Coming to Terms With Long Highway Rides

When the calendar page rolls from December in to January, there is a sparkle of wonder about what the year will bring. With motorcycling being such an important part of my life, where I will go and what I will see is in the forefront of my imaginings.

Beyond daydreaming about where I’ll find myself, my mind also floats back to all the places I’ve been. Sometimes it isn’t until the onset of one of these nostalgia trips that I realize how much I’ve seen. While you’re in the midst of doing things – that’s just your life. That moment is your existence and often doesn’t feel out of the ordinary. I suppose that can make it easy to overlook the magnitude of some things and maybe keeps you from being overwhelmed.

Though I sometimes gobble up the miles in order to stand in front of something, I never see the miles themselves as a trophy. Sometimes I’ll get a bug in my ear about visiting something but hundreds of miles stand between us. Even though it means I’ll be going riding, pounding out the miles on the slab can be a drag.

Over the years I’ve found space inside of myself to mostly come to terms with long highway stretches. But there are moments when I teeter on the edge of a complete f’n meltdown because I just don’t feel like doing it. It is in those moments that I have to dig deep to find the power to continue. Those are the moments when I have to remember why I’m doing what I’m doing. There is something waiting for me on the other side, something I have to suffer to get to… something that will be worth the squirming discomfort.

Thinking ahead to the year that is unfolding, my mileage goal is the same as the last 20 or so: to ride some, to be safe and have a good time.


This post is part of a month-long writing prompt challenge: Brave, Bold, Blogger Challenge (BBBC) 2017 hosted by Kathy at ToadMama.com.

Prompt: Annual Mileage Goal

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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4 Responses

  1. Shybiker says:

    As much as outsiders think we (all bikers) are the same, I’m constantly reminded (here by you) of how different some of us are within the biker community.

    I understand and respect your attitude toward “the slab,” having been told it many times by older bikers. But… I don’t share that attitude. Long stretches of highway, while seemingly dull, please me. They produce a deep meditative state in my body. Without trying, I address and solve problems that have been hanging around my neck for months. My mind wanders and goes where it never can during the hustle-bustle of normal life. Also, I’m not sure everyone can grasp this but my life has had some awful, traumatic moments so “boredom” is not bad in my view. I’ll choose the boredom of an endless motorcycle ride over the searing anxiety of my job any day of the week.

    • Fuzzygalore says:

      I complete understand your point of view and have experienced that almost meditative state myself. those slab rides can present an opportunity to “relax.”

      But in my case, i tend to look at them as a means to an end and not the prize, i guess. I’ve gotten better about it. But staring down 1,000 miles of highway is a bitter pill for me. Perhaps it’ll change over time.

      thanks for this comment 🙂

  2. Mike says:

    I find that on the longest stretches of highway riding, I become too inattentive which is not a good thing. I will do it but I ride the safest and am the happiest when I’m in some twisties or going through small towns and stopping here or there.

    It’s a paradox for me. I love hopping off and wandering a bit snapping pictures but then I get antsy to get back on and ride some more.

    • Fuzzygalore says:

      i think that the forced flow of things on the highway could be part of what makes it unappealing for me. Like you’re saying i like to stop and take pics and whatnot. Even if a road is pin straight, the fact that i can move at my own pace or stop will always make it more appealing than droning on at 75 with all of the other little ants.

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