Border Patrol Man (upon coming back into the U.S.) - "What are you doing up here?"
Me - "I quit my job to travel around the country for a few months"
Border Patrol Man - "What are you rreeaallyy doing up here??"
Can a police officer or someone of authority please explain to me why you're such an asshole?? God damn it...
So...before I had to recross back into America I was in Vancouver...my bike ride around the city ranks as one of the best days on my trip thus far. The city is beautiful and what was supposed to be a rainy miserable day turned out to be blue skied and sunny. That same Friday evening, Celeste, my couch surfing host, took me to the top of a local ski mountain (Mount Seymour) and then out to some of her favorite pubs downtown. Late night we went to a wine bar/art studio and made a hideous piece of art work late into the night. The next day I left Celeste but decided to explore around Vancouver one last day. I happened upon a group of demonstrators holding large flags. The flags either featured the Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf in place of the maple leaf or said "Free Marc" featuring a man smoking. I'd be a damn fool to pass up this opportunity. I grabbed a flag, listened to some speeches, and then marched several blocks chanting "Free Marc." I didn't even know who Marc was. I learned he is a Cannabis advocate and known world wide for is opposition toward marijuana laws. He sold cannabis seeds over the internet and the United States DEA finally convinced Canada to help have him departed to the U.S. for charges. He is now in a Seattle prison and on September 18th there were rallies in over 80 countries around the world for his freedom and release back to Canada. I felt a bit funny and uneasy about being part of the whole thing. I'm a product of a society brought to believe marijuana is an evil, harmful, illegal gateway drug. But this trip is about truth. TRUTH. Much of what we're told as children, much of everything...from Columbus to Marijunana is bullshit. Us prideful Americans have a hard time admitting when we're wrong. Not that the U.S. should release this man - for yes he did commit a crime - but perhaps it would be wise to adopt a law which actually reflects the perceptions of the people then the absurd hope that a law will create a perfect utopian society of lawful citizens. Is marijuana so bad? Should I even be talking about this? In 1727 Benjamin Franklin created the Junto Club - A club with the intention of members improving themselves and others. In order to be accepted you needed to repeat and answer yes to the following: "Do you love truth for truth's sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it for yourself, and communicate it to others." Yes Franklin, I will try...but often truth is so hard to come by and so hard to communicate.
I didn't know where I was going from Vancouver, but I found my way to the port and within a half an hour I was on the ferry. I'd say about 50% of the time I don't really know where I'm going to be sleeping when I wake up in the morning, but I always mange to find a place. Using my phone I looked up Hostels in the area and decided I'd be heading to Courtenay, British Columbia. I biked around Denman Island - it was deserted around this time of year and rained - but I found I love biking and need to do it more often. I was anxious to move on from BC so after four nights in Canada I left to be back with my brethren in the USA. I spent two glorious nights sleeping on the beach in Olympic National Park and saw an amazing Pacific sunset. I missed the ocean. I believe these last two months are the longest of my entire life that I have not at least gazed at the Atlantic or Pacific. I'll be getting a good look at the Pacific for the next three weeks or so before I head back east from Southern Cali for the desert portion of my road trip. I'm reading some Mark Twain at the moment. This is guy is so fucking hilarious I love it. He may be the man I'd most want to meet. Yes I know he is dead but its one of those hypothetical questions anyways. Well..I've had a splitting headache the last two days - don't know what's up with that....no worries though..making moves to Mt. Rainier...
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