The Iron Horse Traveler, Healed by Green

3,173 miles from Las Vegas. Up until now, I’ve been riding through deserts, wastelands, and straight roads that looked like they stretched all the way to the end of the earth.

My partner may look slim, but he has an unbelievably strong heart. He rides through the scorching desert and barren land with a calm, cool face. A truly reliable partner.

Nevada → Arizona → New Mexico → Texas → and finally, Arkansas… Here, there is so much green. For the first time in a long while, I see forests thick with trees. Looking at them, I really understand what people mean when they say green is gentle on the eyes.

There are big lakes and streams too. Compared to other places, the whole town feels much more peaceful. My partner, born in the sleepless desert city of Las Vegas, is probably seeing scenery like this for the first time.

“Hey buddy, you’ve never seen a forest like this, right? Feels different from Vegas, doesn’t it?”

Come to think of it, I haven’t really done anything that counts as sightseeing. Maybe I’ll stroll around town today.

I left my luggage at the motel and rode toward the town center. There were lots of souvenir shops— a really charming townscape. Wonderful! Every shop looked great, and I felt the urge to go into all of them.

I’m the kind of person who’s basically made of curiosity. I love visiting unknown places, hearing foreign languages, and interacting with people from different cultures. I also love supermarkets and drugstores— I always go in when I find one.

Earlier, I went into a stationery shop. The shopkeeper was a cute girl. I couldn’t help staring for a moment, haha.

Meanwhile, I looked like this: a two‑tone sunburned face, engineer boots, faded boot‑cut jeans, and a leather vest covered in patches— an Asian guy dressed like that walking into a stationery shop. No wonder she asked, “Where are you from?” Of course, haha. I must’ve looked suspicious.

But she was really friendly and cute. She listened patiently to my broken English, smiling and laughing through the whole conversation. Thanks to her, I had a wonderful time.

When I went a little outside town, there were power‑stone shops everywhere. Inside, tons of stones were laid out casually. Anyone who knows about stones would probably lose their mind here— they’d definitely “spark,” haha. The prices were cheap and the variety was insane.

I wish I knew more about stones— I could explain better. But unfortunately, I don’t know much.

ARKANSAS HARLEY-DAVIDSON

And then— today’s highlight: “Arkansas Harley‑Davidson.” I found it easily, just by passing by.

I bought a long‑sleeve shirt, a patch, and a sticker. Total: $51. At the rate of ¥111 per dollar, that’s ¥5,662.

On this journey, I’ve stopped at every Harley shop I’ve seen and bought something. And I’ll keep doing that whenever I find one. My luggage keeps getting heavier… Sorry, buddy, haha.

Well… I’ve made it all the way to Arkansas. What now…?

… …Yeah… … Right.

I came this far without deciding anything. As long as there’s fuel and asphalt ahead of me, I want to keep riding.

… Yes— I just want to ride.

To be continued…