Helmet Head: Lessons from the Road About Myself
“Helmet head” is a term we motorcyclists use to describe the way our hair looks when it comes out from under the helmet. It’s never pretty. I also use the term for what goes through my mind as I travel under the helmet.
Because you can hardly find a restaurant without a TV blaring away in it, I remember the Boise restaurant I was in when I learned of the Denver movie theater shooting. Being under the helmet and away from the 24-hour news cycle was a blessing, not because I don’t like to be informed, but because NOBODY needs to be barraged by the 24-hour news cycle on a continuous loop of no-longer-news.
A long dose of helmet head helps me detox from addictions I develop during the rest of the year, and each trip has equipped me to lead an incrementally more peaceful life upon return. Here’s what’s on my mind after 60 days and 11,447 miles of helmet head.
“We live in a world where gossip passes for news, and sensationalism passes for journalism.” ~ William Bernhardt, Naked Justice
Helmet Head Musings
STUFF
Every time I packed my duffel I was grateful to have so little to carry and keep track of, and that’s a big change from the person I was four years ago.
Next year I’ll pare down even more, starting with underwear. ONE pair. Don’t be shocked–if you’re only wearing them overnight, you can get quite a few nights out of a pair! (I wear LDComfort top & bottom while I ride; I wash ‘em at night and wear ‘em the next day). I’ll bring two Tshirts, one tank top, a bra, riding socks, sandals, a light zip-up jacket and of course my denim vest. I’ll continue bringing my dress/nightgown, one pair of jeans (hopefully two sizes smaller), and a skort. Sweatpants if I’m tent camping in the cold. THAT’S IT. If I go anywhere that requires anything fancier, I’ll ship it ahead and ship it home afterwards.
George Carlin had it right when he riffed on our relationships with our stuff. George: “A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it…” Me: “A house is a place where you store your stuff while you go to work so you can buy more stuff.” A home is something altogether different, mind you, but I digress.
I camped a lot this summer and I met several couples who are ”workampers” at private campgrounds (federal properties have a similar program called “camp hosts”). These folks work at the campground in exchange for rent on their RV site and get paid for time worked in excess of their rent hours. Some do it for a season and others follow the seasons from campground to campground as a way of life. Then there are retirees who sell it all and become RV vagabonds. I had a great uncle and aunt who took early retirement and vagabonded for a dozen years or so before they had to settle down and tend to their failing health. They loved it.
How many life decisions are you making based on your relationship to stuff? I think about this every day as I try to live a life that prioritizes relationships and experiences over stuff. Just don’t ask me to get rid of my library, ok? That make take a few more road trips to even contemplate.
FAMILY
Like any wife and mother, thoughts of my family were with me daily, especially when watching other families interact. People often ask how I “get away with” being on the road for so long, and part of the answer is that my boys are now 20 and 23. The other part lies in our family’s history. My children have seen me crumble, they’ve seen me rebuild and they appreciate the happiness that my road trips bring me. I hope they will some day join me, even for a few days. This year my spouse joined me in Yellowstone and Idaho in the middle of my itinerary, which was a real treat. I’ve never been the kind of person to get homesick, even as a kid at summer camp, but in truth, I think it’s easier to be the one on the road than the one who’s left at home. Thank you, Matt, for accommodating my needs. I’m not an easy person to make a life with.
GOALS
I am a most fortunate woman, making my living doing what I love. But I kept asking myself how I could be of greater service to the world. Here’s where I’d appreciate your ideas. I’m not interested in raising money; I’m interested in raising consciousness, standards and capabilities. Is there a project near and dear to you that could use my help? Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Timely topic for your business or community group?
I speak to a variety of business and community groups about my travels: the places I see, the people I meet and the changes I see in myself as a result. Several topics are outlined here.
If your organization would like to invite me to speak about mindful minimalism, incremental renegadism, reinventing yourself (or parts of yourself) please get in touch. I really enjoy being part of a group that asks members to bring something to the talk (for donation) that someone else can use — or get more use of — than the donor. This might be a garment, a book, a piece of kitchenware or an automobile, I don’t care. At the end of the talk, the group drops these items off at a local charity, and new spirit is infused in all.
Prefer to just be dazzled by gorgeous photography and a tour of the US and Canada? I can do that too, and throw in an occasional stranded traveler tale to boot.
