The Open Road

Yesterday, Pepper and I were driving the 8 passenger SUV down the expressway and we passed a motorcycle with a backpack and a blanket rolled up behind the seat. I looked over at him as we passed by. He looked very relaxed and at ease as he traveled toward his destination. I imagined that he was on a cross-country tour... just him and his motorcycle. Sleeping under the stars, taking in the sights, moving in whatever direction the wind and the road took him. I doubted that the motorcyclist was worried about his house payment or the brakes on his quickly aging SUV. He probably had no deadlines looming over him at work or anyone he needed to answer to either.

I decided I’d like to do that. Heck, I used to have a motorcycle…. Years ago. Just this month the lady at the DMV asked if I wanted to keep my cycle endorsement on my driver’s license. When she told me it cost $5.00 for 4 years, I decided to let it ride. Who knows… maybe I’d get another motorcycle sometime in the next 4 years. I thought about where I could travel. Maybe drive West all the way to California. Dip my toes in the Pacific. Then maybe I’d head north and then all the way back towards the East coast.

The more I thought about it the more it sounded like a great idea. Of course, I would want to bring Pepper along. What fun is seeing and doing cool things if no one is there to share it with. Knowing how Pepper packs, I would need saddlebags and one of those big trunks on the back of the motorcycle too. I tease Pepper all the time about how much she packs even for a quick weekend trip… but I am always appreciative when she is the one that remembered to bring things like the bottle opener or a nail file. The two of us could ride along some back winding road like we did many, many years ago. Stop when we saw something interesting or just keep riding with the breeze on our face and the sun on our back.

Of course, now that we have the kids we couldn’t just leave them behind. This could be a great learning experience and Pepper and I would miss them if they weren’t with us. I’d have to get a sidecar. A big one. It would have to seat 4 kids and give them all enough space so they wouldn’t be touching each other. Plus room for all their stuff. Like cell phones, Nintendo DS’s and clothes for when they complained it was either too hot or too cold. Maybe some kind of sound proof barrier between the bike and the sidecar would be beneficial….

We are now quite a bit ahead of the motorcycle. I glance back at him in the rear view mirror and smile. Pepper notices and asks what I am thinking about. I say, “Nothing really. Camping and motorcycles and the kids.”

Ok, suddenly I realize this motorcycle adventure is not a good idea. Now I am thinking about a trip in the truck with our fifth wheel. The kids have leg room, there is even a spot to take Kirby. I glance back in the rear view morror again because now Pete and Dill start an argument over a DS game. I think that maybe that sound proof barrier is not a bad idea tho… :)