Woo's of Exhilaration and Skimming Stones 🌅

Very short rides, reflection, making new friends, and volunteering. That’s the day in a nutshell.

I rode from the hotel to the rally site—a mere 1/2 mile. It took longer to put on the requisite gear than to reach the destination. That’s why I prefer 250-mile riding days. 🏍️

At the rally site (one day before the festivities began), I helped set up our BMW Riders Association store, meet the board of directors ‘ table, and giveaway prizes. Folding about 300 t-shirts made me realize I traded an office job for manual labor… for free! 😅 But I find great joy in helping an organization grow and adapt for the future. The gratification from contributing to a non-profit motorcycle club is indescribable. 😊

After completing these tasks, I assisted a fellow club member in logging into the club website. He struck up a conversation about life, careers, family, and motorcycle riding. As a small construction company business owner and father of four, he has a lot of responsibilities that I can't fully understand. But for the first time in 30 years, he took time off to attend this rally. 🛠️👨‍👧‍👦

I shared my life changes with him. Despite being on completely different paths, we talked for about 30 minutes about how this rally represented an important step toward personal freedom and breaking away from tradition. I hope to meet this kind person again and continue our conversation about life’s journey. 🌟

Later in the day, I met a fellow board member who was instrumental in getting me on the Riders Association Board. He has two very classic bikes in his collection—a 1933 BMW and a 1965 BMW. At his insistence, I hopped on the 1965 and took it for a spin in the parking lot, showing off to my friends. 🏍️✨ As I rode, I hollered out woo's of exhilaration as this seemingly ancient bike powered around the pavement. I thought he was brave for letting me ride it, but I’m glad I did. 🎉

At 9:30 pm, I walked from my hotel room to the Little Traverse Bay shoreline to take in the sunset. With red and orange hues filling the sky, I took some pictures and skimmed stones over the water. 🌅📸 There's no better way to end a long day. 🌊