June Journeys

The difference between riding a motorcycle and driving a car is that on a motorcycle, your senses take in a lot more of the experience.  In a car, you are mainly focused on the road ahead of you and where you are going.  On a motorcycle, not only do you see the road, but you feel the wind and you smell the air around you.  You can distinguish freshly cut grass from leaves.  Many people refer to riding their motorcycle as "wind therapy" meaning that they can get so much more out of a ride than just taking them from point A to point B.  The wind rushing past their face is a pleasure that makes the ride fun rather than a chore or a dreaded experience like a car ride to work can sometimes be.  This is why motorcycle riders do not mind taking the long way home instead of the short cut.  The ride is a journey to escape the frustrations of the day and to clear your head of negative thoughts.  This is why I like to ride alone.  I can focus on the road and my surroundings and tune out the noise of the environment we live in.  Stress is reduced or even eliminated while taking a ride, even if it's only for less than an hour.  To be sure, there are many motorcyclists who like to ride in large groups, or take real journeys of thousands of miles to far away places.  But you can also take a journey away from reality and responsibility, a mental vacation if you will, when you get on your bike and just head out for an hour or two, to let your senses experience the road and it's surroundings.  This is why we ride.  A car just cannot offer the same experience, not even a convertible.  This is what draws people to ride motorcycles, to be one with the road, and to make any ride a journey, and not just a commute.