Before this summer, Chantz Rivera, 29, had left his hometown in New York City twice in his life.
On May 31, Rivera headed out of the Bronx on foot, starting a long-planned walk across the country. On Monday, nearly five months later, he touched Bay Area waters for the first time.
"I rolled my pants up," said Rivera in a phone interview from a bike path in Mill Valley on Monday. "The water's kinda clear, lowkey."
Thanks to recent El Niño storms, the path had flooded, with water from the Bay almost reaching Highway 101. Rivera had to push his cart of belongings through a few inches of seawater.
"I feel great," he said, surprising himself. He arrived in the Bay Area almost two months ahead of schedule.
Since setting out, Rivera has camped beside highways, gazed up at the Rocky Mountains, watched bighorn sheep graze, eaten home-cooked meals in Kansas and gotten a handful of free motel stays along the way from generous strangers.
"I want to do it just to be free, not to be stuck," said Rivera. "To experience life more, adventure more, you got to break out of your comfort zone."
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Rivera grew up in Gun Hill Houses, a public housing project in the Bronx. Up to now, he had only ever traveled to Washington, D.C., and Florida for brief trips.
Before his trek across America, Rivera was working warehouse jobs around New York City and long stints as a dishwasher. One of his fears, he said, was being trapped in routine. So, he decided to take a walk.
Rivera stuck mostly to U.S. Routes 40 and 50 through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and now California.
To keep him going, he said, he listened to music. Three rappers specifically have been on rotation: Lil Durk, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Future.
Rivera started his trip with just $250, he said. Along the way, people have asked how they could support him, so he went ahead and put together A GoFundMe campaign in August. As of Monday, Rivera raised over $13,000.
In his journey, Rivera said he was surprised to learn that so many strangers were moved by something that started out as a personal goal.
"I was really doing it for me to not be stuck," said Rivera. "I get a great feeling that it's inspiring people. I'm grateful."
For the next week, Rivera said he plans to just relax and explore San Francisco before heading to do the same in Los Angeles. He hopes to be back in the Bronx by Thanksgiving -- this time traveling by airplane.