Today I rode from Jōetsu through Kashiwazaki to Nagaoka. It was mountain roads and stifling heat again. It was fun. I was mentally strong today. There was no way I was giving up before I'd made it to the top of each hill. Once again, onigiri 🍙 and frozen lemon 🍋 saved me.

I was a bit surprised when I arrived in Nagaoka. I'd been climbing nothing but mountains all day, pedalling hard on deserted roads. I crossed a pass, and before I knew it a big city came into view. I didn't expect there to be such a big city in the middle of the mountains. It looked spread out, but the buildings aren't tall at all, so the cityscape looks flat. As usual I looked up sightseeing spots and local food, but honestly nothing in particular caught my interest. I rode around a bit, but it was nothing but retail shops.

It's a bit embarrassing, but lately I've been going to nothing but chains. Starbucks, McDonald's, and so on. Everyone is probably thinking, "you went all the way to Japan, so why do you keep going to chains?! Are you stupid?" I know it's embarrassing, but I have rational reasons.

First: sockets. I'm camping, but I need to charge my phone and lights. I use Google Maps a lot every day, so without charge I'd get lost straight away. Second: I do have roaming, but being able to use free Wi-Fi is handy, and I can phone my parents too. Third: I can stay in the shop for a long time without being thought rude. If I have lots of things to get done, I can do them without getting funny looks. Fourth: obviously, because it's cheap. Today at Matsunoya I had a katsudon set meal with a large rice for just 520 yen!

That's probably enough explanation. When I have the leeway I do eat the local specialities, of course, but lately I've had to think wisely. Now that I've explained myself enough, maybe I can say this without guilt: yesterday, while it was pouring with rain, I went to McDonald's and had the extra-large tabekurabe meal and a Chicken Cheese burger! I'm not embarrassed.

Recently I've noticed something unique to Japan: the views from inside its cities. Being able to see mountains rich with nature even from the middle of a city is a first for me, and I really do like it. No wonder everyone seems happy.

The road you take really matters, and the sights you see and the things you get to experience change hugely depending on the road. I'll never go back to the towns and cities I've passed through lately, so I want to make the right choice. But is there really such a thing as the right choice? Life is the same as this journey: you can never return to a particular period. So it's better to trust your own judgement and choose a road. Just like in life, you can only choose one. Just because people don't often take it doesn't mean it's a bad road. Trust your gut and choose. If you keep getting anxious and hesitating, you'll waste time. There's no room to hesitate. Choose your road and go forward with confidence! You idiot! (By the way, I get the feeling that how you push on down the road you've chosen matters more than how you choose it.)

Even so, how you choose also has a big influence on your life, and there's a theory that a person is the accumulation of their past choices. It's as good as saying that your present choices create your future self.

I'm always getting anxious. Even choosing a drink in a convenience store makes me anxious. If a choice that simple takes 30 minutes, how am I supposed to live the right way?!

Each and every moment is so special that it can't be properly recorded, and I may not be able to remember them all, but I feel like I'm growing as a person. Even if they don't remain as memories, I think they'll definitely remain as part of my character.