A Life on Two Wheels
My Grandpa introduced me to motorcycles when I was about 10 years old.
Motorcycles have given me freedom, but more than that, they’ve connected me to the world in a way I wish everyone could experience.
On a motorcycle, you don’t just pass through a place. You become part of it. You feel the wind on your face, the dry heat of the desert, or the damp air rolling in from the ocean. You smell creosote after a desert rain or ponderosa pine as the road climbs into the mountains.
Motorcycles have also had a major impact on my life in ways I never could have expected.
At 27, a motorcycle accident left me with multiple fractures in my spine and skull, broken ribs that punctured my left lung, and a severe traumatic brain injury. I spent several days in a coma and woke with the cognitive ability of a child.
In the begining I wasn’t able to repeat sentences with more than three words, let alone make sense of the world around me. The career, independence, and life I had built were gone.
It was more than 15 years before I finally felt like I had turned a corner and was moving in the right direction. Much of who I am today, how I see the world, and what I value developed through that experience.
Through all of it, motorcycles remained part of my life.
Over the years, they’ve taken me on all kinds of adventures — from stepping off my bike and into the Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk, to repairing a blown driveshaft in the middle of the desert in Baja California, Mexico, and everywhere in between.
Some rides are memorable because of the places they take you and the people you meet. Others become memorable because something unexpected happens along the way. More often than not, it is a little of each.
The Next Ride
The next ride will be from Utah, riding south through Mexico, Central America, and South America to Ushuaia, Argentina.
Several people have asked me to keep them in the loop and share pictures from the road, so this blog is my attempt to do that.
As the trip unfolds, I’ll share the places I visit, the roads that lead me there, the people I meet, and some of the unexpected moments that become part of the story.
I’ve also added stories from past years of riding. Since many of them are being posted long after they happened, the publication dates won’t always line up with when the experiences took place. I’ll include the time frame in the story whenever I can.
I’d love to hear your thoughts—and your stories.
Dots on the Map
The yellow dots in the pictures below mark places I’ve already ridden to, and nearly every one has some kind of story attached.
Some are breathtaking overlooks. Some mark places where things didn’t go as planned. Others mark great food, memorable people, unusual encounters, or remote campsites I was fortunate to find.
The green dots are places I’d like to visit.
As I find new places, I add a green dot.
Sooner or later, those green dots start looking like a route.
And that’s where the adventure begins.
Whether you ride, travel, or simply enjoy following along, you’re welcome to join the conversation.
Thank you for being here!