After confinement, my thirst for security turned into a desire for adventure, thanks to my motorcycle - BLOG

TRAVEL - Do you remember the beginning of the war? That of March 2020. This epidemiological war which in the blink of an eye deprived me of at least four of Virginia Henderson's fourteen basic needs: to move, to occupy myself in order to realize myself, and to to entertain. As a biker I would tend to add need n°9, “avoid dangers”.

The genesis

This first period of confinement (March 17 to May 11, 2020) was particularly frustrating for me, because I was enrolled in the motorcycle school. I remember this moment when I cursed, not understanding how learning to ride a motorcycle, wearing a personal helmet and gloves, being several meters from the instructor, who himself would be wearing a surgical mask, constituted a activity at high risk of contamination requiring the closure of the motorcycle school.

This chronological upheaval made me jump, because I saw the beautiful days approaching and I could not help but imagine myself traveling the hilly roads of my region of Calvados. It was still necessary to pass the set and then the driving.

Then that day arrived, August 12, 2020, I got the pass for freedom, this famous pass that allows me to finally be able to drive my motorcycle! Because, as if taken by masochism, I had bought my motorcycle two months before obtaining my licence.

During the month of November 2020, when I again saw part of my “14 basic needs” dramatically diminished, an urgent need to escape was felt. Go far from home, see landscapes seen only in reports, discover other ways of doing things and meet people from elsewhere, all on a motorcycle.

As creepy as it may be, the Roadtrip project comes to life and I find myself plotting a route of about three thousand kilometers in the south-east of France.

Where are we going?

Lake Annecy, the Vercors with these roads drawn freehand in the walls of vertiginous rocky massifs, the lake of Serre-Ponçon of a hypnotic blue reflecting majestic peaks, the Col de Turini, the Gorges du Verdon; so many places that tickled my curiosity! I could no longer content myself with seeing them from my sofa, through the gaze of a reporter or journalist-tester, I had to live!

Departure

“Meet at 4:30 a.m. at the Intermarché station in Croissy-Beaubourg (Seine-et-Marne) for a 5 a.m. departure”.

On June 20, 2021, 4:45 a.m., a Ninja ZX10R, Z900 and Fazer 600 watered at the oil well while their riders set up their intercoms. Suddenly a voice came out of nowhere in our helmets: “Oh guys! I hear you! IT'S INCREDIBLE!" It was a fourth adventurer who arrived with his 752 S. His intercom had automatically connected to ours as he drove about 500 meters from us!

5:30 am, we left for about 570 kilometers towards Annecy. Excitement mixed with apprehension of the unknown made us giggle into our helmets.

We are leaving Île-de-France; the sun rises giving us a comforting light; the guitars of “Sweet Home Alabama” in my headphones harmonize with the roaring voice of my Fazer, and I laugh to myself thinking “this must be freedom!”. I had imagined this moment so many times in my head, but this time it was real: “we are there guys!!”.

Once we arrived at the first checkpoint, a gas station somewhere between Yonne and Aube, our fifth accomplice joins us in a Diversion 600. Now that the whole gang is complete, the convoy of 426 horsepower travels the roads; nothing could stop us! Well no… nothing apart from the calf cramps. But of course we were not going to forfeit so quickly! Especially since around 5:45 p.m., at the exit of a bend, a radical change of scenery, like a maestro, tunes our voices to form a single and harmonious “wouaaaahh” of wonder! Welcome to Haute-Savoie.

I wasn't ready for that

They had shown me pictures of themselves; I knew how to guess the sensuality of their curves; they had given me a glimpse of the narrowness of their depths; but once arrived on them: the ocular orgasm was inevitable!

The roads of the Vercors, more specifically those of the Cirque de Combe Laval, had no mercy for my eyes and made me LIVE a spectacle that no Madame Loyal could match.

The more the bitumen passed under our boots, the more we felt like we had changed countries.

Climbing again and again until you reach whitish peaks, “damn it guys there is snow!”.

Chasing endless switchbacks in torrential rain; dodging the danger to feel so small in front of the immensity of the lake of Serre-Ponçon;

Finding myself a little over 1,000 kilometers from my home, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea that caresses the outskirts of Nice and realizing that I am far away;

Leaving with my wet swimming shorts, strapped over my package as a banner implicitly displaying to everyone I passed that at this precise moment, I was more alive than ever!

Be dazzled by the turquoise blue of Lake Castillon;

It was necessary, it was necessary, a fundamental need to fulfill myself as a biker, as a friend, as a brother, as a human.

Meeting humanity

”[…], but it is essential, if one wants to become a real human being and give meaning to his existence, to have a heart Good." -Dalai Lama.

On June 21, 2021 around 7 p.m., this quote came to us in such an authentic way that we were almost stunned.

We arrive in Chorges in the Hautes-Alpes, at the home of Roselyne and her husband, where we will spend the night. Exasperating incident, the Benelli 752 S finds itself on the ground just in front of the entrance of the house. The pilot is fortunately not injured, but the clutch lever is broken. Impossible to continue the Roadtrip in this condition.

But don't panic, Roselyne's husband rushes into his garage and in the minute, here we are, in a general amazement, dazzled by a jet of sparks: he was cutting off one end of a large metal pipe at the grinder! This scene will forever be etched in my memory.

He tries to fit the prosthesis to the stump of the clutch lever, but the maneuver is unsuccessful. Our host is not discouraged and in the end it is only a simple PVC tube that will allow us to go first thing in the morning to Dafy Moto in Gap, located 15 minutes away.

Barely after getting us out of this mess, our handyman pronounces the magic words: “Aperitif? Beer, whiskey, pastis, rum? Who drinks what?” And there, while all the pressure of the day goes down, I want to cry! I wanted to take this gentleman in my arms and give him a big hug, but let's see, I just held on with a grateful "I'd like a cold beer, thank you".

Around 9:30 p.m., we were roaming the streets of Chorges (Hautes-Alpes) in search of tonight's dinner. We had completely forgotten, but it was the music festival, hence the good atmosphere in one of the bars in the street.

It was so good to see humans dancing, laughing, seeing smiles on “naked” faces, as well as a guitarist on a stage; so many things usually mundane, but tarnished by war, the sight was mind-boggling.

And it was not long in becoming exceptional, because while I ask the person in charge of the place if she still serves food, I hear the guitarist announce: “I would like to introduce you to Dany who is passing through in the city and who will accompany me on stage”. I turn my head and to thunderous applause, I see my brother, a pianist, igniting the floor with a frenzied salsa.

It is also to experience these unexpected, unusual moments that I left home! I needed it, basic needs to entertain myself, but above all to occupy myself in order to fulfill myself.

And I recreated myself

Before leaving, I was thirsty for wealth, comfort, security. Interested in real estate investment, I had planned to create my first SCI and buy a set of stones. But the arrival of the war decided otherwise, calling into question my objectives for the year 2021.

I'm gone!

And I came back with a thirst for adventure, breathtaking landscapes, adrenaline pushing me to open the throttle so that in the evening, lying on my bed, I could rewind the tape and visualize in my head all those moments that will have made me alive.

At a time when a (health) pass is necessary to survive, if you are reading these lines, take the time to offer yourself a pass (motorcycle license) to live!

For my part, I'm already organizing my next therapy: Mont-Blanc I'm coming!!

But you, where are you going to go to recreate yourself?

You can find Samuel on his Instagram account.

Also see on The HuffPost: Every week, this survivor of the road offers gifts to passers-by

Samuel B.

Nurse