Don't Let A Number Define Your Dreams

North Shore of Lake Superior, Ontario Canada

‘Old longings nomadic leap,

Chafing at custom’s chain;

Again from its brumal sleep

Wakens the ferine strain.’

~ The Call of the Wild, Jack London

In January of 2008 when I bought my first bike, I sat down and made a list of all the places I wanted to visit on two wheels, my ‘Bikeit List.’ Most of these destinations I had visited before through other modes of transportation, but I vowed to discover and rediscover astride Bessie. My ultimate goal was to ride my motorcycle in all 48 states in the Continental U.S., plus Hawaii and Alaska.

Today I embark on the next leg of my journey that will take me to the last three states – Idaho, Montana, and Washington – so I can check that goal off my ‘Bikeit List.’

I will also check off Alaska on this trip, as Paul – my Wingman – will join me in Seattle for a two -week trip through Alaska that includes a ride along Turnagain Arm and Kanai Fjords National Park on two wheels. As I write this blog, I’m still kicking myself for NOT renting bikes on our vacation to Hawaii last year – it’s a long story. I will just have to return soon in order to complete all 50 states.

My original intention was to RIDE all the way to Alaska; after much research on the topic, I reconsidered. The Alaska Highway out of Kalispell Montana is beyond remote in most places with road surfaces that are not ‘two wheel’ friendly in all areas. That in it-self does not frighten me, but this is a solo trip and with age comes reservation. If my Wingman were traveling the entire way with me, we would ride the distance. My alternative choice was the Alaska Marine Highway which is a series of ferries (some as large as cruise ships) that connects the Inside Passage with Vancouver B.C., and Seattle. I hoped to put Bessie and Me on a ferry from Seattle and travel to Anchorage; alas, when I called in February to make the reservation, they were booked! Sooooo….I embark on my third option, to ride solo from Winter Haven to Seattle (thus checking off those last three states in the lower 48). My Wingman will meet me in Seattle then we are off to Anchorage for two weeks. Bessie will stay in Seattle at Eastside Harley Davidson until my return.

There are only a handful of people who DO NOT consider me crazy at this point. I know who my really good friends are because when I outline my travel plans on Bessie, their only comment goes something like;

‘Cool, send photos and make sure you blog.’

Comments from those who don’t really know me run the gamut:

‘You’re doing WHAT?’

(I said, I am traveling across country solo on my bike.)

‘And you are doing this by yourself?!’

(Yes, a penis is not required.)

‘Aren’t you afraid?’

(I’m more afraid of NOT following my Bliss.)

‘You are either very brave or just plain crazy.’

(A little of both, Thank You.)

‘Are you riding all that way or will you trailer most of the way?’

(I’ve learned to never say ‘never’ but Bessie has never been trailered. OMG. We RIDE.)

‘What will you do if it rains?’

(Put on my rain gear.)

‘What will you do if the bike breaks down?’

(Call AAA.)

‘I would be afraid for my safety; a woman alone on a motorcycle.’

(Bessie and I never ride without protection. And I appreciate my friend Steve who volunteered his arsenal, just in case I needed something more.)

‘What do you pack for a trip like that?’

(3 pair of jeans, 3 short sleeve T’s, 3 long sleeve T’s, Under Armor Heat Gear and Cold Gear, 1 pair of shorts, 2 pairs Columbia pants w/ 3 Columbia T’s, 2 camisoles w/drawstring pants for sleeping, socks, heavy leather/gloves/facemask, rain gear and light jacket. And yes, it all fits nicely in tour pack/saddle bags. Camera, iPad, Selfie Stick in backpack on luggage rack.)

I love stripping down to the bare essentials for a road trip; only jewelry is my watch/ring/slim silver hoops, only makeup is mascara/lipstick and yes Rea, lots of moisturizer!

I will embrace the aloneness; it has been a difficult year and my time astride Bessie always helps me make sense of my place in the Universe. My job has kicked my ass this year, I can see where the stress – although dismissed and denied – has taken a toll. My partner has spent the better part of the year working in Europe; a difficult assignment, an impossible commute, and a strain on any relationship. I have watched my oldest struggle and I have endured another year of my youngest daughters’ absence. I remain grateful, especially for the opportunity I have to make this journey….Soul-O. 

I have ‘strained at the harness that attaches me to a normal way of life’ all year. I am ready to cut loose, test myself, let my thoughts unfurl behind me like so many white lines on black asphalt. I am ready to rediscover that which lies dormant inside me. I am ready for those challenges that the open road hurls in my path (please God don’t let them be insurmountable). My soul is screaming to be fed, to be nourished by the open road. Because I know when I return, I will never be the same again.

I tell my Doodle that I love her more than life itself. I send a prayer to my youngest to say ‘Mom loves you,’ I reassure Paul for the 1000^th time that, yes I will be careful, and I hug my Fur Babies. Bessie waits patiently in the driveway for our journey.

It has taken me eight years to realize this goal; ten months of which I did not ride due to a bad accident on Bessie1. I refuse to let a number define my dreams. And to quote one of my favorite adventure bikers, Neal Peart, ‘Whatever happens cannot be my fault,’ (~Ghost Rider).