A few years ago, a friend of mine approached me with a bit of a dare. ”What if we flew to Anchorage, rented motorcycles, and rode and camped across Alaska for a couple of weeks?” She followed it up with, ”and don’t say ‘yes’ unless you really mean it!” I thought on it for about 12 seconds…“I’m in!”
Instantly, we burst into nervous, giddy laughter with gulping wide eyes, as if to ask, “what have we done?!” coupled with the sobering realization that neither one of us owned or rode motorcycles. From there, we made a plan: we signed up for and passed motorcycle training, got our license, and bought bikes. A year later, we flew to Alaska and had the absolute time of our lives riding from Anchorage to Homer and covering the Kenai Peninsula in between.
Freedom.
I’ve never felt so free as I did on that trip – the wind in my hair, the glacial coolness on my skin, the thrill in the feel of my bike, and camping in a wild like I had never known. And that feeling of freedom coats me every time I ride.
Driving a motorcycle lets you experience the world in 4D – taking in nature’s elements, sights, sounds, smells, and textures. I’m never so present as when I’m riding my bike – my senses are fully alive to the essence surrounding me. I can be no other place than right where I am.
Our Alaska adventure checked all my boxes, hit all my values, stretched and challenged me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. We did our research. Mapped our own route. Provisioned and purchased all the right gear. We thought through all kinds of scenarios, dangers, and what ifs, planning as best we could. I’ll admit that I had some restless nights leading up to our trip truly afraid of the scale of it all and dreaming of bears in our campsite. Fortunately, we never encountered any bears!…and I leaned into my fear and felt in awe of our sheer accomplishment.
I fantasize about my next motorcycle adventure…2021 or 22 maybe – I’m thinking of a West Coast stretch from Vancouver to San Diego. One day, New Zealand? Thailand? Meanwhile, I ride as often as I can in and around North Carolina with a smile that wraps around my head.
When are you most free?
Hi, I’m Jeanie Duncan. I work with individuals and organizations as a transformation partner to help them unlock their Truth, discover authentic value, and create meaningful impact in the world. I believe when we are truly aligned with our purpose, we can live and perform at our highest potential. With over 25 years of experience as an executive, CEO, consultant, and coach, I offer strategic, knowledgeable, and experienced guidance for those who are ready to take the courageous leap toward true transformation.