May 31

I had the perfect opportunity to sleep in, super comfortable bed with the basement to myself, but I got up at 6:15 to go to school with Bryan... It was awesome! He dropped me off in White Plains NY to go shopping, not that anything is open at seven in the morning, but it was a nice gesture. I walked around down town a bit, I don't think some of the people I saw have ever had someone tell them goodmorning, I don't think I would fit into city life..







In Starbucks I was working on catching up on this blog when this gorgeous Latino with strong cheekbones and handsome eyes sat down next to me. Then he started talking to me about the paper and the government, using his hands a lot. I had no idea what he was talking about but man was he pretty. I caught the part where he was from Colombia, got kicked out of the marines because he had to get metal in his face, lives in Yonkers and does mma, and he showed me the shark tatoo on his neck. He basically told me his whole life story and my mind started to wander. He got all quiet like and looked at me square on and was like, you got any greens? I about fell off my chair. Here I am this naive girl from Michigan riding her bike from Maine to Florida, sitting in Starbucks and a Colombian comes to ME for weed.

The mall was just about to open when Bryan picked me up. Back in Carmel, his Spanish speaking full of love grandmother was making us lunch. She told me her heart was open to me and that I should stay, before wrapping me in her arms. I about cried again.







It was so hot out my clothes dried faster on the porch than the drier. We both got ready for our ride, Bryan would be escorting me to Poughkeepsie! We had so much fun, he has such a positive upbeat personality, I wish he could go all the way to Florida, he even cleaned my bike!







We went over a ridge, our side wasn't to bad, I still had to walk the bike up some of it, but the other side! I have never seen anything like it, almost two miles down hill, twisting and turning. It got as steep as a 25% grade. I had to go get new break pads after that one...







We rode past some gorgeous schools, then not so good part Poughkeepsie, then across the Hudson river, AMAZING! We ate subway then we checked the train schedule so he could get back home, he had seven minutes to catch it! I have never seen someone jump up say goodbye and run out the door so fast in my life. I slowly picked up our trash, got back on the bike, and headed to New Paltz.







I sort of found a place to stay, I got a hold of some awesome warm showers people but they were gonna be out of town. The brother having done two epic bike trips knew the pickle I was in and made some phone calls. He came up with his uncles place outside New Paltz, but he and his family wouldn't be there either but he said I was more than welcome to camp in his yard. They were all so nice on the phone, I'm bummed I don't get to meet them. It's pretty rural out here and there are animals everywhere, I'm such a chicken, but it's kinda scary out here alone..

It got dark and everything came out. I could hear who knows what animals all outside my tent. I was to scared to move, I didn't want to risk spooking anything and have it crash into the tent. When I couldn't hold my bladder anymore, I went outside and things screetched, breaking nearby tree branches as they scattered. I didn't leave the tent again.
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