With apologies to Robert Pirsig and the Chautauqua Institute
Preparation
I have never done a motorcycle trip this long before. In fact, Suzanne asked me if I was trying to get away from her, as this would be the longest we’ve been apart since we’ve lived together – more than a decade. Very quickly I reassured her that isn’t the case, but I need a change of scenery and some time to collect myself, since there seems to be no end in sight for the pandemic.
Lucky for me, she gets it. We’re both introverts who value time alone. We don’t hold it against each other when one wants to do something on their own. With that said, as I write this, I still sense some tension. I guess we’ll see what happens.
My unemployment in this case becomes both a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes from having the time to take the trip. The curse comes from having to do it on a budget.
The first item to fall to the budget was accommodations. I decided I’d camp when I stopped for the night, so I needed a tent. I looked on Amazon for one to buy cheap and put out a call on Facebook to borrow one. Lucky for me, a friend offered his tent, saving me about $60.
The next day, I get a Facebook message from my Dad.
I didn’t think anyone would automatically see a request for a tent and guess that I was planning to ride the motorcycle, but here’s Dad, asking me if I am. I consider not telling him, but decide since he guessed it, I’d own up. Admittedly, I was concerned about the way he asked the question that he might disapprove, but I’m a 50-year-old man – how I choose to travel is up to me. But he responded, “Have fun.” I should have known better. He and Mom did a similar trip on his motorcycle years ago, albeit over a longer time frame.
Then there was rain gear. I’m not fool enough to head out on a 2,400-mile round trip without rain gear. My old set wasn’t going to cut it. Off to the motorcycle gear shop I went. I ordered a tire for them to mount as well, so I brought the tire to mount and bought rain gear, a disc lock, and a USB charge port to mount on the bike for my phone.
Borrowing the tent was fun. My buddy warned me that the last person to use it was his daughter, so that I probably should make sure to “…set it up before you cross any state lines.” Seeing that it was a new tent to me, I had planned to set it up anyway to ensure it was all there and I could set it up solo. My daughter and I set it up together in the living room for the first time. Then we took it down, and I set it up by myself. Suzanne timed it at about nine and a half minutes, which for the first time setting it up seemed good. I didn’t find any illicit substances, either.
Five days out from launch date, I test-packed the motorcycle to make sure everything fit and I have all the things I need. This resulted in a shopping trip to grab a cargo net, which I was pretty sure I already owned, and a few other odds and ends like a travel toothpaste and a first aid kit. Then I gathered everything, packed it so that everything fit, and then unpacked most of it because I don’t own enough clothes to have 5 days’ worth of clothing packed. Guess I’ll be doing laundry on Wednesday and Thursday before I leave.