Kristin Rides

When I think about what makes me happy and what makes me feel human, I think about being outside. On my bike, walking, sitting, whatever. Just being outside. I think about creativity. Making things that I pour myself into and allow whatever result to follow.

I wonder if it’s immature to focus on these things. Shouldn’t I grow up and do the things I “have” to do? Chores? Face the music, life is hard. I have to make money right? I have to have insurance and put money into a retirement account and create an emergency savings account and advance my career and send thank you cards and get regular oil changes and find a husband and wear sunblock and take my vitamins. I have to. Right?

I like the idea of life hackery. I want to figure out a way to get money without compromising. Maybe I’m horribly immature. Maybe I drink and eat too much, maybe I’m too loud, maybe I’m obnoxious and arrogant, maybe I don’t take things seriously enough, maybe I’m reckless, maybe maybe. Or maybe I just want to be all those things. Because really I’m a perfectionist, I’m uptight, I’m controlling, and it’s high time I let go. Let go, let myself fall and see what’s at the bottom.

I have a vision of what my meeting with my small biz counselor is going to be like. “What’s your 5 year plan? Where do you want this to go?” I want to be getting a mostly passive income so I only have to work 10-20 hours a week most of the time, and I want to be able to take 1-6 week trips all the time to bike.

Hm. Possible? Maybe, if I don’t buy custom ti bikes and by “trip” I mean living out of my car and staying for free in national parks. Maybe my trips should be working trips–lead bike adventures. Lead life hacking, traveling escapes from “reality”. Or, like Uma, use long trips to marinate on big ideas and do some empire building.

I feel like I’m heading down the right path. I’ve been finding work, having positive interviews, and generally feeling good about where I’m headed. The universe rewards those who throw themselves out there, those who take chances and are willing to take a chance and have faith in themselves. I’m not sure why I find it so insane that I could be one of those people who lead that crazy life that other people are jealous of. Someone who makes their living from biking and the outdoors and writing and having a blast every moment of every day.

A tiny voice in my head says “welllll, no one can have fun all the time. you still have to pay taxes and save money and have insurance and write invoices and do all the nitty gritty that goes along with all of those things.” And you know what I say to that? I wouldn’t mind it at all, if the stuff I’m entering into Quickbooks is Mileage for trip to Moab and New chain/dereiller for bike which I crashed while flying over some sweet jumps. The great part is that I do have something of a head for business. I can do the marketing, I can do the financials, I can do all of that. I like it, when it furthers my dreams.

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As a side note, I just took a break from writing, because an ex-coworker called me up about referring someone to me to do a ton of work. See? The Universe has spoken, and it says Sweet Jumps…