Well this place has gotten a little dark and dusty since my last post hasn't it? A few folks have messaged me throughout the months since my last post, wanting to know where the hell the blogs are, and I have to say that I appreciate the encouragement and I haven't blown it off. The truth is that there has been quite a bit going on this season and I've simply been trying to keep up and keep my head in the race.
I will try to keep it brief but with this much life and mileage behind me I feel like to condense it is to do it a disservice. Truth be told there have been many significant challenges but there have been even more amazing moments... and in true fashion I look back and say: "Holy shit, now that was a ride."
First, I have to take a second to pay a little tribute to my garage. Somewhere near the middle of last year, the house I had been renting for around 8 years had been listed for sale and sold within a couple of weeks. The process of finding a new place made for one of the most trying and tumultuous experiences of my adult life, but after a lot of sweat, frustration and tears, I managed to successfully relocate myself and everything that is most dear to me into a tiny 1 bedroom apartment.
Any avid motorcyclist knows that the garage is where the magic happens and my garage was by far my favorite room in the house. It wasn't anything special, but it was my sanctuary. It was where I wrenched on my bikes until the wee hours of the morning. It was where friends came together over cold beers to pass the time between rides with barbecue and incessant conversation and debate about all things motorcycle. It was where new friends would park as they passed through on adventures. It was a place of refuge for friends who traveled long distances to experience California roads; a place of rest, and of rebuilding and growth.
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| Wrenching: circa 2008 |
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| On Any Weekend |
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| Rides halfway across the country, ends up making repairs in the garage. |
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| Wrenching Bitch Face: 2014 |
That isn't the end of the story though. I know, I know, you thought you'd get off easy with this one eh? Well as much as I would like to keep it concise here, 2014 was a year that certainly drafted itself into the memory books and to condense it entirely would in some ways seem to do a disservice to all that has come of it. As I bid adieu to my favorite thinking place, I look forward into the unknown with anticipation of where the journey will lead. As turbulent as 2014 was, it was also a year of enlightenment. It was a year where my passion for riding took a back seat but didn't completely fall out of the picture. As silly as it sounds, it may very well be the most compelling case for why and how motorcycling is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding pursuits that a person could involve themselves in... or maybe it really has nothing to do with motorcycles at all and more to do entirely with human will, adaptability, and passion for life.
