Three more days!
I’m about to set off on a two-day motorcycle trip.
I feel ready.
But last week, I didn’t.
Yes, I have some experience on two wheels.
I rode a scooter in Thailand two years ago.
I rode a scooter in Mexico four years ago.
And I used to own a dirt bike when I was 16.
But I still didn’t feel confident enough to ride through the Thai mountains for two days.
Plus, what about Thai road signs? What are the traffic rules? How much should I bribe the cops when they find out I don’t have a license?
So last weekend, I took a one-day motorcycle training course to brush up on my skills.
MOTORCYCLE SCHOOL
Of course, I brought my notebook and pen.
I expected to spend the first part of the day in a classroom learning some valuable tips.
Instead, they drove us to a quiet village about 30 minutes outside bustling Chiang Mai.
They laid out some orange traffic cones in an empty parking lot between a Buddhist monastery and a lake.
They told us how to start and stop the bikes.
Then they told us to ride around the cones.
We did that a lot, got some pointers, then broke for lunch.
“Maybe the classroom teaching will come later,” I thought.
But it didn’t.
Instead, we did more drills with the cones, then we took off on a short trip through the countryside.
I hardly had any facts or tips or rules in my head.
But I did have a lot of confidence.
I had spent time on the bike.
I had been successful navigating the cones.
So I felt good.
Then came the big test: for the last 30 minutes we drove on a busy highway in rush hour traffic.
Not only did I do it and not crash, but it felt like no big deal.
That really surprised me.
See what confidence can do?
GET ON YOUR ENGLISH BIKE
And isn’t it the same with your English?
So many students want to take notes and get more rules and information.
But what they really need is to just get on their bike and ride.
Ideally, in a safe place- like the empty parking lot – with someone watching in case you need help.
Know anyplace like that?
