How to Keep the Adventures Going If You’re Under Lockdown?
During the past couple of weeks, it feels like the world has been turned upside down. “Social distancing” and “flatten the curve” have become our newest buzzwords, lockdown, and quarantine – our new reality, and the Coronavirus memes, let’s face it, are getting out of control. With motorcycle shows, races, meets, and other events canceled, and the general advice is to stay put and limit not just your social contacts but your risk – after all, we’ve got to keep those hospital beds empty, just in case – it seems that the walls are closing in.
However, adventure riders are resilient folk. As travelers and motorcyclists, in a way, we’re always at the ready to make quick decisions. We’re used to uncertainty and sudden changes, whether it’s an approaching thunderstorm while we still have hundreds of miles to go, a flat tire, or a closed border. We know exactly how unpredictable the world can be.
So instead of succumbing to the pajamas/Netflix/couch situation, why don’t we keep on adventuring, even if we can’t physically travel right now? If you’re an adventure rider stuck under quarantine, self-isolation, or lockdown, here’s what you can do to keep busy – and entertained.
- Work on Your Bike
This is the perfect time to do some maintenance on your motorcycle. Self-isolating in your garage is a lot more productive than in your kitchen, so grab your tools and get to work. Even if your bike has been serviced recently, there’s always some tinkering you could do – check if all the bolts and nuts are secured properly, clean and lube the chain, and finally install those crash bars you’ve ordered back in January.
Working on your bike will help to kill time, but it will also help to stay positive. If you’re giving your bike some TLC, that’s because you’re prepping for yet another adventure, right?
- Get on Youtube
Adventure motorcycling has been exploding in the last decade, and as a result, more and more travelers are documenting their journeys and posting their progress online. This is a great time to catch up with your favorite YouTubers and Instagrammers. Instead of watching the same news cycle over and over or scrolling for yet another scary Coronavirus story, immerse yourself in the pure adventure. Here’s a list of our favorite world travelers on social media:
and if you haven't subscribed to our YouTube Channel, you can do that here.
- Host an Adventure Film Festival
Remotely, that is. Select a few of your favorite adventure motorcycling videos and series, share them with friends, and watch at home! From Long Way Round series to films like Somewhere Else Tomorrow, there’s no shortage of inspiring ADV material out there. Pro tip: make yourself a Quarantine while watching the movies. It’s exactly like a martini, except you’re drinking it alone. Yes, we stole this from an internet meme - we couldn’t help ourselves.
- Get Creative
Let’s face it: even if you aren’t a rising Youtube star, you probably have hours and hours of Go Pro footage of riding your bike. Now is the time to get creative with it! Video editing programs such as Movavi make it dead easy to quickly cut, trim, and caption videos, so there’s really no excuse not to give it a go. You may not become Insta-famous with your video experiments, but you’ll get to re-live your adventures on screen.
- Connect
Speaking of screens: while social distancing is now required of pretty much everyone, that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out online. Video-call your friends and relatives, browse adventure motorcycle forums, chat on Hangouts or Messenger, and stay connected. Self-isolation can be tough on us all; after all, humans are social beings, and we need each other to survive. Staying in touch with your friends and loved ones via video calls is a great way to stay sane and positive.
- Hoard Corona Memes, not Tp
Ridiculous? Sort of, but even doctors agree that laughter is a lot like medicine. We are all going through some very uncertain times right now, and a little bit of humor can brighten even the darkest news on TV. While the pandemic is a serious matter, if we give in to the doom and gloom of it all, it isn’t going to do us any good.
How are you keeping sane under quarantine or lockdown, and what has helped you stay positive the most? Let us know in the comments below!
