Iron Roamer Adventure Philosophy

Other’s Opinions

As I was preparing for my motorcycle adventure I read blogs, forums, and attended several motorcycle travel events. I encountered many opinions, judgements and admonitions that I had to do this or that, or travel in a certain way, or should hold specific views to be a true motorcycle adventurer. In the process I discovered I didn’t believe any of it! My philosophy is that all that talk was ultimately futile, unproductive and even destructive to a person’s dreams.

It’s Your Adventure

So what do I believe? I believe we should transcend judgments and simply support and encourage people as they fulfill their life’s purpose and adventure.

An adventure is anything you want it to be. Don’t let others define this for you. There is no right or wrong way to have your adventure. It is your adventure and no one else’s.

People have ridden the world on large BMWs, Harley Davidsons, Vespas, sport bikes, and motocross bikes. It doesn’t matter the make, model, or size of your vehicle. Since it is a motorcycle it is awe-inspiring by definition. But that is me. If you prefer a Unimog, Toyota or Range Rover, I’m also behind you 100%. It is your overland adventure!

Some like to ride the dirt roads, while others prefer pavement. Some carry lots of gear and others barely a change of clothing. Some like to stay in hotels or hostels, where others like to bush camp.

Whatever your chosen path, your trip is the artistic expression of your life. You are the master of your own destiny. And my motorcycle journey is my own expression of life. Both our expressions are awesome! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

So my advice to you is learn how to express your life through your overland adventure in the best way possible. Take in what others have to say and learn how to do YOUR adventure better. But never compromise on your dream.

Why I Ride

Some people are motorcyclists who travel, while others are travelers who motorcycle. I’m the later.

I enjoy the self-sufficiency of motorcycle adventure travel, the ability to explore, to stop where I please, to get lost in the unknown, meeting others whose paths happen to cross my route that day.

There is an inherent and necessary simplicity to life on a motorcycle. With room for little more than a pair of panniers and a bag strapped behind you, you can only bring so much. Everything you carry has to have a purpose.

For me, the absence of physical clutter helps remove mental clutter – stress, distraction and sometimes even addiction to “things.” Carrying all I need on the back of my bike sets me free from “stuff.” The real priorities of life come to the forefront – people.

I enjoy traveling on a motorcycle because I feel immersed and connected with the environment. I feel the wind in my face; the smells from the roadside; the rain as it strikes my helmet; the cold as it penetrates my core; the warmth from the sun; the bumps on the road; and that bug that has found its way into my helmet.

But it is more than that. On a motorcycle people invariably come up and talk to me. Other motorcyclist wave as we pass. And even people walking along the road wave. And I love it when I can bring a big smile to a child’s face by letting them sit on my bike.

I ride not to escape life, but for life not to escape me.

Join me! Check out my Daily Journal and Blogs. I hope you will learn and laugh reading them. Then create your own adventure.