in the pursuit of "the perfect year"

 It is 6:00 in the morning here in south central Pennsylvania. I've been up since 2 am dealing with the early onset of spring allergies due to our weird winter. Having just come through the third warmest February on record, I look back on the progress of a journey I started 175 days ago: the perfect year. 

On August 19th of this past year, I was in a devastating accident with my Honda PCX scooter. The scoot was deemed a total loss, and I was given a sum which exceeded the amount paid for the machine when it was purchased in 2015. Through this, I continued to work (only missing two days), and on September 14th, I took the insurance payout and handed it over in exchange for a 2020 Honda Grom. 

The realization came to me in early December that I had not gone a day without riding a motorcycle, so the decision was made to keep going. I started reporting my journeys on a few Facebook groups and now have a small following of folks who keep track of my progress. 

The perfect year challenge is as follows: Ride a motorcycle for at least 10 consecutive miles (without getting off the bike), over a period of 365 days. I am not the first to attempt this and instead follow in the tracks of others who have gone before. 

The worst day was December 24th, when it reached a low here of 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The morning was crisp and I only put in twelve miles, but it was accomplished by staying out of the wind and sticking to roads in town. 

Since that day I continue to ride, and started the practice of taking a picture of the bike I am riding with a barn found after then ten mile mark. 

I know I have not written in years, but I will try to update this page periodically with tales of the journey toward the perfect year. 

Until then, may the wind always be at your back, and may your wheels never be parallel to the ground.

(bikes shown are 2020 Honda Grom MSX125 and 2010 Honda NT700V)