I know what freedom feels like; wind in my hair, rain in my eyes, my right wrist sore, and my left ankle cramped. Yes, I have finally learned to drive a motorcycle. I have been wishing to learn for the last month, slowly discovering who has personal motorbikes, slyly mentioning how I don’t know how to ride, and finally saying, “Ok, people. Teach me!” That was about two weeks ago, and, today, I finally got my wish. And what an auspicious day to learn as well because today is a Hindu holiday which celebrates transportation, and in the modern world, that means celebrating cars and motorcycles.

I began just in the driveway of the orphanage, 1^st gear, feet out. Then Dessy, the girl who was brave enough to teach me, and I grabbed some helmets and ventured out onto the real roads. After riding to a quiet street, Dessy let me take over, and I held the first feeling of freedom. Of course, this first freedom was quite bumpy as I hadn’t figured out the whole changing gears thing and since I was concentrating on changing gears so much that I failed to avoid a couple of potholes. But after about ten minutes, my teacher deemed me ready, and we set off towards her school, about 15 minutes away.

Oh, it was exciting. The roads in Bali are like the beginning of a race course, when all of the competitors are together, testing out their speeds and positions (xc skiers, think J2 Girls‘ skate mass start in which people end up on the ground somehow facing the wrong direction). The roads are narrow (although usually well paved) and people pass on the left and the right, giving a little “I’m passing you” honk as they go by. Basically, in a nutshell, it’s sketchy. But once we had maneuvered out of the village and into the rice fields the mass start anxiety was worth it. The wind blew the light smell of rice and smoke over small Hindu temples and homes, and we could see people in traditional dress walking towards temples to celebrate the great inventions that I now know how to drive.

I am especially happy to learn how to ride a motorcycle because now I have more independence to explore by myself once I leave the orphanage in April. I want to set out without a destination (so that way I can’t get lost), and just ride around, stopping at beaches, at warungs, at banyan tree temples. I want to have a fast way to experience Bali slowly and authentically (every modern Balinese family owns a motorcycle), and now that I have the basic ability, all I need is the courage, the bike, and the helmet.