Two Years Living On Two Wheels...And Counting

[Judoka]

This was not the NYC that I knew when I was there back in the 80's and early 90's and to be honest, it was freaking me out! Everything was so clean and people were so nice and helpful. I felt like I had crossed into another dimension on a Time Warped Amtrak; or maybe it was the beer! I went back into the train station hoping to "recalibrate".

Even the trains were clean and free of graffiti !



Now I am not saying all of New York is like this but for someone who was there in a much uglier day, this was absolutely shocking!

 

[Judoka]

I did not get wander around when I switched trains in Queens because I wanted to be sure to go straight to the airport just in case. Everywhere I went there was just beautiful!

 

[Judoka]

After a fairly long day of riding trains and a sleepless night before while using that bench as a bed, I was pretty tired out by the time I reached JFK. All I wanted to do was to get to my gate and wait it out in a chair until morning! When I approached Security I was informed however that I could not enter the terminal until like 6 hours before my flight or something. That left me in NYC at night with no hotel reservation! Ugh!!!!!!

Well, "It is an adventure and I am meant to be here" I thought! I guess I will hunt a beer and a meal and take it from there. TSA had told me that there was a restaurant at the TWA Hotel in another terminal. So back on a train and away I went.

Once again life had a better adventure than I had in envisioned!

This place is awesome!


I found the bar just 30 minutes before they were closing but it was enough time to enjoy a drink . The bartender was of Spanish decent and he was telling me how he had come to be in NYC. While I was enjoying the beer, two ladies who had just come in from working stopped to have a drink before bed. Immediately we struck up a conversation. We seemed be just talk like we were old friends! I was thinking' " Man I wish this place was not closed already" and I asked the bartender for my tab.
Keeping with the "norm" for this trip, one of the ladies told the bartender she wanted to take care of it. I told her I appreciated it but I also didn't mind paying my tab. She insisted, and ordered me another one. Soon we were drinking and laughing...and the bartender was cleaning up and ready to go home. I had been talking to the "quieter" woman for a while, as we seemed to share a lot of the same interests; when her friend shouted out, "One more!" and the bartender poured us all another drink.
I spoke to the bartender in Spanish and asked him not to stay open on our account. I told him I did not want him to get into trouble! That was when he looked at me and said, "Es la jefa" as he nodded towards the louder woman.
"Oh! Pues, no hay problema."
Then he tells me, "Y ella es la duena"! I had been talking with the owner (of the corporation who had the restaurant and bar as I came to understand) all this time and never had a clue.

 

[Judoka]

We said our goodnights sometime after midnight and they went off to bed. They told me there would be no problem with me sitting in the lounge upstairs of I wanted since the hotel was booked up. So much better than trying to sleep in those chairs at the boarding gate!

The next day I had a great breakfast in their restaurant. Excellent coffee!

 

[Judoka]

All too soon it was time to leave New York

 

[Judoka]

I try to make the most of every opportunity and every season of life like most everyone else does. I think the only difference in my perspective may be that I have learned to appreciate those hard times and I have realized that without them life would not be nearly as sweet. Logically, one could ask how we can even know a good experience if we don't have a bad experience!

While I was surviving those desperate times I found a lifestyle which gave me a new kind of peace. While I was struggling I found a new kind of strength. I had realized that I felt more alive just living for what I NEEDED than I ever did living for what I believed I wanted. It was during that summer after the second surgery that I realized how much I preferred to live in a tent and to let the current of life cary me to my destination than chasing a goal that only lead me to more work and less freedom; all to live somewhere and some way that someone else decided was "the right way"!

I also realized how therapeutic riding was for me, and I knew that it was something I needed for my own mental wellbeing! Even renting the room just showed me that I was still just living out of luggage! So, the search was on.

I needed to find a bike which would be able to cary me wherever I felt I needed to roam. It would need to cary everything I needed and owned. It would need to be super dependable and capable. Most of all, it needed to be inexpensive! I combed the ads on this forum and CraigsList and another forum I used to frequent but found very few in budget. The ones I did find were scooped up before I could even get a ride out to see them.

 

[Judoka]

Then one September day I got paid back all of the milage and travel expenses I had been paying for in one check! That check with what I had been saving was enough to open up more possibilities.
Immediately I picked up my phone and hit CraigsList and searched for bikes within a 500 mile radius and found an ad for a bike I had on my "dream list"! I had just enough money to buy the bike but not enough to get there and bring it back. Still , I tried desperately to reach the seller; to no avail.

Then I read the full post and saw the "magic words"..."I bought it from another inmate"! "Inmate"? There is only one motorcycle forum I know of where we proudly refer to ourselves as "Inmates" (of the insane asylum); ADV Rider!
I hopped on the site and found the post and sent a PM. Soon I was having a conversation about the bike and logistics. We agreed on a price and he offered to deliver it to me!

 

[Judoka]

This bike checked all of the boxes for me. A 2006 BMW R1200GSA with 14k miles, Ohlins Suspension new tires and the ABS system professionally deleted! My only worry was if it would be too tall for me. I figured if it was I could get my money back easy enough anyway so might as well try!

When the bike arrived I threw a leg over it and immediately knew this was the one I had been waiting for my whole life! While I could tiptoe the bike it only took a moment to remember riding tall dirt bikes, slide my butt and one leg it solid. That feeling of having my freedom back and on a bike I have always wanted solidified my decision to once again pack up and live on two wheels!

 

[Judoka]

New Chapter, new challenges!

 

[AbleGuy]

I’ve truly enjoyed reading of your “ADVentures” and wish you many more years of interesting road tripping.

Your story was a real page turner and was thoroughly entertaining.

 

[Judoka]

I’ve truly enjoyed reading of your “ADVentures” and wish you many more years of interesting road tripping.

Your story was a real page turner and was thoroughly entertaining.

Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying. I will start posting the second year soon. I will even have a video or two.

 

[Judoka]

Here is a little teaser on two wheels.

 

[Judoka]

It would take me another two months of working every job I could to get the funds together to get back out West. I knew once I got back I had steady employments. The challenge now was just getting there!

 

[Judoka]

The opportunity to help a friend remodel their new nail salon came at the perfect time! I was able to help assemble the new furniture and help them plumb in the Salon Chairs. Mostly however, I was there to lift heavy stuff and clean!

 

[Judoka]

I helped hang cabinets and install a countertop!