Smell The Roses

There is a lot of ebb and flow on the Motorcycle Journey.  The ebb of the road and the flow of the weather.  The ebb of settling in for the night and the flow of getting up and packed for the morning.  The ebb of stopping for gas and the flow of starting up again.  The ebb of the country and the flow of its grandeur.  The ebb of what you know and the flow of what you are about to learn.

If you were to ride the Interstates, you can cover a lot of miles at a very fast pace. If you were to ride the backroads, you see this magnificent country we live in.  Riding 322 West from PA to Ohio was just the Motorcycle vision I dreamed of.  (Mike and Rich both said it was some of the best Motorcycling they have  done.)  We drove through the city of Cleveland on July 4th - it was empty - a perfect pass through for us and a fortunate time to be flowing through.

We are now in Jackson, MI and thinking we will see and touch the Great Lakes.  We saw Lake Erie yesterday and hope to make it to Lake Huron.  But hey, you never know, the wind may blow us elsewhere.

We did stop and smell the roses.

Choices...

Sometimes having too many choices can make a decision tough.  It certainly kept the conversation lively and active.  This was our first nights dinner conversation.  Where do we go next? We spent so much time planning to get to where we were at that moment (night 1) - we didn't think about the next steps.  Or maybe, we all knew it would work out just as it should.  We each brought something to share that night.  Rich with his table map of the US, Mike with his Harley Owner's handbook, and me with a book called Motorcycle Journey's across America.  

As conversation continued, what surfaced is that we must get to Iowa. That's where Rich's daughter lives and he hasn't seen her for a long time.  We have a few days what will we do?  It's nice being with a group that wants to explore, have fun, and just easy going.  

And she's off...

Mountains, Interstates, Rain, Tolls (like going thru for the first time), Sun, Friends, GPS, and the best and coldest beer ever

This morning when I got on the motorcycle, I was stiff, nervous, and anxious about the ride.  Mostly about the rain and how would I do?  Would the cases be watertight, would the gear hold, and would I make it to Hazleton, PA?  It seems all the above would be a YES.  And finally at 5pm, we pulled into the Hotel and there was Rich, waiting for the rest of the Road Trip party to arrive.  We hugged, smiled, and talked about the trip each of us just took to make it to this point.  Fortunately, there was a Damon's restaurant just in front of us and the Hotel.  We didn't check in, just walked right to Damon's and made it in time for happy hour and Third Shift Beer.  Delicious and cold.  And I learned something today, my motorcycle has a 6th gear.  There is more possible than we ever imagined.  

And she's off...

T minus 1

It is here...the night before and the bags are packed.  I am ready.  Well, at least I keep telling myself that.  Getting ready has been a journey in and of itself.  And the challenge has been what to pack.  We all agreed that we could go anywhere from 4-5 days before stopping to do laundry. I can go 5 days with one extra pair of socks and undergarments - could push it to 6. I worked hard on my packing list.  And I know they did too. I am wondering what Rich and Mike will bring.  Hopefully, they too have packed joy, laughter, and excitement for what is about to unfold.  Our first meet up is Hazleton, PA - a mid point for Mike and I coming from the North and for Rich coming from the south.  Route 80 is our gateway to the West.  I have no idea where we will go after PA.  Roadtrip, here we come.

I wrote an article...

I always wanted to be published.  Our local paper, The Chronicle, published my story on Thursday, May 16th.  Thank you Gordon for your encouragement.
Here's what I wrote...

I want to drive a motorcycle.

Shhh, don’t say it too loud.  It’s one of those highly charged statements that elicits a strong reaction, typically towards the “what are you CRAZY?” type of reaction.

You see, I have had this dream for many years. I had even gotten my learner’s permit more than 15 years ago. It expired though.  But the dream keeps living. It’s my freedom ride dream and it’s a woman’s version of “Easy Rider” – just me on the open road. Seeing this magnificent country in a way I never have before. Also in the dream, I am a rugged woman cowboy and instead of getting on my horse, I’m getting on my motorcycle and riding off into the sunset. Then reality creeps back in. Oh yeah, I’ve never driven a motorcycle before. Who am I to handle such a big machine? And how can I possibly even do this? Especially since I don’t know anyone that rides or anyone that can teach me. But the dream keeps living on. 

Something has happened to me in these last two years. Perhaps it has something to do with moving past age 40 and/or getting closer to 50. I have wholeheartedly embraced these three special words: “Yes You Can.” So yes I did. One day I stopped by the Department of Motor Vehicles and picked up the latest Motorcycle Handbook and studied. I got my permit, again. And since I had never actually driven a motorcycle, I thought it would be a good idea to take the three-day Motorcycle Safety Foundation course held at SUNY Adirondack. It was a perfect place to start and an excellent class taught by two expert motorcyclists, Pete and Rich. I learned a lot as I got to ride my first motorcycle. 

Part one was classroom study where we reviewed the basics of riding, managing the associated risks of riding, and how to equip yourself with the right gear. There is a lot to learn about a motorcycle and the equipment you wear while riding. We spent most of day two on a motorcycle in a cordoned off parking lot specifically set up for training.  It also seems, there is a lot to do while driving a motorcycle. More than I ever imagined. From the clutch on the left hand, to the brake on the right hand, to the brake on the right foot and to the gear shift lever on the left foot. Working all four in unison and keeping your eyes ahead of you - it was clear, this is going to take a lot practice and time. It’s also very important not to look at the ground right in front of you as you will never go where you intend. On the third day of class, we took a written exam and a skills-based test on the motorcycle. Upon successful completion of both, I earned my New York State motorcycle license. Now, I had my motorcycle license but no motorcycle. 

Back to my dream. In my freedom ride dream, there was only one motorcycle present and it was a Beemer. Some people dream of Harleys, Hondas, and Ninjas – for me, it was a BMW. The closest BMW dealer was in Troy. I got my license on a Sunday and I was there “looking” on a Tuesday (it would have been Monday but they were closed). A tip for future riders, if you are looking to buy a used motorcycle, June is NOT an ideal month. All the good used bikes were gone by then. At MAX BMW Motorcycles in Troy, I met Craig, the salesperson who helped me buy my first motorcycle. We spent a lot time trying on bikes - which meant for me, just sitting on them. Craig encouraged me to take the bikes out for a test ride and I just smiled. I shared with him I only received my license two days earlier and I was not ready to take them out for a spin. And as soon as I was done sharing this with him, I found “the bike.” It was a perfect fit and a great match. And then these words just came out of my mouth, “Do you deliver?”  Yes, they do. 

I received delivery of my first motorcycle about three weeks later and boy was I nervous. I actually just looked at it for hours. It was a lot bigger than I remembered. I got suited up with a helmet, protective jacket and pants, special boots and gloves. I live in Glens Falls and the neighborhood streets with a stop sign at every block was a godsend.  I never thought I’d actually hear myself say that. I got to know these blocks very well. It took me two days to finally make it to second gear (the motorcycle has 5 gears). And on the fifth day, I opened her up to 40 miles per hour. Feeling the wind blowing on me for the first time was a truly wild experience. I wanted to secure myself to the bike with a seatbelt but there was none. 

The motorcycle is a complete paradigm shift — from riding inside a comfy 4-wheeled vehicle to open air on two wheels. My rides started to get longer and my journeys a bit further. I actually made it outside the city limits and ventured into Washington County. My friend Pat told me to go into farm country where there aren’t a lot of cars and you can just ride. He was right. I always enjoyed Washington County but now I was on my motorcycle and seeing it through a new set of eyes. My smile was large. What I didn’t know is you get to experience all the smells of the country and the road, too. The flowers, food cooking on the stoves and barbeques, the clothes in the dryers, yes the manure too, but it was all different. My senses were heightened and the smells seemed so much greater and more beautiful. 

I ended up taking a private lesson with an expert motorcycle coach, Steve. He was amazing. The one-on-one was invaluable. I got to ask everything I wanted to know and he helped to move me to another level of riding. I put on 1,000 miles for my first summer. I was excited and was proud when I put the motorcycle away for the winter. 

This spring, I got the motorcycle out of storage and when I took off the cover I said, “It’s a lot bigger than I remember”.  But that didn’t stop me.  I made it over to a school parking lot and started to practice.  Slow maneuvers, figure 8’s, braking, shifting — starting to build the memory again in my muscles and reflexes. I have big plans this year.

Remember that dream of mine? It’s still going. I’ve always wanted to go across country and see this great country of ours. There is so much to see and so much to do. I bought a map of the United States and it’s pinned to a wall in my home. I have started to place markers on it to identify the places I would like to see. I figured these markers will help set the roads to take on my journey to Salem, Oregon for the BMW owners’ rally. I made reservations at a hotel there and have started to see myself in Oregon. A couple of must stop places…Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, a horse ride in Montana, and many hikes in the mountains either in Montana, Idaho or Washington State. I would also love to see friends and family that I have been missing for many years.

The road trip across country is slated for July 2013.  You should know that I figure if I make it to New York City, it will be much further than I have ever gone. And if I make it to Pennsylvania, great, I rode my motorcycle to another state. It seems just getting on the bike is success and I’m really looking forward to it. I also keep getting asked this question about the road trip: “Are you going alone?” I mentioned my road trip to a client and he said, “Rachel, this has always been a dream of mine and I’m going with you.” He’s retired, just turned 70, and has been riding motorcycles for 30 years. I am excited to have a companion.  He will be coming up north the first week of June so that we can attend Americade together and discuss our plans for “The Roadtrip.”

I like my new anthem, motto and three words to live by.  Yes, you can.  Take one step at a time and you can do anything you set your mind too.