The Art of Having Fun

The Art of Having Fun - A Chapter From our 1st Book

Adventuring can’t always be a relentless endeavor into the great unknown. The nonsensical pursuit of childish joy is essential in rounding out serious travel into pure enjoyment. It’s a big deal to step out of one’s shell and into the world with true silliness in the wake of the judging eyes of onlookers. There is a nagging feeling to care what they are thinking, although you consistently tell yourself that they are jealous and wish they were having as much fun as you. Then there is that beautiful moment when the desire to be your quirky, weird self outdoes the need to be accepted, and a free awakening of pure enjoyment happens.

This is an aspect of travel that Charlie and I sometimes struggle with. Of course, around the people we know the best in this world our personalities are at full volume, and we are our typical freak show, but in front of strangers… that is a whole other story. We both become pretty shy in public, easily embarrassed, and if one squinted hard enough they may see us hiding behind our mother’s leg. This is something we are both working pretty actively on rectifying and many times Charlie takes a bit more coaxing to let it all hang out…. so to speak.

“Ok Charlie, give me a big smile… maybe a thumbs up…anything... oh your giving me a serious face… please... pretty please give me a smile… I will tickle you in public and I’m not joking… THERE IT IS!!!”. He can be quite shy, yet I believe it is a deep lingering desire to be accepted by others that pushes away the youthful bliss that resides within us, and yearns to be set free to play.

After years together, this need to be presentable on a social level has become less and less of an issue and letting go without the booze has become our goal. The key for most to let go is getting wasted, but seeing as though neither of us drink, we need to rely on our balls to lose our inhibitions. Most of the time spent on a motorcycle is spent in deep contemplation, a therapeutic mental state if you will, so I feel it is important to jump out of that mindset and have some lighthearted fun. You start getting old and increasingly boring when you don’t allow yourself to have amusement. How can we not joke at ourselves in this environment? We regularly pulled up on our all too loud for Europe motorcycles, to a nice restaurant or hotel covered in road grime, (and smelling a touch worse), with people staring at you not completely sure how to place you. But our redeeming quality was those American plates, as the distance traveled gave understanding to our visual state as scumbags… which we are… but a little less scary when one realizes we are currently living an adventure on the road. Getting over ourselves helped us to start taking the tourist photos, you know the kind I’m talking about… Cartwheels on the beach, big cheesy grins in front of the country signs as you crossed another milestone boarder, trying to take a picture larger than life with your finger touching the pinnacle of the Louvre yet epically failing, clown cars and silly faces in front of serious art. Although one must partake in adulting here and there I will forever be a wild child, a lost boy… well a girl, but you catch my drift. I guess with all of this all I’m saying is get out there and have fun, and screw the rest.