‘I just wanted to be free’: New York man walks 2,500 miles to San Francisco

After nearly five months and 2,500 miles on foot, a New York man whose cross-country journey has drawn thousands of followers finally arrived in San Francisco. But just hours before reaching his destination Monday, Chantz Rivera encountered one final obstacle: a flooded bike path in Sausalito.

Read more Napa town famous for wine and restaurants takes drastic action to fix dirty tap water

“The water is literally rising, and it’s like getting more water on the path,” Rivera, 29, told SFGATE by phone.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Rivera set out from New York City on May 31, having rarely traveled beyond the East Coast, including trips to Florida and Washington, D.C. He hoped to escape the monotony of his everyday life. 

“I just wanted to be free,” Rivera recalled. “I felt like I was stuck for real.”

Before embarking on the journey, Rivera worked various jobs through shift-booking apps, including warehouse gigs, and about two years washing dishes at one establishment. Dissatisfied with his routine and eager to do something different, he initially sought change by trying to enlist in the Army. When that didn’t work out, he turned his attention to another ambitious undertaking: crossing the country on foot.

For Rivera, the prospect of walking thousands of miles seemed achievable, even if the day-to-day realities remained uncertain.

“In my head, I could see the vision,” he said. 

While most would choose sunny Los Angeles as their cross-country trek’s final destination, he ultimately settled on the city’s northern and notoriously foggier counterpart, San Francisco, because “it felt a little different.”

Getting there meant navigating thousands of miles of unfamiliar terrain.

Averaging about 15 to 30 miles a day, Rivera has made his way through unfamiliar cities, crossed difficult terrain and slept in a tent along the roadside when he couldn’t find other accommodations. The journey introduced him to “unforgettable” landscapes he’d previously only seen on screens, from beautiful rainbows in Pennsylvania and Nevada to seemingly endless mountains in Colorado. 

“Seeing all that in person, it was like wow, it was pretty amazing,” he said. “It really felt like a movie.”

The trip also exposed him to a challenge rarely encountered in his walkable New York neighborhood: roads without sidewalks.

“You’re really in the middle of the road a lot of times,” Rivera said, describing narrow shoulders that forced him to walk dangerously close to passing vehicles.

As Rivera pushed his belongings in a small black shopping cart across highways and mountain passes, documenting his journey to over 18,000 followers on social media, strangers began following his progress and offering everything from money and groceries to a place for him to sleep at night.

Read more Microsoft announces unprecedented voluntary buyout program

In Indianapolis, a man named Donald spent the day showing Rivera around the city, buying him groceries, arranging a haircut and trying to repair his cart. Meanwhile, in Sacramento, a woman named Nikki gifted him a cake. 

But not every encounter was as welcoming. 

In Cambridge, Ohio, a stranger offered to pay for a motel room before attempting to stay with him, Rivera recalled. And in California, he said police officers repeatedly stopped him to question where he had obtained the shopping cart carrying his belongings.

Despite getting slightly hassled by local law enforcement, Rivera found that California brought another change of scenery. After crossing mountainous terrain, Rivera began encountering hillside neighborhoods, waterways and bridges as he approached San Francisco, a contrast to much of the country he’d traversed.

Rivera admitted he hadn’t given much thought to what he’d do in the city beyond exploring Golden Gate Park, visiting Ocean Beach and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge before finding somewhere to rest.

“I don’t really know too much,” he said over the phone of San Francisco on the day he arrived in the city. “I’m an explorer though. I’ll be a tourist.”

Rivera was equally uncertain about what to do with the money donated by followers throughout his journey. He said he felt “weird” about keeping it and was considering giving some away, potentially by organizing a free food event. He has also contemplated purchasing livestreaming equipment.

“I’m thinking about giving it away for real,” he said.

Four hours away from San Francisco, Rivera had already begun contemplating his next adventure: possibly a trek through Europe. But first, he had to finish this one. 

By the time his conversation with SFGATE ended, the innocuous puddles of water on the bike path he’d been trekking down had become filled with water, submerging his feet. 

“I don’t really trip about nothing,” he said, unfazed. “It’s like living in the moment because you don’t know what obstacles will be in the way. You’ve got to go hard at what you do. Like [the water’s] getting higher, but I’ve got to go.”