Getting back into my own country was a horrible experience. At Sault Ste. Maire, I was selected "randomly" to have my car searched. It had taken almost two hours to cross the bridge. I was very angry. As so often happens, this operation was being managed by a short fat man who loved showing his authority. He told his underling, right in front of me, "He's got something. You find it. Your earn your pay. You will find something. I don't care what.". I was angrier than I had been in a long time. I sat in the chair and glared at him, with rage on my face. When I told him I did not have my wallet on me (it hurts to sit on it for hours), he started getting very accusatory, implying that I was lying about being on vacation. Then he started asking me bizarre things such as what my living arrangements were, and what my parents did for work. I refused to answer and I stated that I did not see how it was relevant, and I demanded to know why I'd been singled out. He informed me that I "fit a profile" because of my age, gender, and even haircut. I was now livid. Eventually his lackey came around and said he couldn't find anything. They reluctantly let me go, and I snatched my keys, and left without a word, slamming the door behind me. When I got back to my car, it was a wreck. My bags had been essentially turned inside out. They had even gone so far as to dump out some of my food, and they just left it. I was thoroughly disgusted with these people, and with the country I lived in.
It was late afternoon when I arrived at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. It was raining and cold, so I chose not to put the tent up. I took the time to clean up my car and salvage what food they hadn't ruined. I fell asleep once it got dark and spent the night trying to keep warm.
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