Lover.Kitty, 'Monkeys Thinking' June 27, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

While road trips are not an uncommon experience few have the privilege to enjoy the journey atop a motorcycle. The differences are subtle yet vast greatly at the same time. Completely exposed to the elements with no distractions I kind of picture myself as a modern cowmonkey (Not sure if cowboy would apply and cowmonkey sounds like a weird genetics experiment gone wrong but you get the point). I have my steed – a Honda Shadow 1300, my cowboy hat – a helmet and whatever other things that I can pack on the bike although my pack has a few electronics.
Among other bikers there seems to be a level of respect as a fellow rider. As I come across other riders I open up my paw and hold it out, slightly downward and they do the same. I’m not sure of the history or true meaning behind this because everyone has a different version of the story. I had heard this was first reserved for Harley riders but in time has opened up and become less stringent between Harley and other motorcyclist. It’s not like I haven’t had this done to me before but somehow on this long journey I feel I have earned the right as if I have entered this club of sorts of riders to initiate this gesture while passing others.

I’ve been in road trips where we start from Lake Erie and don’t stop until we hit the Gulf via the most southern tip of Texas. On those trips even with friends and a DVD player I’ve still found myself bored, fidgety and counting the hours we were on the road. Yet on my drives where I’m going for 5-10 hours at a time I’m never bored or tired even though there is no phone or radio to keep me entertained. In fact the earplugs muffle out the loud rushing sound that previously left me ears ringing, which leaves me with just the soft purr of the engine as I cruise along miles of fields intermixed with clusters of trees here and there. I originally wanted to ride to the coast but now that I’m using my dad’s bike I don’t want to run his to the ground, yet while I’m missing out on some sights I still feel as if I’ve learned and experienced so much on this ride. It is as if for once my body is wandering as much as my mind and I have found harmony in the process.

I know this sounds all zen like but being technically outside while I travel has given me time to think and a sense of serenity, really appreciating the journey. I’ll admit right before I get on the bike for the start of my trip I get that feeling as if I need to prepare myself for sitting in the car for hours on end, but once I get on the bike those feeling melt away and I am reminded that this trip will be nothing like that. The only aspects of my journey I don’t like is bugs…they hurt and I end up picking bug juice out of my fur at every stop. Yuck. The other time and only point where I wish I had a car is rain, because rain is painful and slippery which takes all the fun out of the ride. The air dry afterwords isn’t too bad though.

As in my post On the Road Again where I learned and shared the lesson of purchasing ear plugs, I have another lesson learned. Even through my fur sitting out in the sun for a 10+ hours will give you sunburn, sunblock because the way you hold the handlebars exposes the inside of your arms to the sun which usually doesn’t get that much. I now am the proud owner of a bottle of SPF 50 – lesson learned. hehe

Make sure to check back from my post on Iowa and eventually Minnesota.

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