Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Motorcycle Enlightenment

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BMW K75 along a rural road.
Riding a motorcycle is, for me, a fundamentally different experience from riding a Vespa scooter.

Riding is a practice.

And with enough practice, I’ll run across motorcycle enlightenment. The motorcycle doesn’t see much use during the cold months. With little protection from the elements and the relative ease of using the Vespa, I have to re-acclimate myself to the heavier, bulkier, less maneuverable machine.

I confess riding the BMW K75 brings its own, unique excitement. Different than the scooter, but rewarding in a way that the Vespa can’t match. Power, speed, and the physical mechanics of operating it creates a physical experience that’s more visceral.

I left the house to exercise the motorcycle, churn the oil and further ease myself into the comfort zone with this larger machine. Everything operated as expected but I have concerns regarding this 29 year old K75. Regardless of how flawlessly it operates there’s a part of my brain unwilling to accept it’s fine.

I had experienced the beginnings of motorcycle enlightenment.

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Vespa Scooter Freedom

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Vespa GTS scooter along rural road.
This looks like freedom to me. Of the mind, the spirit, and the body.

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.

MOSHE DAYAN

An escape from the noise of everyday life into a state of Vespa scooter freedom is a gift of hope and joy. The same now as it was when I began riding a scooter so many years ago. In minutes the noise and stress that can accumulate in my head burn off like fog on a sunny morning. The air embraces my body and I’m flying. All I can think is it’s great to be alive.

It doesn’t take long until I’m far from home. The scooter has quietly transported me to a different reality. The long road, the spring light, the promise of life emerging again from winter reduces my world to something simple I can grasp. Like the throttle of the Vespa.

Riding provides a taste of freedom, and it quickens the soul.

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Into the Woods

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Vespa GTS scooter on a forest road
A stop in the woods as I made my way toward the top of the mountain.

Exploring in Spring

With the arrival of spring new roads and path open for riding the Vespa. With the melting of mountain snow, I can head into the woods again. Riding on dirt and gravel is not the first choice for most scooter riders. My Vespa GTS performs adequately only because my style of riding is slow and steady. Neither the tires nor suspension allow me to race along as I might on a dirt bike.

Still, I was excited to venture through the woods and on into the mountains. The approach on paved roads offered the familiar sense of flying I’ve felt before, but when I adjustment to the gravel roads was like moving in slow motion. The road and landscape come into sharp focus and I seemed to be seeing everything.

It’s these startling shifts in perception that happen while riding that keep me riding.

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Ending the Day on a Vespa Scooter

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Vespa GTS scooter along rural road in evening.
A scene that never fails to mesmerize me.

The Nature of Vespa Scooter Riding

I have nothing to say.

Nothing to write.

My mind is so dazzlingly clear and calm that there seems little need to ride. I’m a morning person. At least that’s what I tell myself.  Energy and initiative are in good supply at the beginning of the day.  Everything seems calm and well ordered.  And despite all this seemingly good news, I still feel drawn towards the road.

Standing alongside a familiar rural road at the end of the day I could feel the flutter of excitement that comes with riding. Thoughts of riding into the night, on towards an unknown destination coursed through me. The Vespa scooter stood there waiting.

It was a fine way to reframe the day, unwind a life.

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Pennsylvania Military Museum Folio Project

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folio on bench at Pennsylvania Military Museum
The first folio of photographs release into the wild at the Pennsylvania Military Museum.

Into the Unknown

I left the first folio of prints on a bench at the Pennsylvania Military Museum. It was a sunny morning and only a couple people walking in the distance.

The folios are a selection of images from the photography I’ve done on the grounds over the past year. A creative exercise borne of the restrictions and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m grateful to live so close to a place where I can freely walk without concern of contracting the virus from other people. And still maintain some sense of belonging in the world.

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