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40~Sinking Fast

5 min readJul 23, 2026

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Just as we were getting comfy, it began to rain.
Then it began to pour.
We were dry, as this spot was under the bridge, and the Ivy vines blocked the wind from blowing rain in.
It was such a cool spot I made a video of myself there, during which I said,
‘This spot is perfect! So long as it doesn’t flood…’

It indeed flooded.
I meant to stay awake and observe if the water level was rising, actually,
but passed out by accident, so then woke in a panic not long later as the water level had risen and was now about to overtake the plastic rim and get everything soaked; washed away if we didn’t move quickly.
‘Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu’

I thought about how “flash flooding” is a thing and how foolish it was to camp there, albeit how cool a spot it is. The pouring had not abated and the water level was noticeably rising then by the minute. I ushered Ryger onward without bothering to tether him, and got all my things up and out just before the river soaked everything. Luckily, the pouring then slowed, so after adjusting the bags and tethering Ryger, we walked across the bridge and navigated around the buildings to the other much higher and drier spot. Obviously, this was not a fun way to wake up, and disruptive to our sleep
but as I fell back asleep under the other side of the bridge, I laughed about how funny it was that that all happened, and didn’t regret setting my camp there to begin with.
It was a super cool spot, after all.

♪Suaimhneas na stoirme♪

The next day was Sunday, so a Fasting day.
I had failed 5 Fasts recently, due to stress and situation. I keep track of that and make sure to make up for them, so I really didn’t want to owe a whole week, at 6+Sunday.
Luckily, Nay was easy.
’Twas a leisurely mourning under the bridge, the sound of the flowing water lulling us back to sleep again and again. Food usually gets me going, so when I don’t have access to it, I don’t get going; at least not out of bed in any semblance of haste.
I noticed we had neighbors in the park. Upriver aways, a large tent+tarp site was set up. I had an untouched loaf of Rescued Bread, and the 5€ cake I bought to sit at that cafe, which I hadn’t opened, plus those Potato Chips I’d found. I walked over there and it turned out to be the people with the same dog that jumped Ryger last night.
‘Drame le chien’

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I said, as I handed them the food. A Peace offering, I guess.
We finally had everything packed up at 1pm, and headed over to the really great library in town.
On the way I looked under the bridge and saw that the river had risen so much that the little mud spot was entirely submerged. Glad we weren’t swept away, haha…

Press enter or click to view image in full size
The night prior there was a spot of ground in the corner there…

I had meant to leave town that day, but the library was so nice, we just charged devices and did internet-writing stuff all day. I sat outside with Ryger on top of my backpack, most of the time, writing on my laptop. Lots of townsfolk walked by; some event at the library going on. At one point, two police walked up to us. Clearly someone had called. This is incredibly bothersome to me. I’m just sitting there writing on a laptop with a smile on my face and a ‘Bonjour!’ on my lips, with an adorable dog and an adventure-worn backpack. It is such a terrible way, classist and xenophobic, to call police on someone because they look “poor” to you, or an outsider. So yes I was very offended, but it just takes one uppity classist who’d rather sick the dogs on a man than go and say “Hi” themselves, so may it not reflect poorly on the town of Nay. This is why I’m trying to get on El Camino asap. Backpackers are expected along the route, so no one is going to call the cops–they’d be informed of the trail by the responder. We’re relatively close to the start point, though, so I was a bit surprised. The police looked at my passport, I explained we’d be leaving town shortly on our way to El Camino de Santiago, and that was that.

I then continued writing.
The plan was to show our 富士山 climb on the bookface, which I already included videos of, and then leave my personal story at that. My fb will only then be used for political discourse and such, and my personal story will move to where you now read it, the site “Medium” (so far I like it but I had less problems with blogspot–I also tried “Minds” which was alright but not conducive for book) It’ll be cool to cut it down a bit and publish a paper copy one day, too, but who knows about that. Is this story worthy of print? What do you think?

The only reason I think anyone might be interested enough to read my story is because I don’t see anyone else doing what I’m doing. This lifestyle works pretty well, aside from the I-can’t-get-a-date-to-save-my-sanity thing–and I’ve seen plenty of Beautiful Couples on the street–so I don’t know why. Social stigma, I guess; want for class. Addiction to comforts, desire for wealth. Fear of the unknown; people. Sees me as le bum…
Lots of things.

But I’m successfully moving and writing; that itself is Triumphant.
I feel pretty good about both my story and political writings, and can say what I want beyond their reach (for now) and also am taking good care of my dog along our Merry Adventure. I’m also incredibly Healthy. I’m the healthiest person I personally know, in fact. Most people can’t even think about climbing a Mountain without eating. I actually literally do that. And through this Merry Adventure, by my own technique and The Lord’s Blessings, I get enough food to feed others along the way, so this would definitely work with a partner and even a family.
Women don’t want to be Free, though, apparently. They want “security.” Well look what happened to their “security” now? USAmerican society that nearly everyone has lectured me for years that I should have been investing into has turned in on itself. The government’s been taken over and people are too busy
In case you hadn’t noticed, the ice-tapo can break into anyone’s house and murder anyone they please. That is where we are right now. That is not a functioning democracy.

So I flew away.
Who’s more “secure” now, hm?
I invested in myself and I know how to Live like this and live well. This isn’t what society tells them they should want, however. The nomadic lifestyle is put down, despite its many benefits and advantages.
Thus, I can’t get a date.
*sigh*

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To Reflect Upon The Earth
To Reflect Upon The Earth

Written by To Reflect Upon The Earth

~by Justin Patrick Heriot and Ryger Su-na'k Heriot ----- One man and dog’s Journey of finding Justice, Equality, and World Peace (Aught be read chronologically)