Day 15

We woke up and headed next door for breakfast. I actually think the ‘great pizza’ place our well informed friend recommend actually had a better breakfast then dinner. We finished getting ready and headed back to America. 

A few short miles and we were at the International Bridge. This time I looked ahead to make sure bikes were allowed, and luckily we were good. The bridge was a nice climb even though it was looking dated. 

We got on line and made our way to the front of the line, by waiting. Jerry went through first and waited for me after the toll. I approached the customs person and took my sunglasses off and handed her my passport. We had some ‘small talk’ which is really her assessing me. She started to bust my balls about how I just follow Jerry, and he must be the real brains of the operation. Generally my rule is if the cops want to make fun of you, let them. I find that generally this leads to laughter (at your expense) which then leads to you walking away. Then she took all of my citrus away stating that you are not allowed to bring citrus into the US. I wish I knew that before I bought all of that citrus yesterday. 

I don’t know if it was our talk last night about the guy busting my balls about my shape, or it was too early, or the fact that I really can’t afford to have my food taken away from me. I let her laugh at me and I walked (or rode) through to the toll. 

When I got to the toll the toll collector greeted me with ‘took you long enough, you’re making him wait’. He’s immediately busting my balls. The security at the border is one thing, but the guy at the toll both? I can’t believe I have to listen to this. Why do I have to have every single person I meet this week bust my balls? I’m not trying to cry about this right now, but I am struggling here. I’m not physically prepared, financially secure, or mentally stable enough for all of this. I am working hard here. Pushing myself to make this goal of biking to the west coast. Why must make everyone make fun of me?

We stop at a CVS, Rite-aid whatever shortly after the border. I waited outside for a minute trying to calm myself down. I know 99% of this is in my head. What does some guy mean to me? I chose to let the customs lady have her fun. The toll collector clearly thought we were having friendly banter. Why am I annoyed right now? 

We rode through town heading toward 9 mile road. I tried to focus on some kind of Eminem joke, but I could neither make the joke nor improve my mood. Knowing must of this is in my head, I wonder if I’m just feeling the pressure of journey, or the anxiety of not being truly ready for this journey. 

A few quick turns and were on Route 28. On one hand it was very nice, no real turns, no real hills, just peddle peddle peddle. However, like most things in life, this wasn’t really what we wanted either. ‘The grass is always greener’ is a saying for a reason, I guess. We now face 200 + miles of this road. Straight. Yes, if it was something else I’m sure I’d be complaining about that too. In fact, as I type this I can’t help but think that we specifically took this road because it was the “better” one. 

After a long and straight ride of basically nothing we found a shop to have a stop. As we entered I found a sign outside that I found pretty funny so I wondered if this would be our kind of place. When we entered the man behind the counter gave us the look assuring me this was not our kind of place. We got some waters and a juice and headed for the counter. While paying I noticed a sign that said:

Rules for cell phone use:

If you approach while on the phone, you have three options

1) Hang up

2) Ask them to hold on

3) Go some place else

Unless you are 

1) President Donald Trump

2) An on duty police officer 

3) A Green Bay Packers player

No one is that important. If you need to use the phone you can do it after you have paid. 

Now I just can’t help but notice that he listed three groups of people who are ‘important’ enough to be on the phone and then said ‘no one is that important’. Now I’m sure I really sounding like a dick in this blog, but how can you write something like this and hang it for all to see. I understand not appreciating people’s rudeness with their phones. I can understand making rules for your establishment, and posting them. Do you really thing ‘President Donald Trump’ is coming to your shitty general store in the middle of no where Michigan? Or did you just name drop? But I think the part that bothers me the most is the inconsistency of ‘these people can, no one can’. Either way he quickly made it obvious that we paid, therefore we should leave. We obliged. He did offer one insight, that many Canadians come through, so many he questioned if there even was a road over the lake. Hearing most don’t even drive that route led us to believe we have made the correct choice. 

Route 28 really was straight. No big hills, no turns, no real anything, except maybe some wind. So we peddled. Through the shadeless sun and wind till we got to the edge of town. We found the hotel that wasn’t too close to anything, other then the road we had take in the morning. With the way places close I felt like we’re gonna end up with delivery anyway, why not stay as close to the road for tomorrow as possible. 

When I enter the hotel the front desk person is on the phone, clearly making a reservation. I wait. She doesn’t make any motion to say she’ll be right with me, she just makes the reservation. I am a patient person, despite my day. As her call is wrapping up a well dressed man walks in and clearly looks to say ‘well I’m not waiting behind him.’ The front desk person finishes up her call as the the man grow impatient, moving to hopefully sneak in before me. What the fuck is it with today? Finally the woman hangs up the phone and asks if she can help me. The man steps forward as if I can’t possibly take any more of his time. I ask if she has a room vacancy. She says I have no room for sale, unless you have a reservation. I was about to make some joke about I only want to rent it but the guy is no vindicated that Yes, clearly I have no right to be here. I walk outside to find Jerry talking to a couple sitting on the bench. I say they’re full. The couple exclaim, “that can’t be”. By this point Im over it and just want to leave. We ride toward the next hotel. I do notice the parking lot is very empty to be sold out. And just like that I am mad again. Did she really tell me they were sold out just so I wouldn’t stay there? 

The one thing I know for sure, tomorrow will be a better day.

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MikeDiazTheFirst

Mike was born in Queen, New York to a blue collar family. An avid self educator, artist, and traveler he’s traveled around the globe three times while immersing himself in the culture of 48 different countries and counting.  Read about his journeys and musings here.

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