After the Ride - Donna Handley
I’m home in Sydney Australia now and over my jetlag. Well I’m not even sure if it was jet lag as much as sheer exhaustion from one hell of an amazing journey. I’m left with wonderful memories of the Changing gears UK ride.
What did I love about the ride? - When Meredith, Megan & Cathy jumped the rails at Heathrow airport when I landed to hug me. I was with my buddies again!
I loved the sense of humour that the UK girls have, don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard for 10 days in a row.
Highlights for me on the ride were:
–Riding through the Yorkshire Dales and being careful not to knock the handlebars of my Harley on the walls of the little pubs and houses and stone walls which lined the village streets.
-Dancing to rock around the clock by a bagpipe player on the Scottish border then being hit by hail as a very dark and scary cloud rolled over the border.
-Kirkstone pass blew me away; I want to ride it again! These places were like riding through a fable or fairytale it was so beautiful with the countryside littered with ruined Abbey’s and castles and I wondered at the time whether the other girls could here me screaming through my helmet (OH WOW! OH MY GOD! LOOK AT THAT! LOOK!!!!!!!!!!) We really needed BIKE CAM to capture what we saw and rode through.
More highlights included laughing uncontrollably with roomies Karina, Carolyn, Jules, Laney and Cathy, over what I’m not sure, think it had to do with first one to snore buys the next round! I lost! (of course) I lost every night.
After dinner and several drinks at Twice Brewed at Once Brewed walking through a paddock at night to watch the moon rise over Hadrian’s Wall was such a laugh as we all trod in cow poo in the middle of the night. It was an incredible sight as an orange full moon rose into the sky.
I loved the friendships I made with the girls and the continual laughter. I loved that I shared the best room at Stratford-upon-Avon YHA with all the bunnies and Hartington Hall with a great view of the fields and patting the goats and of course more wine and laughs as we sat in the beautiful surrounds at looked at the photos of the day at Warwick Castle and that stretching machine in the Torture chamber were Cathy pinned me down and tied me up, I couldn’t escape! She made me do it!!!!
Oh and then there’s the Belly Dancing, They made me do that too! On my own belly dancing in a restaurant full of strangers! Why is it always me that gets picked for these things of embassassment? I loved the view from my window at Edinburgh YHA of the scary Haunted Town Hall and all the squirrels that ran along its walls.
What was the funniest thing? That Laney’s prosthesis was bigger than Jacqui’s head! and the way Kathy from Wigin said “scary”!!!!!
Who inspired me the most? - Angi from Huddersfield. Angi only went through diagnosis and surgery 4 months ago stepping right outside her comfort zones. It was a huge step for Angi to come on this ride. I was great to watch her laugh hard and know that there is life after Breast Cancer. Well-done Angi.
What did I learn about myself? -Not to say, “I cant” until I've tried cause chances are I probably can! Experience everything I possibly can, life is so worth living.
What do I miss? The whole thing and all my new friends.
To all my new UK friends, Meredith & Megan, thank you for a truly amazing journey and an adventure of a lifetime that I will always remember. Until we meet again have some seriously good life and may the wind always blow through your hair…
Donna Handley, Sydney, Australia.
What did I love about the ride? - When Meredith, Megan & Cathy jumped the rails at Heathrow airport when I landed to hug me. I was with my buddies again!
I loved the sense of humour that the UK girls have, don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard for 10 days in a row.
Highlights for me on the ride were:
–Riding through the Yorkshire Dales and being careful not to knock the handlebars of my Harley on the walls of the little pubs and houses and stone walls which lined the village streets.
-Dancing to rock around the clock by a bagpipe player on the Scottish border then being hit by hail as a very dark and scary cloud rolled over the border.
-Kirkstone pass blew me away; I want to ride it again! These places were like riding through a fable or fairytale it was so beautiful with the countryside littered with ruined Abbey’s and castles and I wondered at the time whether the other girls could here me screaming through my helmet (OH WOW! OH MY GOD! LOOK AT THAT! LOOK!!!!!!!!!!) We really needed BIKE CAM to capture what we saw and rode through.
More highlights included laughing uncontrollably with roomies Karina, Carolyn, Jules, Laney and Cathy, over what I’m not sure, think it had to do with first one to snore buys the next round! I lost! (of course) I lost every night.
After dinner and several drinks at Twice Brewed at Once Brewed walking through a paddock at night to watch the moon rise over Hadrian’s Wall was such a laugh as we all trod in cow poo in the middle of the night. It was an incredible sight as an orange full moon rose into the sky.
I loved the friendships I made with the girls and the continual laughter. I loved that I shared the best room at Stratford-upon-Avon YHA with all the bunnies and Hartington Hall with a great view of the fields and patting the goats and of course more wine and laughs as we sat in the beautiful surrounds at looked at the photos of the day at Warwick Castle and that stretching machine in the Torture chamber were Cathy pinned me down and tied me up, I couldn’t escape! She made me do it!!!!
Oh and then there’s the Belly Dancing, They made me do that too! On my own belly dancing in a restaurant full of strangers! Why is it always me that gets picked for these things of embassassment? I loved the view from my window at Edinburgh YHA of the scary Haunted Town Hall and all the squirrels that ran along its walls.
What was the funniest thing? That Laney’s prosthesis was bigger than Jacqui’s head! and the way Kathy from Wigin said “scary”!!!!!
Who inspired me the most? - Angi from Huddersfield. Angi only went through diagnosis and surgery 4 months ago stepping right outside her comfort zones. It was a huge step for Angi to come on this ride. I was great to watch her laugh hard and know that there is life after Breast Cancer. Well-done Angi.
What did I learn about myself? -Not to say, “I cant” until I've tried cause chances are I probably can! Experience everything I possibly can, life is so worth living.
What do I miss? The whole thing and all my new friends.
To all my new UK friends, Meredith & Megan, thank you for a truly amazing journey and an adventure of a lifetime that I will always remember. Until we meet again have some seriously good life and may the wind always blow through your hair…
Donna Handley, Sydney, Australia.
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