CHRONICLE

e hear of others taking an adventure to Paris, or we see that new motorcycle in a neighbors garage and tell ourselves, Some day. When is some day? When were too old to even see the Eiffel Tower? Too arthritic to roll back on the throttle? Terry and I were telling ourselves that some day we would break out of the usual. But, we had to be open to a different way of thinking. Who knew the birth of our son would change our direction in life? Before Jack, we spent our 20s doing what we thought society wanted us to do. We also found ourselves caring for each of our best friends (ages 25 and 28) as they died from cancer. We needed to change.

A CONSTANT EDUCATION W
Its a lot of money. about patience, packing, and reentry into suburbia. Just get the darn bike, I interrupted. Terry was ofcially the luckiest guy in the neighborhood. Many husbands stared at the machine and a couple wives uttered, Dont even think about it. Although not everyone reacted that way, we had to learn how to shrug off the bad juju and become ourselves. With Jack safely tucked at home with a friend, Terry and I took off for long rides on date nights. It was romantic with my arms tightly wrapped around Terry, but I lasted only six months as a pillion. In 2005, I became the owner of a 2003 BMW F 650 GS. After having purchased his motorcycle, Terry received a biting email from my dad. It was now my turn. Dad had a hard time understanding why I would do such a dangerous, stupid, deadly, and irresponsible thing. This was the same man that used to y jets and do sonic booms over California. Once I pointed that out, he lightened up. Maybe Dad was learning something, too. By the age of ve, Jack could touch the rear pegs of Terrys GS and was able to wear all the proper gear, including a safety riding harness. Sporting a huge grin, Jack took off with Terry on his maiden voyage. The verdict? The kid was hooked, and we became the Adventure Trio. Our some day was now. Our rst road trip in the summer of 2007 was a 10-day ride along the California and Oregon coasts. But, we had a lot to learn Terry and I found every excuse to take off on a weekend excursion. What we were learning with each trip was how to be grateful that we got away instead of being bitter because we were back to reality. We immediately began planning our next adventure. Ten days turned into two weeks that turned into four. How we wished we could just toss it all to the side for a yearor three. But, alas, life does interfere with living. One major perk we did not foresee was the education Jack was getting. As we rolled by various points of interest, he yelled out, I studied about that in school! We played baseball at Field of Dreams, camped along the Rocky Mountains, and learned how to start a re in the rain. Jack has a collection of maps and takes them on the road. Once weve landed for the night, he meticulously retraces our route. Oh, the adventures weve had all because we decided to just be us. What we also realized was that we were teaching Jack to not wait for some day. Life is to be lived in the moment; one shouldnt wait until the perfect time because there really is no such thing. Do we have it all gured out? Of course not, but Terry and I learned how to respect each other more. As a family, weve learned how to communicate better. Ive learned that its okay to be myself. Our motto is Dont ask why; ask why not. You never know what you may learn when you decide its time to drop the usual. RR

Adventure Trio: Life Beyond the Usual

Text and Photography: Sandy Borden

Heading to a college town in Northern California, we bought a brand-spankin new house. Arent we supposed to drive minivans, have kids, and raise them in the burbs? Jack Michael was born three days before 9/11. As I watched the buildings crumble, I whispered to him, What kind of world have we brought you into? Its our job as parents to show our children life beyond what we see in the media. Our neighborhood had a young, hip vibe and was lled with new parents. Jack had some buddies; we thought we did too. It wasnt until I overheard Terry talking with friends that I knew we were destined for something different. I saw this used BMW 1150 GS for sale, Terry muttered. Get it, I said.
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