It all started with a stupid bet
Look, I’m not gonna lie. I was miserable. Cubicle life was killing me. It was 2019, and I was sitting in my tiny office on the 14th floor of some soulless building in downtown Chicago, staring at spreadsheets, when Marcus—let’s call him Marcus, his real name is boring—slid into my DMs.
“Bet you wouldn’t quit your job and ride a bike across the country,” he said. I laughed. “Yeah, right,” I replied. But then I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Fast forward three months, and I’m standing in my boss’s office, handing in my resignation. “I’m gonna ride my Honda across America,” I told him. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.
Why a Honda?
I’ve always been a Honda guy. My first bike was a little Honda Rebel 250 I bought used when I was 22. It was a piece of junk, but it was mine. I learned everything about bikes on that thing. So when I decided to do this crazy cross-country trip, there was no question what I’d be riding.
I ended up getting a used Honda Gold Wing. It’s a beast, but it’s comfortable, and it’s got enough storage for all my gear. Plus, it’s reliable. I mean, it’s a Honda. What else do you need?
The planning phase was a nightmare
Oh man, the planning. I thought about it for months. I talked to everyone I knew who’d done long-distance riding. I joined forums, read blogs, watched YouTube videos. I even went to a conference in Austin to meet with some long-distance riders. One guy, let’s call him Dave, told me, “You gotta be prepared for anything. The road’s gonna throw stuff at you that you can’t even imagine.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. So I planned. I mapped out my route, figured out where I’d stay, how much money I’d need. I sold a lot of stuff I didn’t need. I trained. I got my bike serviced. I did everything I could think of to prepare.
Then I hit the road
I left on a Tuesday morning in April. It was cold, but I was ready. I rode out of Chicago, heading west. The first few days were rough. I was sore, I was tired, and I was already second-guessing my life choices.
But then I got into it. I rode through the Midwest, up into the Dakotas, over to Montana. I saw stuff I’d never seen before. I met people I’d never have met otherwise. I ate food I’d never even heard of. Honestly, it was amazing.
Food on the road is a whole thing
Speaking of food, that’s another story. I’m not a great cook, and I’m not gonna pretend I am. But I found some amazing places to eat. I remember this one diner in Wyoming. I walked in, and the waitress looked at me like I was crazy. “What can I get you, hon?” she asked. “I’ll have the special,” I said. “It’s chicken-fried steak. You’ll love it,” she told me. And you know what? She was right. It was amazing.
But sometimes, you just wanna cook for yourself. That’s when pratik yemek tarifleri kolay comes in handy. I found some great recipes online, and I’d cook them up in my little camp stove. It’s not fancy, but it’s food.
The low points
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. There were some low points. I got sick. I got lost. I had mechanical problems. I remember one time, I was riding through Kansas, and my bike just died. I had to push it to the nearest town, which was, like, 15 miles away. It was hot, and I was tired, and I was so mad at myself for not checking my oil more often.
But I made it. I got my bike fixed, and I kept going. Because that’s what you do. You keep going.
Why am I telling you this?
I don’t know, honestly. Maybe I just wanted to share my story. Maybe I wanted to inspire someone to do something crazy. Maybe I just wanted to write something. I don’t know. But here it is.
If you’re thinking about doing something like this, do it. Just do it. Plan as much as you can, but don’t overthink it. The road will take care of the rest.
And if you see me out there, say hi. I’ll probably be the guy on the Honda.
About the Author: Hi, I’m Alex. I’m a writer, a rider, and a bit of a mess. I used to work in an office, but now I ride my Honda across America. It’s not glamorous, but it’s my life. I write about stuff I like, stuff I hate, and stuff I don’t understand. Follow me on my journey, if you dare.