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Snacks vs. Tools

If I had to name something I’ve learned from riding motorcycles, I wouldn’t have to think twice about the first answer that comes to mind. Riding has taught me a lot of different skills and lessons such as improvising and figuring things out on my own. I’ve had the zipper of my backpack break in the middle of the night with 750 more miles left in my trip (truck stop bungee cords were a lifesaver that night). I’ve become way more comfortable riding in the rain - even though I still prefer not to do this - and I’ve used several unique items to keep water out of my air cleaner. I’ve also taught myself to be much more social when I stop in small towns - I talk to everyone now - and the stories and conversations make my trips even more enjoyable and memorable. But the thing that stands out most is how I’ve learned to scale back to the basics and reclassify what I considered a necessity when on a long distance road trip.

I’ve always been a heavy packer. When I fly out of town for work my luggage is always the one with the ‘Heavy’ tag and I’m still scrambling at the counter to find 3 more pounds to move from my luggage to my carry-on so I can meet the 50 pound limit. In every aspect of life I like to be prepared with all the things. You need a bandaid? I got it. Have a headache? I have at least 12 Goody’s powders. Hungry? I have snacks! And most importantly, I always have at least 4 outfits per day because you never know if you’re going to need a dress or jeans, sneakers or heels. In that aspect I’ve always been prepared.

(I have to clarify that I’m only talking about always being prepared with what I pack in my luggage - because there are plenty of other times, in other areas of life, that I am far from prepared, no matter how hard I try. I’m working on that.)

Priorities change when you are carrying all of your belongings on your back for 12+ hours a day with 80-90mph winds pulling on your 60 pound backpack. I’ve found that I really don’t need more than one pair of jeans - I can just wash them and wear again. A hair dryer isn’t really that important when it takes up valuable real estate in your bag. And my snack pocket has been taken over by a small tool set and an extra headlight bulb.

I find that every trip gets a little easier to pack for. Each time I go out of town I find one more thing that I didn’t even take out of my bag the entire time I was away. On my most recent trip I decided to really challenge myself and the outcome was quite interesting.

Recently, I found out I needed to make an unexpected emergency trip to Griffin, Georgia; about 475 miles from home. I thought I was riding up on a Thursday and riding back to Sarasota the following day. Turns out a lot changed once I got there, but that’s another story. Thinking I was only staying one night, and considering the temperature in Georgia was forecasted to be highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 50’s, I laid out a pair of jeans (with no holes in them - I’ve learned that makes more of a difference than I once thought - plus holy jeans make for terrible tan lines), knee-high socks, high-top Vans sneakers (my go-to riding shoe), a neck sleeve, a sweatshirt, a hoodie and my leather shirt jacket. These are all the items I would wear the next day during my ride. I live in Florida guys... I have to prepare as though I am about to ride through a snowstorm when I hear the temperature is below 75 degrees.

Now for the contents of my backpack. I knew I wouldn’t need much clothing, so I packed a pair of yoga pants, a light sweatshirt, change of underwear, change of socks and a pair of sneakers. Of course, I had to bring my wallet, phone, chargers etc. I also included my usual small tool kit, those lifesaving bungee cords, a knife and spare headlight bulb.

Side note: until I left for my trip to Texas in November I’d never considered how helpful it could be to carry an extra bulb. Kory stressed to me that I shouldn’t forget it. It made a lot of sense, because what if my bulb blew at night when I was in the middle of nowhere - alone and with no stores around to buy a new bulb. So now I always carry it in my backpack. Thank you Kory for always thinking for me when I forget to think for myself.

I’m sure I’m leaving out a few things here and there that I packed for this trip, but my point is: I literally only carried the basics. Oh - yes - I brought my makeup bag (duh), a small brush, toothbrush and toothpaste. I figured I could just stop and get a small travel-sized deodorant and shampoo/conditioner once I arrived at my destination.

My overnight trip ended up turning into a 7 night stay.

A year ago, I would have panicked. I didn’t have a laptop or pajamas! And what in the world would I do for an entire week without all of the other crap I usually carry? Guess what... those thoughts never even crossed my mind - not once! It didn’t kill me to wash and re-wear the same 3 shirts over and over. And much to my surprise, I didn’t really miss my backpack snacks. Crazy, huh?

It is experiences like this that may seem silly and unimportant to most people, but for me, they have taught me to live more in the moment and not depend on ‘things’ so much. These experiences have taught me to prioritize differently and recognize what is important and what is not; what is functional and what is extra.

You always hear people say that riding is a way for them to relax and unwind or a way to let out aggression. But it’s so much more to me. Every time I go out on a road trip I become a little less dependent on other people and I learn how to figure new things out on my own. Don’t get me wrong - I still have a lot to learn and I’m very lucky to have the people around me who help me get my bike ready for the ride and remind me of things to take with me or to look out for along the way. But I love knowing that I’m growing and, I think, improving as a person with every trip.

I’ll never be the person who camps on the side of the road next to my bike and takes nothing with them but the clothes they are wearing, but I love knowing that I’m learning to leave, feeling prepared, without depending on a ton of unnecessary (and heavy) things and having the confidence to know that I do have some critical thinking skills to get me out of a sticky situation every now and then.