I owe that happiness to a few things, but all those things involve my motorcycle, so I give credit where credit is due -- to my bike.
It's brought me new friends through the Legion Riders I joined in January, and it's brought me a new purpose in life with the rides I've done on Veterans' behalf.
I've ridden about 2,000 miles this summer. Last summer when I bought it and only had myself to ride with, I only put about 110 miles on it. I lacked the confidence I needed to hit the open road alone, but I've gained that after riding a lot with others, and I've ventured out on my own a few times even this summer. Mostly, though, those 2,000 miles were spent in the company of other Legion Riders and riding enthusiasts.
I've seen a lot of roads I didn't even know existed prior to my rides this summer. Like everyone, I'm a routine-minded person. To get from point A to point B it's just easier to take the same old road, but on the bike I've come to relish looking for the lesser traveled roads to get me places. I especially look for the roads with the prettiest views on the winding hills, and I've found just about all of them that Northeastern Nebraska has to offer, but there are still some out there I hope to tackle before the cold weather sends my bike to the garage for hibernation.
I've gotten to really know the feel of my bike, and I've even come to the know the feel of it when it's lying on top of me after going down twice with it! Both times were silly miscalculations on my own part, and I take full responsibility for falling over. Fortunately, I'm not alone in having that mishap, and many seasoned riders have told me about the times when they went down on their bikes. I'd still like to prevent that from ever happening again, but I realize that there will probably be a few more times when the weight of the bike simply gets the best of me. I wasn't harmed at all -- the bike was a tiny bit on the windshield -- but my pride suffered a bit as the second time happened in front of a lot of people gathered for a parade. Oh well, gotta be able to laugh at yourself, and I certainly did once the bike and I were both standing up again.
I've met a special guy while riding, and I'd say that close to 800 of those 2,000 miles have been spent in his company. We've ridden with lots of other Legion Riders for events, and we've ridden just the two of us all over the area enjoying the lovely weather and the joy of the open road. We had an immediate connection, and we've spent every day since together in some way, either on the phone actually talking, which we prefer, or by texting, or we've been off riding somewhere discovering new places and rediscovering old ones in a new light. So, if this continues on, I'll owe my bike for even more happiness than what it has already brought me.
Aside from riding, I spent a lot of my summer taking three courses that will bring me a much-needed and long-time-coming pay raise at work this year. While I took the classes for the pay raise, I did really enjoy them and the things I learned in them will really enhance my teaching this year.
I read a lot, and reading will always be my number one passion in life. Riding has become a close second, but it can't replace reading for me. I have so many books that I want to read that there can never be enough time to get to them all. Not a single day went by that I didn't read something this summer, and that's just the way I like it to be.
The dog and I walked about 200 miles this summer as well. So, clearly my summer was largely spent outdoors. That's how it should be. That's also why I should live somewhere where it is warm all year round. That way I could walk and ride daily all year instead of for only a few months. With the walking, I continue to improve my physical appearance. I've lost weight, but mostly I've toned up, and the fresh air and exercise just makes me happy.
Happy. That would best sum up how I feel at the end of the summer of 2014. Of course, I've basically been happy since the ex moved out almost two and half years ago, but that event was more the door opening to allow all the joy that's followed to enter my life. The happiness I feel now is different. It's a part of me. It comes from being free in mind, body and spirit. The rides, the reads, and the walks have cleared out what remained of the sorrow and bitterness.
While I look at my summer as coming to a close since I am returning to school in a few days, I know that the summer isn't truly over, so I will use whatever free time I have from work to embrace more rides, more reads and more walks to extend the happiness I feel right now as long as possible. And when the cold air and snow does finally arrive, I'll have all the great memories of the summer of 2014 to keep me warm until springtime comes around and the bike comes out again.
