trust & adventure on 2 wheels

As someone who is overly cautious about trusting others with my safety, there are very few people I would completely rely on. Growing up, I rode mini bikes, four-wheelers, and dirt bikes, but I was rarely a passenger. By the age of seven, I had already learned to drive a car, and as I got older, this preference extended to always electing to be the driver when traveling in a group.

When David and I started dating, he had his father’s motorcycle. To my surprise, I had zero reservations about hopping on the back with him in control—except for directing our route, thanks to my internal GPS.

Aside from David, there is exactly one other person I have trusted enough to ride on a motorcycle with since I was old enough to power one myself, and that is my cousin Josh. It’s an elite club of two.
During our first trip across town to pick up tutus from my friend Susan, we were nearly run off the road by someone merging into our lane. David saw this and took prompt, evasive action, speeding up to avoid a collision. While nothing dramatic happened, well, almost nothing dramatic, I’m not known for being passive. Once we were out of immediate danger, I stopped concentrating on staying calm and turned around to offer a few choice hand signals.

David was proud of me for not overreacting in the moment but scolded me for the hand signals. Despite the incident, we spent the summer commuting to work together on the motorcycle, braving the scorching Oklahoma heat.

Through these experiences, I’ve learned that trust and adventure go hand in hand. David’s calm and quick thinking made those rides memorable, reminding me that sometimes, it’s okay to let go and enjoy the journey.