In 2022 my wife asked me what I would regret not doing before the end of my life. I didn’t have to think about it long before I said, “learn to ride a motorcycle.” With her encouragement, and some combination of the desperation of a midlife crisis and the urgency of a bucket list, I found myself in a motorcycle safety course a few months later. I received my certification a few days after completing it, and a few days later I owned my first bike.

As motorcycles go, mine is underpowered and overweight – perfectly suited for back roads to dirt roads, and wholly unsuitable for interstates. Which is perfect for the kind of traveling I like to do – unhurried and alone, in places I’d never see or explore otherwise.

The downside to traveling by motorcycle is that it’s dangerous. Everything – from a turtle in the road to every driver with a phone – presents a mortal hazard. The upside though is that being on a motorcycle requires me to be fully present, all the time. It’s when I exercise those muscles the most. I think that practice at being present on the journey opens me up to being more present at the destination. And I can more fully experience each trip not just as an observer, but as a participant. So I try to do that.

This blog is partly to help me remember what I see and experience on any given day on the road, and partly an exercise to remind myself to stay present, connected and intentional during the next day on the road. Which is to say it’s entirely self-indulgent. You’re welcome to eavesdrop if you like.