10/06/2026
Passport, Toothbrush, Spare Arm 🦾🏍️
Most people see me riding my bike and probably do not notice anything different. That is exactly how I want it to be 😁
I do not want a round of applause every time I manage to put fuel in my bike. I do not want people rushing over to help before I have even asked. I do not want a fuss 🫣
I just want to get on with my life 🤪
Although, if you are one of the eight sports-bike riders sitting behind me at the petrol station the other day, revving your engine and rolling your eyes because I am not moving quickly enough, please feel free to calm yourself down 😂
I am trying to put my glove on with one hand 🤯
The temptation to remove my arm and throw it at you was strong, but that would probably create even more of a delay. 🦾😂
Riding a motorcycle with a prosthetic arm is not something I think about every second of the day. Most of the time, I am just riding my bike like everyone else 🏍️
But travelling through Europe is bringing a few new things into the mix 🗺️
This will be my first time taking my bike onto a ferry ⛴️
In fact, it will be my first time on a ferry full stop 🛑
So naturally, I have already imagined at least 47 different ways it could all go wrong 😑
How are the bikes strapped down?
Will I be expected to do it myself?
Will the ferry start moving while I am still fighting with a ratchet strap (joke)
How quickly do we need to get off at the other end?
Will everybody else be sitting on their bikes ready to go while I am still trying to wrestle my jacket on, find my glove and not have my arm malfunction or power off…
These are the things that bounce around my head 😅
Most people probably roll onto a ferry thinking about finding their cabin and getting a coffee ☕️
I am wondering whether I will accidentally hold up an entire ship 🚢
Then there are the border crossings
Passports. Tickets. Paperwork. Possible fingerprint checks- awkward People speaking a language I do not understand while I sit there trying to look as though I absolutely know what is happening 😂
There is an added complication, come on it is me 🤷🏻♀️
My hearing aids do not sit comfortably inside my motorcycle helmet, so when I am riding, I often cannot wear them.
This means I may arrive at a border checkpoint practically deaf, wearing a helmet, balancing a fully loaded motorcycle and attempting to lip-read somebody speaking through a tiny window 🪟
Possibly in Spanish 🇪🇸
Or French 🇫🇷
Or Portuguese 🇵🇹
I speak none of these languages 🤣
There is a strong chance I will smile, nod confidently and then do something completely wrong. 🧏♀️😂
When I am fully kitted up and wearing my prosthetic, most people do not notice anything different.
Machines do.
Machines always notice.
Airport scanners seem to have a personal grudge against me. They beep, security appears and suddenly I am trying to explain that yes, it is an arm, no, it is not attached in the conventional manner, and yes, I may also have another one in my luggage.
Nothing suspicious here.
Passport. Toothbrush. Spare underwear. Spare arm 🦾
Just the usual essentials for a European motorcycle tour. 🧳🦾
I understand that security checks need to happen.
I understand that people may need to ask questions.
But there have been times when I have been asked to remove my prosthetic in full view of everyone else.
That is the part I struggle with.
I do not expect special treatment.
A few people have said, “Why bother?” or, “Do not go.”
But surely I am still entitled to live my life?
There will probably be awkward moments. There will almost certainly be confusion. At some point, I will likely be standing beside my bike feeling overwhelmed while Neil is trying to work out where we are supposed to be going.
There may be a meltdown 🫠
There may be tears 😭
There will definitely be coffee ☕️
But there will also be incredible roads, new places and stories we would never collect by staying safely at home.
This is not a moan.
It is just a little glimpse into the extra things that sometimes come with travelling when you are slightly different.
One ferry. One border crossing. One spare arm in the luggage…
One adventure at a time
Love Lizzie 🦾💚
Ps.. I thought I’d get a little prepared with the picture 😁🤪
