A few weeks ago I started working on-site at Fireman's Fund Insurance, a client of Accenture's.. The Fireman's Fund headquarters are located in Novato, which is in north bay. Up until then, I was taking my bike route to Accenture's downtown office, but Novato being significantly farther away, I had to reconfigure my commute routine.

I started out just driving, which worked out OK, but I was missing the regular time on the bike. So, although it takes more time, I devised a bike-and-bus routine, in which I ride up to the Golden Gate Bridge, and there hop on a bus that takes me to Novato. The distance from my apartment to the bridge is about a mile less than it was to the downtown office, but it is much more difficult.

The final mile of the trip involves gaining over 215 feet in altitude, pedaling up the west shoreline road of the Presidio. The view, however is much more appealing than anything the downtown route has to offer. The pacific ocean comes into unobstructed view at the most difficult point of the climb, providing some form of reward for the effort needed to get there. I caught this snapshot of the moon setting on the ocean at that spot:

Once I get to the bus stop, I get two noteworthy views, one, of course of the national landmark that is the Golden Gate Bridge, and the world most secure former prison, Alcatraz:

Scenery aside, It's nice to be working on site with a client company, and the work brings with it its own set of challenges and opportunities. Needless to say, this should prove to be an important and formative time to my career.