by Had I known what I was getting into, I probably wouldn’t have started. Probably wouldn’t have even considered the possibility.
But I didn’t know what I didn’t know and I came out of the experience all the better for it.
The idea came to me…
two and a half years ago while drifting through one of the infinite sequels of The Fast and The Furious (RIP Paul Walker) on a lazy Friday night. The story wasn’t particularly compelling, but, when actress Gal Gadot – or her stunt double anyway – deftly rode a Ducati onto the screen and shook her hair loose from her helmet, my interest was piqued. Not in her, but in what she represented.
I knew, suddenly, that I wanted to be her…or, at least, be like her. For this nerdy, clumsy girl who is more comfortable on her own two feet than in any vehicle, this strange impulse to want to be a bad-ass, motorcycle-riding hottie was foreign.
But, my husband and a friend of ours unexpectedly agreed to my suggestion that we learn to ride motorcycles and plan a trip somewhere.
And so it began. The classes, the practice, the planning, the anticipation…they all came next.
Fast Forward to November 2013
The weather reports were menacing. Typhoon Haiyan was about to hit the Philippines and would then hit Vietnam, our destination. Our trip would either be cancelled or we would be helping rebuild the coastal town to which we were headed.
The storm shifted. Vietnam was in the clear. Mostly. Rain storms and wind still washed out roads and flooded towns.
We arrived and, with only minor adjustments, our long-awaited motorcycle trip went on as planned.
Mud slides, cloud rides, hail storms, and rivers
6 days. 6 days of riding through the amazingly beautiful countryside of central Vietnam on a “Hoi An Motorbike Adventure tour.
We started in Hoi An, followed the coastline up to Da Nang and Hue, wound our way across rice paddy levees and through villages where we were met by the happiest children I have ever seen, and then followed the Ho Chi Minh Highway for miles and miles through beautiful mountain passes and impressive old growth forests. At times, we were surrounded by magical butterflies, dragonflies, waterfalls and lush greenery.
We also rode through slick, sticky mud – dropping our bikes a couple of times in the process. Across flooded roadways and swollen rivers. Around steep, windy, algae-covered concrete curves. Through clouds that afforded us no more than 20 feet of visibility for hours at a time.
We navigated potholes in the dark when the sun fell and the headlights didn’t work. We refined our perceptual skills and agility by dodging goats/water buffalo/dogs/cows/chickens/etc. that would run into the road unexpectedly. We endured weather conditions that ranged from hot and humid to downpours of icy rain and hail. And we rode for 6-8 hours each day.
The trip stretched me in ways that…
were not bad-ass or hot, but, instead,
were downright challenging.
It pushed me way beyond my comfort zone while creating a new, more-expansive one.
It pushed me beyond my skill level while helping me see that I was capable of riding better than I thought was possible.
It pushed me to ride through the road conditions and fear and physical limits (exhaustion, a cold, spider bites, and some painful bruises) that would otherwise have caused me to just stay home. I’m glad I didn’t.
Because I had the time of my life!
“One finds limits by pushing them.” -Herbert Simon
The motorcycle trip will go down in the memory banks as a true adventure – full of the unexpected, and a journey to explore my own internal terrain.
Sometimes things don’t turn out as expected – but are amazing just the same.