Ladies of Harley H.O.G.

This is what I wrote today for a contest I am entering in H.O.G. Ladies of Harley. I did of course have my man go over the grammar and spelling ;) I became a member last week, Rob signed me up seeings I am doing so much traveling, and am a Harley Chick now...lol

My riding years began in 2004. After a challenging beginning and a number of metric rides I started looking for the bike of my dreams. My first Harley!
I belong to “Women Who Ride” http://forums.delphiforums.com/distaff/start and was in touch with the owner, Donna Palladino on a regular basis. Donna and Gerry “Motorman’ Paladino are the founders of the “Ride Like a Pro” program in Hudson Florida.
Just so happens Donna was selling her 05 Road King Classic. The wrinkle was, Donna lives in Florida and I live in Campbell River, B.C. Canada. Being a person that seldom has her “ducks in a row” and having no idea how I was going to get the bike home, I emailed Donna and purchased the “ride of my dreams”. I would work out the details later.
This was in December 07 and we were off to Mexico for 4 months. We considered shipping for a while but the closer it got to spring the more I wanted to ride my “Road Queen” home to BC. My Man and my family were of course seriously concerned about my safety, a lone woman, riding across America. Honestly, I had a number of anxieties myself. I can get lost in a parking lot!
The girls on the forum were stepping forward with encouragement and offers to ride with me on different legs of the journey. Others offered up their homes for us along the way. The support and camaraderie was overwhelming. What else could I do??
I flew to Florida in April and so began the most incredible journey. “Motorman” would not hear of me leaving Florida without improving my riding skills and quickly had me “riding like a pro” and ready for the road. Off I went.
Leg after leg of the ride girls from every state joined me. Days went by in a blur. Evenings were spent blogging, http://goinwitheflo.blogspot.com/ and staying in touch with family, WWR, Motorman and Donna. The people along the way were unbelievable and the constant encouragement kept me going through rain, tornados and sandstorms.
Toward the end fatigue was setting in and each day was more difficult to get started, I had started to question if I could go on at that pace. Then out of nowhere appeared my two brothers, one riding on either side of me. The tears began and I knew I would make it home safely.
Almost 6000 miles on the odometer of unforgettable people, landscapes and camaraderie. Who’d have thought that buying my first Harley would turn out to be such a hell of a ride. This ride actually had a name for it... WWR Conga!
My life changed on that journey. So many things that I thought were important no longer seem so and yet others like family, friendships, the beginning of each new day and the joy of an open road, now mean so much more. Life is short and I intend to make the best of it. New friends, new roads, and more adventures.
We are now planning the next Conga II.
Hopefully we will see you on the road.