Imagine this. It's a midweek day off from work. Your colleagues, your friends, your neighbors, all getting ready for another day at work. But not you. Not today. A gift, isn't it? There are no meetings, no deadlines, no obligations looming on the calendar. This day, entirely yours. As a passionate motorcycle rider, this day will be about freedom, open roads, and the mountains. Today, your bike and time with Mother Nature will be all yours. A full day of no traffic and certainly no crowds. The sky is like a canvas this morning, a perfect blue. The air is crisp, about 60 degrees, with temperatures expected to top out at a perfect 75 degrees here in the valleys, cooler in the higher altitudes where we'll go. It is quite simply a flawless day for riding in the Colorado Rockies. Are you ready? Yeah, let's go. Recorded in beautiful loveliness Colorado. Welcome to Peace Love Moto, the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful, easy feeling as we cruise through this life together. Are you ready? Let's go. This day, your day, begins early, just as the sun rises over the eastern plains of Colorado. The aroma of your freshly ground coffee is the first welcome for this day. Paired with a light breakfast of toast and jam, this early quiet time is devoted to preparing your mind and preparing your body. A moment for a mindful stretch, both mental and physical, easing the muscles as well as your heart, as well as your mind. A mindful approach to the amazing journey ahead. With the second refill of your favorite coffee, warming your hands, the garage door rolls up, revealing the machine. This isn't just a motorcycle, it's a companion, a treasured machine that is cared for with attention and respect. While on the side stand, you put the bike in neutral and allow the engine to come to life. From the chill of the garage, its running temperature is reached where the engine smooths. It's a deep, comforting sound. As it warms up, so do you. The gear goes on, a ritual of layering on protection and warmth. Pants, boots, jacket, helmet, then gloves. Each piece a commitment to safety and to self-reliance. Finally you climb on, and this day, your day, begins. It is said that young riders pick a destination and go, while others pick a direction and go. Today, for you, you'll pick a direction. Today you'll pick west into the mountains. The landscape begins to change almost immediately as the foothills rise up to meet you. This, too, is a journey of mindfulness. Because as you settle in for the ride, you take deep, deliberate breaths, inhaling the cool mountain air and exhaling the stresses of the week. The stresses of work that today you will not experience. The observation is twofold. There is the essential focus on the road ahead, of course, the curve, the braking, the acceleration, but there is also the wider world unfolding right in front of you. All around you. The silver ribbon of the river comes into view, winding through the valley below, and the amazing sight of the distant, snow-capped mountain peaks reaching up against that blue sky. Those peaks getting closer with every mile. The rhythm of the ride is a moving meditation. The engine is at a happy home as your motorcycle leans into the curves with no effort at all. Climbing steadily higher. The miles dissolve into the joy of the present moment until finally you roll into the heart of ski country, Colorado. The little town of Winter Park. Because here, as it turned out, is your unplanned destination to the West. Your motorcycle is parked, you've given it a quick lookover, and you step inside for a well-earned reward. A hot vanilla latte. Of course, that's your favorite drink, according to this narrator. You left a generous tip for the barista as you always do. She smiled and thanked you for that. The temperature on this day, your day, here at 9,000 feet above sea level is a crisp 60 degrees. With a bright sun, no jacket is really needed for this rest up. Taking your seat outside, bathed in the bright mountain sun, and within sight of your treasured motorcycle, another level of mindfulness begins. Settling both hands around the warm ceramic cup holding your coffee, you close your eyes. And for a few deep quiet breaths, there is only the feeling of the heat from the mug seeping into your palms and the sweet smell of fresh coffee rising up to meet you. In that moment, you feel perfect presence, you feel a peace, you feel love all around you, and there's your motorcycle. And right at this moment, all is right with the world. Refreshed and centered, you zip up your jacket, and so begins your return trip home. The light has shifted now, and the shadows have lengthened, offering a new perspective on the same incredible views that you saw just from another angle. The right back is filled with the same gratitude and joy that you've had all day, carrying along the tranquility of the mountains back down into the foothills. Reaching home, your motorcycle is carefully maneuvered back into the garage. The engine ticks softly as it cools. And then, as always, you pause next to that machine for a moment, extending your hand to pat the tank and say, Thank you for today. It was wonderful. Throughout the spring, the summer, and the fall, such rides are not just a dream. They are very real here in Colorado. Maybe such a ride is for you. So I invite you, dear listener, to join me someday here in Colorado where together we will take such a ride. Interested in more information? Well, write me at ron at peacelovemoto.com. We'll have a chat. So until we visit again, on this beautiful day that we've experienced together, I do wish you peace. And I wish you love.