Category: Riding

This morning, as always when I’m riding, I was reflecting on life. I was on my way to an interview and I remembered when I started applying for teaching jobs in Sweden 17 years ago, or so – then I never dared to mention that I was a biker. At the time, the Swedish model for writing an introduction letter included a short paragraph about your spare time activities: I always wrote “reading, watching movies and spending time with friends”. Being a biker still had negative connotations and I have vivid memories of the dead silence that was the response when, during a coffee break, I excitedly told my colleagues that I had been out riding my motorbike in the lovely lake area around Landvetter, south of Gothenburg. The silence lasted for what felt like an eternity, until my boss initiated a new subject – autumn fashion. The subject of motorbiking was never brought up again, but for my next job application I did include “riding twisty roads on my motorbike” among my standard interests. My motivation was that if they didn’t want a biker – then they didn’t want me. In the interview at my next school the headmaster pointed out that something stood out in my introduction letter, guess what? And he liked it, “showed that I was independent,” he said. I stayed in this school for nearly 6 years – then I moved to Spain.

So, fast forward, 17 years and I’m crossing Barcelona on my motorbike on my way to an interview. Since I always ride in full gear I’m wearing a dress underneath my biker trousers and I’m bringing shoes to change into. The plan is to lock the gear to the bike before entering the school, after all it is a posh private Catholic school. However, when parking I realise that I have forgotten the pack sack so in the end I have to enter in full gear. Oh well, I comfort myself thinking that if they don’t want me then I don’t want them – and if they want me then it is because of my good qualifications and well-performed demo class and then it doesn’t matter that I’m a biker – or even an atheist.

Later the same day I got offered a job teaching at an academy where I was interviewed last week, also then arriving in motorbike gear. Fantastic, I’ll start next week. Great! I need the money to pay for the paperwork: I’m going to keep this bike after all.

To celebrate such a good day, we spoiled ourselves at a cat café.

Finally, some sunshine and time to get the wheels spinning. It is now three weeks since Lazy Cat and I arrived in Barcelona and there haven’t been many opportunities for riding. In fact, the only times the bike’s been used is when we had to move hostel, we’re now in our third hostel. As we are hoping to find accommodation in a shared apartment, we only book short periods and then we try to extend, so if the hostel is full we have to move. Tiresome business but I must add that our third hostel is so much better than the previous which was very noisy with music and parties all evening and construction work during the day. It wasn’t optimal for me, who was quite under the weather with a cold and therefore terribly tired.

But now things are looking better, the weather has improved and the rain and cold that ruled our lives for the last two weeks are gone. Furthermore, we had a reason to celebrate. Although we have been luckless regarding housing, the work side of things is looking better. I’ve managed to land a teaching contract and will start working on Monday. Until now, my goal has been to find a job, a few classes here and there I was thinking – and then boom – I get a near full time contract. After 2 ½ years of studying and motorcycle vagabonding this will be a shock to the system. Needless to say, I feel quite stressed, and what could serve better as a chill pill than a ride out. Some time away, enjoying the coast and the mountains and dust off the bike. Apart from a need to disconnect from the daily chores of organising our life here in Spain, it is evident that I needed to reduce some stress in my life, a terrible rash has flared up on my torso and arms and it is ever so itchy. A sign that it’s time to relax and enjoy the good things in life, not sweat the small stuff, after all we’re doing well. So, we left Barcelona and slowly made or way up north along the coast to Tossa de Mar, a small seaside village that has withstood the touristification that has destroyed so many similar villages along the coast. While there, we indulged in some delicious seafood as a celebration of my new job and of life in general. To quote my dad – it is better to get a job than accommodation, because with a job it is easier to find accommodation. This is indeed true, and for the coming month we will be staying in an AirBnB room, so I can relax a bit and fully focus on getting into my job and all the challenges this new career will pose for me.

The ride today was lovely, we even took advantage of the mountains and rode some serpentines. Along the route, we met quite a few other riders, no surprise, the weather was perfect for riding. No need for cold weather riding gear such as thermals or heated vest today. I even had to open the vents in both jacket and helmet to cool myself a bit, and it is February – I like it!