By Darcy Johnson
11/26/2007

As it relates to our experiencing of the world a first can open endless doors. Of course it can also slam them assuredly shut if the overall experience turns sour. I was making a big move in September, leaving my life in Upstate New York to live in Virginia. The past two weeks had been defined by new beginnings and I was excited, yet still worried about any doors that might slam shut. I hoped joining the Outdoor Adventure Social Club would help me commit to some of those new beginnings and my future here in Charlottesville.

When one of the first postings turned out to be a fall motorcycle ride I couldn’t resist the appeal of escaping into the wandering solitude of the mountains, in part because it brought to mind memories of home. I had gone for rides with my Uncle on his Harley in New York and revisiting those times eased my nostalgia. The changing seasons are a comfort, reassuring me that life has a rhythm and a logic of its own. The autumn ushers in winter with a toast, first a wink of color, then in fists of yellow raised against a green horizon, unfurling into orange and red as the colors curl up into the mountain woodlands. A month or so later the natural world rolls over and closes its eyes, the trees shed their color and the darkness lengthens its stay. An opportunity to tour the area while the leaves were still peaking would be ideal.

The morning of the ride I was a little nervous that I would stick out as the newbie. Would everyone have their own bike and I'd be the only member asking to tag along? Of course, in true form, it seemed likely I’d be late. I must have missed a turn and had only three minutes to get there. I called Matt’s cell and he obliged in trying to decipher my whereabouts as I rattled off the miscellaneous landmarks I passed. In the end my timing turned out to be ok and the group’s warmth reflected the same pleasant acceptance I’ve discovered in most people living in the south. There were two people more than willing to have a passenger and another girl who would be riding as well. My butterflies were quickly passing. Introductions were made as we went in a circle to say our names and a little about ourselves.

As we geared up I felt surprisingly comfortable with everyone and felt only good things. The day was clear and the sun took the edge off the autumn chill. My worries about being a stranger were quickly dispelled; since then I’ve attended several events and at every one there was someone new to the club. New members are made to feel right at home. The bikes turned out of the parking lot and we cruised through historic downtown and past UVA.

As we made our way out of the city to the country roads the last of my nervousness faded. The intimacy of the open road melded with the quiet rolling hills and I drifted into the moment; the spell cast by the movement of the bike in tandem with the curves and dips in the pavement, shifting my center of gravity as the bike’s speed became mine. The route was carved from the asphalt and the wind ferreted into every vulnerable space, up loose sleeves and down open necklines. Leaves drifted down from the sky and skittered across the road, hopping like small birds in the wind. Horses and cattle grazed in green pastures and a turn around one corner presented a pack of llamas napping in the sun.

As morning turned to afternoon, the OASC Motorcycle Gang – not to be mistaken for the intimidating Charlottesville Moped Gang – pulled into Crozet Pizza for a quick photo op and some lunch. Afterward we chose a different route proposed while we ate and headed back to our start point.

As I dismounted back at the parking lot a bit stiff-legged, I felt miles away from where I had been just that morning. I felt confident that the OASC would turn out to be one of the most rewarding investments I had made since arriving in Charlottesville. The ride itself had restored much of my usual calm that the stress of the move had eroded. I had worried about fitting in but in the end felt right at home. I had worried about being a burden but OASC members always seem glad to welcome new faces and the opportunity for new friends with good ideas for future events. I had worried some about the falling temperatures blighting the ride but the sun was warm and the clear blue sky free of clouds so I felt very comfortable. Of course, I have to thank Matt for blocking the wind and taking the brunt of the chill! And thanks to OASC for taking some of the edge off a major transition in my life and helping to welcome me to the Blue Ridge. A first for me and a first for the Outdoor Adventure Social Club, the Fall Motorcycle Tour was a great success. Hope to see you at the spring and summer tours!