"Techno-Nanna"

The pre-game show has begun – the bike has been tuned and checked, the route has been mapped (as best it can be for traveling by motorcycle).  The ‘accommodations’ aka camping gear has been stuffed and is ready to stow and I've received tons of hugs and good wishes.

It's almost time and I thought for a woman like me, packing the sunscreens, shampoo, mascara and other cosmetics to make me feel presentable on the road would be the, “I wish I had a trailer" items, but I’ve discovered the cosmetic space has been usurped by the amount of space required for technological gadgets. Traveling today requires a: digital camera plus battery charger, smart phone plus charger, I pod, blue tooth plus charger, GPS, card readers, batteries, extension cords, netbook...... Holy digital/micro-chip nightmare, it’s ‘TEHCNO-NANNA’ getting ready to ride.

Whatever happened to a motorcycle and a map? Well, those were the old days boys. A gal might not have headed out across the continent solo in the old days, but with the aid of technology I will be in constant contact ... even my mother will know where I am every step of the way. Thanks to technology - girls have been empowered.

TWO MORE SLEEPS

P.S. Have you been following Tamela Rich? She's riding for a great cause.

Did You Miss Me?

It’s been awhile and I’m not making excuses, but … school is winding (like a tornado touches) down for another year. I walked into the building this morning and there was something different about the air. I think it was the smell of the end ... the smell of holidays. You’ve really got to be a kid (or a teacher) to appreciate the scent - “eau de schools out for summer.”

For some reason it doesn’t matter how well organized I think I am moving into the home stretch, when I see that checkered flag everything seems to fall to pieces. Always - too much to do, too little time. I’ve been scrambling to tie up loose ends but that hasn’t stopped me dreaming of my next adventure on the VStar and one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.

Today is the one year anniversary of my first blog post. I’m not sure if you’ve ever wondered who ‘Emily’ is but just in case you have (and even if you haven’t) I thought I’d tell you. Emily was a little girl in my class who happened to see the VStar in the parking lot and when she heard it was mine said, “I didn’t know girls could ride motorcycles!” That comment struck home and this blog was born. I wanted to let little girls (and little boys) know that, girl or boy, they could do anything. I was planning a three week solo tour and decided to blog about it – for Emily, for Rachel, for Alexa, for my granddaughter Maddy and all my other little friends. (My mother and my ‘big’ friends were thrilled 'cause they all wanted to know what was happening too!)

Today there are thousands of women riders – two of those incredible women riders I hope you have a chance to check out are: Sheri Jo, she’s riding around the world, just because she can and Tamela Rich, she has just begun a journey – crossing the US and back to raise money for breast cancer research.

Yes Emily, girls can ride motorcycles…just watch.

(This year, July 9th - I'll be heading west ... )