I'm a four season rider in the Pacific Northwest, where it is truly possible to ride all four seasons. However, that doesn't mean it's a good idea to ride every day. We do get the occasional snow and ice, and the past two years, I've hit ice patches commuting to work that woke me up, but luckily didn't send me down. This year, I've been trying to be a bit more responsible about which days I choose to ride,, and taking four wheels if it's iffy.
This means rather than riding daily, I'm riding 1-2 times a week, and I feel it in my energy levels. I'm starting to think I've got an adrenaline addiction; without riding, I'm a bit more sleepy when I get to work, and a bit less perky at the end of my day. But, our winters are usually mild, so I also keep hoping we've gotten the snow out of our system for a bit, and I can go back to riding daily after the new year.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. To get my fix in a different way, I've started working on a Women's ADV magazine. http://womenadvriders.com/ This has stretched me in a dozen new ways already, and I look forward to stretching in even more directions.
It has made me ponder the difference between my blogging and magazine writing. In blogging, I'm journaling, and sharing with the thought that perhaps someone else has felt this way, and might be interested in reading a fellow travelers perspective. Or they have never felt something I'm describing, but reading about it broadens their perspective. Or perhaps no body reads it, but I've gotten to process my feelings in writing, and I can move forward in a new way. For the magazine, I am always thinking about my intent and my audience. I want to write things that either inspire or inform. It's no longer about my process, but about reaching out and communicating. I've also realized that my photography skills and equipment may need some upgrading to do a better job. And, as someone who is frequently writing about working on a bike as a novice and riding skills, I'm really working on how to effectively communicate my experiences in those areas.
Another piece of fun that has happened is that we bought a little 1996 Geo Metro to meet my occasional commuting needs. Nathan and I have gotten to do some tinkering on it, and I got to drive it in said snow, and made some discoveries. Having grown up in California, I never learned to drive in the snow. Even living in Spokane for 5 years, I learned that I had no idea how to drive in the snow unless the roads were plowed. However, hanging out with Nathan and riding a motorcycle off road somehow accidentally taught me how to drive in the snow! My four point basic lesson was 1) stay calm. I've had lots of experience learning how to keep myself calm while riding, and it translated to driving in the snow. 2) Keep your momentum up. So many cars were abandoned during our recent snow storm due to people getting stuck on hills. 3) Be smooth on the controls. This is related to staying calm. When I am all tensed up and panicked, I tend to jam on the brakes and give too much steering input. When I am calm, I just gently nudge the car where it needs to go. 4) Brake, then turn. This is something I learned in motorcycling that somehow I'd never learned before. Using these skills and sticking to main roads (I know the unplowed hills were an impossibility) I safely made it home with not a single scary moment.
The sun is out today and tomorrow, so I'm hoping to shake some of these winter blues with at least a sort ride. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends and family!
