I conceived the whole MotoHippie adventure deal sometime in 2002 with Paul while I was trekking around Europe.  Since 2003, I’ve ridden about 40000 miles (15K on a 250cc Honda Hornet, pronounced Hor-nay, around Japan) trying to pop my rider cherry.  I still consider myself a novice, but I know that if you bring the right tools to the table, then the rest is just attitude; I can live on the road indefinitely.  I haven’t even owned a car since the Saturn I had in college (I know, Yimmy, I bought that Mercedes 240D beater off of you a couple years ago, but I drove it a whopping 300 miles before it decided that it had had enough).  

Uncomfortable.

I’ve been driving around these tiny, tiny streets in a massive Volvo GLT 815 for the past six weeks.  Don’t get me wrong: I’m completely grateful that someone has been kind enough to lend me a car for free for so long… but all I want to do is ride a bike.  I got here on October 6th, and I have been trying non-stop (in some way or another) to be in possession of a bike.  My own would be nice… but I’m a realist.  I know when I’m beat.  I’ll buy a 125.  I’ll ride a bike half the size of the bike I learned on… but seriously!  I’ve been buying this tiny little bike for almost three weeks now!  It’s just silly!  Buying a BMW from Brattin took me a total of about three days.  Brand new.  Seriously.  I’m going to get killed in that Volvo.  I can see it already.  May my obituary read: He died valiantly, trying to buy a motorcycle.