Moto Adventures

This holiday season has been full of unexpected, moto adventures. I knew coming to Cambodia that I'd have to learn to drive a motorbike (it's more of a motorscooter than a motorcycle). My first driving lesson was during my first week, when I went with the YALT group to Prey Vang. It wasn't a very long lesson, because it started raining during my 2nd lap of the street. I didn't get on a moto, solo, again until the end of November. During that lesson I did a couple laps around the block. I managed to fall 3 times in less than half an hour. But, my wonderful teacher Tony didn't see me, and some really nice motodop drivers helped me pick the moto back up- it was clear to them that I had no idea what I was doing.

After that I was on my own. I knew I needed to learn to drive, but I really didn't want to. I was so tense and nervous during my second lesson that my upper back and shoulders were sore the next day. But, I did it, I made myself drive on the back roads around the office. A few weeks later I made myself drive over to the grocery store. But, I still hated having to get on the moto. 

Then on the day of the MCC Christmas party I found myself in a sticky situation. All of the YALTers were in town so all of the MCC bikes were in use. Without a bike my choices of transportation to the party, at the Reps' House, were to walk, motodop, or drive myself. I called my parents before the party so I didn't have time to walk there, and I never learned the landmark to use to tell a motodop how to get to the Reps' House. So, after an internal pep talk, I forced myself to drive the moto. It was a quiet Saturday morning, so there wasn't much traffic on the main roads. I was able to easily drive myself to the house, even through the round about. At the end of my party I gave myself another pep talk and drove on home again.

The only time after that I needed to give myself a pep talk to drive was on Christmas Day when I met up with some of the other Service Workers for Christmas Dinner. 

Next thing I knew, I was driving everywhere. I drove to WPM, and then after work drove out to the River Side to meet up with a visit from Swarthmore. I didn't exactly know where I was going, so I almost ended up driving over a bridge and out of the city. Thankfully, there was a place to make a u-turn before actually getting on the bridge. According to Google Maps the drive should take about 15 minute, but between traffic and my unexpected detour, it took me about 40 minutes. Thankfully the people I was meeting were extremely understanding.

Since then I have made moto my primary form of transportation, including driving the 30+ minutes to RISC multiple times now. And I've even driven with someone else on it with me (which I will admit was pretty stressful and difficult at first, but got better as the day went on). I'm going to try to keep riding my bike for shorter trips, but I've learned that I really enjoy motoing places. Maybe I'll get a motorcycle when I'm back in the States...