This past week has been a whirlwind for sure! I have been subbing for my mentor teacher while he is gone, I had two interviews for a high school social studies position, and I learned a new skill; riding a motorcycle.
For someone who has only touched a dirtbike once, I was very nervous. I signed up for the beginners course to see if I wanted to ride my own. These classes are taken from WYDOT (Wyoming Department of Transportation) and they tend to fill up really fast. I was able to get into the first one of the year. I could not have been more nervous.
Luckily, they start the course with a 4 hour classroom session to prepare you. After a lunch break, you pick the small 250 cycle that you want to ride. You could either pick a dirt bike style or street bike style. I chose a cute blue suzuki to practice on. They start out really easy and slow, getting you familiar with the bike and its components. The instructors do this so that you know your bike well before you ride it.
Once you throw a leg over, you get used to rocking it back and forth, power walk them across the course, and finding the friction zone. I struggled a bit, but once I got the hang of it, I was getting more and more comfortable. At the start of each exercise though, I would get really nervous and say I couldn’t do it. But then, I did it and it was so easy!!!!
I ended up passing the class and only got marked up 3 times! If you get 16 marks, you don’t pass. I never put my foot down in turns, I kept my speed up, and I only stalled the bike once!
This week, my fiance promised me a bike once I finished and passed so now I get to pick it up soon. I am so excited!