Day 10

May 22 - 53km (Gambo)

I had some difficulty getting out of my sleeping bag, but arose to Jon who was already up and ready for breakfast. I went to a nearby convenience store and was taken aback by the silence on my way there. There were no cars or people on the streets on a weekday morning; this makes sense as I believe a local told me the town comes to life in the evening. The silence coupled with the view was serene.

Jon and I eventually headed to the same diner at which we met the previous day and I got some sweets. After a little bit, I had to head out so we said our goodbyes. I was disappointed, but I knew I would see Jon again!

I biked till Gambo and it was getting dark. I was at some historical park and I was confused if I could camp there - there wasn’t much privacy and I didn’t know if I would get booted from there. While I was internally debating my next steps, a group of friends saw me looking confused and came out of their garage to see what was up.

Alex, whose house everyone was hanging out at, offered to let me camp in his backyard which had a great view. The group helped me set up my tent and then we went to the garage to just talk. I really felt like I was part of the friend group for the night and I remember genuinely laughing a lot.

After, Jayden showed me how to make a fire. He described it as a building process; you start with the kindling and progressively create a structure that doesn’t smother the fire. We sat outside and listened to some Newfie music, and I ate a steak that Alex made for me. We talked for a while longer, and I felt like I made some brothers that night. Jayden, Alex and everyone else: thank you.