Sunday 6 October 2013

100 Posts .. A Reflection

As I posted up the video in the previous post I noticed that it was my 100th post. That gave me thoughts about how far I've come since I started both riding and blogging about my riding. I went back and read my very first post. I decided to do a bit of a reflection of both the blog, the riding and the bike, it's all changed .. a lot!!

The blog has changed, I'm doing much bigger posts now with big glossy photos. I guess that's a reflection on the new fascination I have with taking photos and trying new things like video and the GoPro. I also think it's because I don't really have as much to write about my riding, everything just seems to be going so nicely, so I pad it out with lots of pics.

The White Shadow at Newcastle Harbour

But then I had a lot more the write about back then I think. Reading my first four posts about learning to ride .. sheesh just getting the courage to ride .. was fascinating for me. You can check them out HERE if you're interested. I loved the first post about our trip to Newcastle, remembering how weird it all felt to be riding into the wind, I never thought I would get used to that or be able to go faster than 80km/h.

I feel like I have come a long way with my riding but still remember some parts very vividly, I still get butterflies every time I have to do a U-Turn and I did mention how hard I was finding them in a lot of posts. But some of the things I had actually forgotten about .. my problems getting used to braking, I'd forgotten how for the first couple of weeks I was actually braking so hard that I was riding the tank. Then there's the way in one post I would be all excited that I'd got the hang of something then a couple of posts later I am lamenting that I will never get the hang of it and that I think I'm doing it all wrong (I'm thinking particularly about braking and keeping one foot up while stopped here). Now I don't think about those things .. now I just wanna find more exciting things to do.

Another post that I loved but really am disappointed that I didn't put more pics in was the one about my ride to Gulgong   

The White Shadow in Feburary 2012 in the main street of Gulgong.

It was an exciting ride and it shows in the way I wrote about it, the thing that still sticks in my mind is the smells .. good and bad, I still love riding past a freshly baled stack of hay or a wet forest. I'd forgotten about how much every little bump in the road used to affect me though.

It wasn't really that long ago that I was worrying about not being able to park or back the bike comfortably cause I couldn't touch the ground properly. Now while I'm still careful on gravel, I don't stress like I used to, and parking is just happening naturally all of a sudden. I find that pretty amazing actually.

I have done a lot of posts about prettying up my baby, I even did a post where I officially named her .. Roxy. Those posts are interesting too, not just to show how the bike has changed and evolved but how I learnt more about her and what makes her tick. I still have a long way to go there!

Roxy as she looks now, on the road to Broken Hill
 Then there are the rides where we met some like minded wonderful people and shared the adventure with them for a while. The first one was the adventure to Queensland where the Shadow Riders Australia (SRA) took us under their wings and showed us around for a day.

Morning tea with some of the Queenslanders.
And that was so exciting on so many levels, there were so many firsts on that trip that I can't list them but by far the best first was getting to meet all those wonderful people.

There were other rides with groups and every time I remember the dread that I would do something embarrassing in front of all those people, I never did until the last big meet up when the SRA came to Dubbo for their first annual meet. Yep I dropped poor Roxy right in front of the leader of the group, who leaped to help me almost before I realised what was happening .. such a sweet man, as they all were.


And fun too!! Check out the posts HERE if you're interested.

Of course there are a lot of other posts that I love and reading back through them has been absorbing for me, so many that I could point out that it would take another 100 posts .. so I wont go on. It's all there to look at any time I want to.


That's what it's all about isn't it? It's why I wanted to do the blog thing to start with. It's a record of the journey that is my bike riding adventure. From the very shaky start to the awesome plans for the future. It's fun!! So now 100 posts in and I'm still going strong, my love for riding hasn't waned (like most things I take up often do). I'm still blogging, though yep have to admit I do have times when I just don't get to it as much as other times, but I still love it! It has been a great adventure so far, I have learnt so much, and there's still a lot more to learn and experience .. I can't wait!!

16 comments:

  1. I know where you're coming from. What started as a diary has become a journey log. I hope that you continue to enjoy blogging to show us your part of the world on a motorcycle.

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    1. That's exactly what has happened Sonja, it's evolved and it's been such fun doing it that I will definately continue share my adventure with you :)

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  2. Yay! You're blog is a success. As you note, it's getting bigger and better. Best of all, you seem to be having fun.

    Enjoying blogging is wonderful when it happens. Some people integrate it into their lives and it becomes an extension of their lives. Usually this occurs when bloggers (like you and me) have some activity (like motorcycling) that fuels them. We want to share our passion and joy.

    Congrats!!!

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    1. Thanks Ally :D

      It's best fun you can have with your clothes on !! I'm actually a bit surprised with the success that it has all been, I tend to be a good starter of new things, but I get distracted easily and the next big thing comes along and everything else tends to lay unfinished. Blogging and riding seem to be keepers and I'm glad because not only am I having fun, I am meeting some wonderful people too (an extra bonus that I never expected). Thank you for sharing it with me :)

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  3. Congrats on 100 posts. It is neat to look back and see how we've evolved both with riding and blogging.

    Keep on keeping on. I enjoying following along on your journey and I thank you for sharing it.

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    1. Thanks Brandy!

      It is neat to look back, it's something I haven't really done in ernest since I started the blog and has been great to reflect on it all ... I'm glad that you have joined in the journey with me .. that's the best bit about it all right now, sharing with wonderful people who share my joy in riding and exploring.

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  4. Brenda I've been following your blog along from nearly the start. It has been a great read from someone who was begining with all your trials and tribulations. You certainly have come along way from those first few rides and hope to read your rides into the future.

    I've found that making my blog has given me new found motivation to ride after riding for about 20 years I really had nothing at all to show for it. At least when Its on my blog its like a ride journal. I noticed I had been to lots of great places on the bike and had virtually no photos of anything.

    Cangratulations on the blog, 100 posts and still going strong. Keep it up.

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    1. You are my original follower Steve and hold a special place in my heart for that. I'm sure without you then I would have not gone on as I have. Thanks for that, and thanks for sharing your adventures with me too. You opened up a whole world for me, and I remember how very excited I was when I saw your first comment here .. I shouted (it may have even been a squeal of delight!)

      Ta for the congratulations .. I'm not ready to quit anytime soon, I'm having way too much fun sharing and checking out what everyone else is up to :D

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  5. brenda:

    i think I have been here since the beginning too. I remember you trying to ride, then doing the U-turns and then parking in the gravel.

    Congrats on your first 100 posts with many more to come. You sound so confident now, not like when you were learning

    I too started like it was a journal and it was also my idea to make photography part of it with showing others what our area looked like. It wasn't meant to be merely about motorcycling content but also about life . The unforeseen bonus is that we have made friends all over the world

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast

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    1. Oh yeah I remember you being around to help at the begining too Bob, thanks for that :)

      I love the way you post on your blog about every day things .. and sharing the place that you live, it's facinating to see that kinda stuff that I would normally never see, I'm glad you became my freind :)

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  6. Congrats on 100 posts. Keep riding & writing!

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  7. Hi Brenda, congrats on the tonne. When you read all there is about motorcycling it's clear there's a lot more going on than just transport. I think our blogs are all trying to impart the complex set of emotions and feelings you experience when you mount a motorcycle. Keep sharing the experience.

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    1. Thanks Theo :)

      You're absolutely right Theo, it's about so much more than just transport it's a passion. I'll keep sharing and also keep enjoying other bloggers adventures like yours.

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  8. Brenda,

    I am so glad you stuck with it and are finding it to be 'joyous' instead of 'vexing or onerous'. I can so remember all those feelings; wonderment, nervousness, anxiety, confidence and satisfaction at conquering a skill and then disappointment when it seems I backslid. It only gets better! I can remember a trip on some particularly wonderful challenging twisties I did recently and right in the midst of a 90 turn I suddenly thought as I had the bike leaned over "Wow is this really me doing this?" It is those moments when you realize just how far you have come and how much you have learned in such a short time. Roxy is looking very spiffy and I am glad you are a sista in the motorcycle family!

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    1. Hi Dar, sorry I took so long to reply to you, I'm having a busy life at the moment :)

      You said it perfectly!! i had one of those moments just this week when I hadn't been on the bike for a week then rode to work and just wanted to keep going past work .. it all felt so perfect!!

      Roxy said thanks for the compliment :) And I have to say I'm pretty chuffed to be a sista too :D

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