A dance of freedom

After half a year of no off-road riding, we arrived in The Netherlands to get my wheels dirty once more. The first part of mud nearly brought me to tears. Not the brave and happy kind of tears, but the terrified kind because I couldn’t remember how I ever got through these sticky situations. No bravery, just a loud heart screaming to escape and big eyes stearing at the road ahead. After this initial fear the riding got better while the day got darker and eventually turned into night. My first off-road ride in six months also turned into my first nightly off-road adventure.

I never thought I would say this, but off-road riding in the dark has its perks. You are left with no choice other than to look ahead and go for it. Step by step your headlight shows you a little more of the track. At the risk of sounding cliche, it’s a bit like moving through life . Keep your eyes on the long-term goal, the one illuminated by your headlight. Not the unreachable or the one directly in front of your tire, but the one that is attainable and within sight, yet takes some effort to get there.

After reaching our house for the night built of cloth and poles, the riding continued the next day. Our favourite part, kilometers of sand hidden between heather and pine forest, the one and only reason we came all this way. Riding at such places perfectly combines my love for the beauty of nature with the thrill of adventure. First I ride along slowly, feeling my wheels slither and slide . Then I pick up the pace. I stand up. My eyes fixated in the distance. My body remembers the movement. Let the bike lead the way and enjoy the ride. The perfect motion of man and machine. A dance of freedom. Embraced by the smell of autumn I smile. This is me at my happiest. Outside, surrounded by nature and sprinkeled with a little adrenaline. Don’t get me wrong, as you probably understood from the beginning of my story, I am not a good or experienced off-road rider, I am just a girl that loves to ride and prefers the unpaved tracks above the road every day of the week.