Roadtripping: I’ve Got a Bad Case of the Hurry-Hurries

When I first set off on a roadtrip, I’m overcome with excitement. It isn’t unusual that I will make “mistakes” right out of the gate as a result. I’ll forget to plug in, turn on, write down, navigate to, or forego things I’d been excited about all because I’m on fire about gettin’ goin’.

On my recent trip to California – after a wee-hours-of-the-morning flight from JFK to LAX, I planned my initial day as a low-key throwaway because I knew I’d be tired. This proved to be a good choice. I didn’t sleep on the flight and landed feeling drained after 6 hours in the air behind a crying baby.

My original plan after I picking up my rental bike was to wire up my GPS before I left the rental station, then head up the block to Randy’s for a donut, then I’d zip down the highway to see a sculpture park and a roadside thingy. After that, I’d grab a hotel and pack it in early. Well? I did 2 of those things: zipped down the highway and grabbed a hotel. I’ll stop by the sculptures in the morning on my way out, I thought. I’ll wire up the GPS when I’m fresh after a good night sleep. Riiiiight. Predictably, neither of those things happened due to my let’s go! fever. I completely forgot about them when morning came.  I did see a muffler man racecar driver from the southbound 405, so that was some consolation.

When morning dawned, I began the ritual of packing up my stuff explosion and getting underway. But because it was to be my first full day out, my excite-o-meter was pegged. In my haste to get rolling I skipped wiring up my GPS (again) and opted to navigate the semi-old fashioned way. I looked at Google Maps on my phone and wrote some route numbers down on a hotel pad and stuck them in my tankbag map pocket. Tres antique, right?

Sometimes people ask if I look for these roadside things or if I just stumble across them. The answer is both. On my way along CA74 towards Lake Elsinore, I rode passed these rock apples and the giant frog and chuckled to myself. About a quarter mile down the road I u-turned and went back for a photo.

Why wouldn’t I have just stopped when I first saw them? Why? I’ll tell you why. I was still in the hurry-hurry mode. That agitated state lives inside my body until I get myself to a place where I can release it.

Let it go. Slow down. Enjoy some apples.

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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15 Responses

  1. Christina Shook says:

    Would have loved to host you on your CA trip. Are you gone now?

  2. Mike says:

    When I started riding it sometimes took a half hour to convince myself to turn around for photos/exploring. Now I only ride past 5 or 6 miles. For giant frogs I wouldn’t even have to think about it.

  3. Fjrider1 says:

    I used to feel like that when I would visit my brother in Colorado. Get off the plane, get to my brother’s house, get to the bikes, get to the mountains! Guess the whole excitement of the planning, the trip, the visit being from the East makes you feel you have to be somewhere fast! Until my brother gives me a reality check by slowing the pace and making sure I look around at the beautiful sites around every curve.

    Great timing for a trip west!

    Then again he can’t wait until I get out there so he has someone to rip up the mountains with.

    What great timing for a trip west you just made…

    -A

  4. Nancy Foster says:

    I thought for sure those were giant Mexican jumping beans.

  5. Kathy says:

    Fuck the apples. Look at that giant rock frog!

  6. Chris says:

    I pass things all the time and then argue with myself about turning around.

  7. Oz says:

    Funny you posted all that. I quite often suffer from the same type of hurrying. I have to really concentrate and make myself slowdown. Great post.

  8. Curvyroads says:

    Same here, but learning to slow down and smell the apples and frogs! 😉

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