Learning to ride a motorcycle is a long and winding road.

California is full of people with all sorts of interesting hobbies that border on the edge of insanity.

One example of an insane hobby involves putting on a helmet, a jacket and a pair of gloves, long pants and shoes or boots that cover your ankles, and then getting on a gas powered rocket.

After taking a detour for six years, I am getting back on the rocket and on the road to owning my first motorcycle.

I began my journey in November of 2003 by registering for a motorcycle safety course on Travis Air Force Base.

The course was a Department of Defense requirement for airmen operating motorcycles on a military installation.

Thanks to the D.O.D., the course was entirely free for service members on active duty, and I was only required to show up to the class with a long-sleeve jacket, a pair of gloves, pants that reached my ankles and boots that covered my ankles – underwear was optional.

Fortunately, students were also provided with a helmet and a motorcycle for the duration of the course.

Guided by experienced motorcycle instructors, the course was spread out over one night and two days.

I spent the first night listening to lectures, watching videos about proper riding techniques, reading booklets about various safety warnings, etc.

There were noticeable differences in the skill levels among the students, which was more evident the next day.

On day two, we were given the opportunity to choose a motorcycle we wanted to ride for the rest of the course.

I chose a Honda Nighthawk because it looked safer to ride than the Kawasaki Ninja, which looked like it was almost ready for the race track, which was a mistake a beginner motorcyclist can easily make, right?

On day three, after many hours of instruction and practice on the motorcycle range, my skills were put to the test.

I successfully completed my training and received my rider safety certification.

Unfortunately, two months after completing the course, I separated from the United States Air Force.

This put a roadblock in front of my journey to motorcycle ownership, but it did not halt my journey.

I will continue to post updates about my journey, so you are more than welcomed to join me on this journey to the border of insanity with one exception, of course – don’t tell my mom.

For more information to help you get started on your journey check out the California Motorcyclist Safety Programs website (http://www.ca-msp.org/) and the California DMV website (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/checklists/mc.htm).