Even if I were to go a whole day without seeing one, I would definitely hear a rider revving the engine as he or she sped by, weaving in and out of lanes of traffic. I have some relatives who once drove all over the United States with nothing but their motorbikes. When I first heard that they had done that, I was amazed.

I immediately knew that it was something that I wanted to do, too. I would take a road trip on two wheels through the long stretch of road that spans the desert, driving through states like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California.

The motorbike is a bit of a mystery to me. It’s said to be dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous than the average mode of transportation, but it stands for freedom, the lone rider. That has always appealed to me.