Fish and chips for breaky and then watching motorbike circuit races for a good bit. I’m learning. Slowly. But it’s quite an interesting spectacle when you realise what the fuck is actually going on and how skilled you must be to do it. The crashes are intense. I watched someone die basically. “Grim,” as he says.

Weather was so weird. Sunny. Pissing rain. Sunny again. More pissing rain. Calm. More rain. Then it held towards dusk at slightly overcast but calm. All my childlike enthusiasm (or relentless pestering, better put) finally convinced him to put the pillion on so we could out.

Clad in an oversized jacket, a wicked matte white helmet, and gloves about 3 sizes too big we went off. The bike is a fucking beast! Probably at about the first roundabout was the weirdest part because it was the first proper turn and it’s hard to not feel like you’re going to slide off. After that it was cake. I just sat there and held tight when he opened throttle.

It’s such a fucking amazing feeling. Really relaxing and cathartic. Just hauling along the countryside. But at the same time exhilarating and massive adrenaline rushes. The sun was setting a deep vibrant orange to the west and I rested my head into his back and smiled, watching the road scream by beneath us. There was only that moment, nothing else. I forgot what it felt like to be so focused and alive.. and new again.

He did this thing where he’d weave the bike back and forth, it almost felt like being on a boat. I loved it. Relaxing and fun. Pot holes and shoddy road work were in a few spots. When he’d hit some, he’d wobble his head around like a bobble-head toy. Unsure why, but I found that immensely entertaining and laughed each time.

“you’re quite good on it. You just sat there. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Other people don’t and it’s really annoying”

I wanted to go forever. One of those ‘I don’t care where you take me, just keep going’ moments. I absolutely loved it.

No time to pack our things, take our bikes and ride for the setting sun, as the city around us burns, we’ll be taking them on one by one.