Day 14: (100 km)
(08/12/06)

After finishing off the leftover pizza we bid Yuske goodbye and headed south towards Akita-ken. Good riding in the morning, with the most beautiful forest road of the trip--a secluded, unmarked one lane road with verdant foliage and trees on both sides. Occasionally the trees parted to reveal a pine-valley vista. The air smelled sweet, like clover only stronger.

At lunch, I talked to Emily for the first time since she left. Just hearing her voice made me a bit giddy. She seemed apprehensive about Hamline, especially after meeting some flakey classmates when she went to buy books. I hope that it works out for her, but if not, I certainly hope she doesn't stay just to stick it out. We also talked about getting an apartment together. I'm quite excited by the idea of apartment hunting together. Maybe I am becoming a little less uncomfortable with the idea of being a tiny bit domestic. Just a tiny bit though, no yuppie dream for me.

That night, we stopped at a rest stop that let us sleep inside to avoid the rain. Amy, Adam, Mary, and Emily opted for a Tanuki funhouse tunnel though and I just pitched a tent after trying to sleep on a veggie shelf that I kept rolling off of.