out in that sun. I got a hitch back to the highway overpass that PCT hikers sit under to wait out the heat of the day. A trail angel supplies water – something very needed in that dry stretch. I topped up my water and waited. And waited. I talked to some hikers that came through.
While I was waiting a TRUE birder came by. Her and her birder boyfriend were looking for a bird that rarely nests in that part of the country – a Brown Crested Flycatcher. I honestly had never seen anything like her. She was so impressive. Asked if I could take a picture of her. 
By around 6:30 I decided that it was time to go. I was going to walk into the night. Almost an hour into my hike. I knew that I wanted to talk to my sister Roberta so I called her. She would understand – plus she would be awake as she lives on the West Coast. She made me realize that if I quit, I wouldn’t be letting down my friends or my family, but that I would be letting down myself and that is the only question that I need to answer. Would I be letting myself down? For me, there was no doubt. I would definitely be letting myself down. I had a new perspective and a new drive and a new energy. I hiked into the night, into the darkness with a new light in my heart. At night. I was able to see any different and weird animals that you can’t see during the day. I saw a mouse with a really long, thin tail with a bushy pom-pom on the end.
When it was getting close to 11 PM, I was ready to shut it down for the night when I realized that I had lost my sun umbrella. Horrors. I must’ve left it at a tent site that I was scoping out earlier. All of a sudden I see Iris. She was one of the hikers I was waiting with under the overpass. She did confirm that my umbrella was back at that previous tent site. I was so happy to know for sure where it was that I didn’t care that she didn’t bring it with her. Also, the fact that I had to go back almost a mile, didn’t hurt as bad either. The site wasn’t appropriate for my tent and it was too late anyway so I just pulled out my sleeping bag and covered it up I lay there under the stars, and I start to laugh at myself. It was beautiful, but I wasn’t lonely, even though I was very alone. I had a new hope and I was ready for the next day. 
