Just like Riding a Bike

I haven't been shy about the fact that I never learned how to ride a bike. I still kind of remember my first bike. It was red and not very flashy, but it was enough. At least with the training wheels it was enough. One day, I didn't park my bike properly and my dad accidentally backed his car over the bike. After that I just never got another bicycle.

I didn't realize that the inability to ride a bike wasn't normal until high school. But by then I was a few months away from a driver's permit. I was just not interested in the possibility of scrapes, scratches and public humiliation and decided to turn my attention to four wheels instead of two.

The reason for my newfound bravery is travel related. In September I have my second week of vacation for the year and Boyfriend and I are planning the trip of a lifetime. We're going  the Europe baby! Or at least that's the plan. Ah, the life of flying stand-by.

On the agenda: France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This will be Boyfriend's second trip to Europe and my first. We'll eat bread and cheese is Paris, train our way through Belgium and in an effort to take full advantage of the European experience, I'm learning to ride a bike to pedal my way around Amsterdam.

Somehow it never occurred to me the feeling of freedom one can feel while riding a bike. The wind in your face, the ease of effortlessly gliding down a street. It all was so foreign to me and for the first time in my adult life, I experienced it. It was like a lifelong weight lifted off my shoulders. After about a day or two, my fear melted away. This began my minor obsession with riding my new bike (affectionately named Becky) at every spare moment I had. 

I began skipping cooking, blogging, working out and backyard tanning for some quality time with Becky. I relied on peanut butter sandwiches and cereal for most of my meals and spend the time saved on Becky, riding her right before work, even if it was just for 10 minutes. I'm still trying to get the hang of riding, but I'm gaining confidence every day. Boyfriend has been very patient by helping me learn and fixing the used bike I bought. Just one step closer to Europe. 

-Akemi-chan