Friday, August 3, 2012

The Most Interesting Thing: Something I Thought I'd Never Do


"You see, I don't know how to ride a motorcycle, actually."  --Henry Winkler
Looks fun, right?

For twenty years my motorcycle enthusiast husband dreamed of getting me out on the open road. I never shared that dream. Sounded more like a nightmare to me. But sometimes circumstances lead us to do things we thought we’d  never do.

So we flew to Vegas and picked up a bike. I got up at five Wednesday morning and we rode into the red sunrise, wind on my face, arms wrapped around the happiest man alive. Over the next seven hours I experienced the pungent smells of the Arizona desert while taking in the familiar sights through rose-colored goggles. I never knew you could taste the air at 75 mph.

The southwest is having an unusually powerful monsoon season, so while I enjoyed the scenery, I kept a weary eye on the massive white puffs building in the dark blue skies. Would we make it to the New Mexico border before those clouds burst open?

Seventeen miles outside of Springerville with no shelter in sight, droplets  began to pelt my face like sharp rocks. I ducked my head and gritted my teeth. Then the fuel light came on and the battery on the GPS died. We’d come all this way to be drenched at the finish line. . . if we made it to the finish line. How cruel!

But then the rain stopped and the skies brightened. The gas fumes got us into town and the time I’d spent on google street view got us to my father-in-law's summer retreat. Sore butts aside, we’d made it in one piece, well, two pieces. Two of us. And it wasn't horrible. 

Now I’m up early and wrestling with the revision of my historical again. It feels a lot like those last seventeen miles. Close to the end, loads of trouble. So I’m ducking my head and gritting my teeth and hoping for the best.

Ever dream of taking a motorcycle road trip? Ever experience obstacles at the novel-writing finish line?

22 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great experience. Although I've been in bikes, I haven't traveled great distances on them.

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    1. This has been quite the interesting vacation so far. . .

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  2. Love this post. :) Nope. I've never dreamed of taking a motorcycle road trip. And I've never experienced obstacles at the finish line of a manuscript; it's the middle that kills me. :(

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  3. I think these kinds of trips could be fun. Not my preferred mode of daily travel though.

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    1. I still can't believe I agreed to this. Back on the bike on Sunday, but a shorter trip. Trying to have fun. ^_^

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  4. So glad you got to share that experience with your husband, Angelina! I never thought I'd get on a motorcycle either, but my husband kept asking and I finally gave in. Just short little trips, for me, though - scenic routes to different ice cream parlors - that sort of thing. Glad to hear you made it safe and sound to your father-in-law's. Enjoy the change in scenery! Wishing you lots of luck with the end of that novel. The nearer I get to the end, the harder it gets.

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    1. Thanks. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who struggles with endings, misery loves company, eh?

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  5. What a ride! My cross country dream trip actually involves the other kind of bike -- totally nuts, I know. Regarding novels -- I'm a muddy middle girl.

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    1. My high school English teacher pedaled across the country every summer. Not nuts! Hope you get to do it one day

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  6. Are you seriously telling me that THE FONZ could not ride a motorcycle??? My world just shifted and is decidedly darker.

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  7. No and yes. I'd be scared on a motorcycle; and I often struggle with how to end my novels.

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  8. Fun post! I've never ridden a motorcycle, but I have hit plenty of obstacles in that home stretch.

    Enjoy the weekend, adventure girl! :)

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    1. Thanks, Dawn. Hope you're overcoming ALL your obstacles.

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  9. That's quite a trip. I've never ridden on a motorcycle before.

    I'm trying to wrap up a draft, that I tried finishing yesterday but was unable to. Those last few chapters take a lot out of me. Even with an outline, there are some things I'm still figuring out.

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  10. I think I'd be skeered! But I used to live in Arizona and love that beautiful country. Have a great rest of your vacation!

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    1. Every time I come back to Arizona, it's like rediscovering an old love.

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  11. Can't wait to hear more! Glad you survived so far! :)

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