While I was experimenting with working outside of my home office and rented a motorbike for a month, something unexpected happened. It stopped being just a way to get to a café — it became something more.
I used to live a car life. During 5 years in Cyprus, I rented around 30 cars — I always had one at hand. Even if I was without a car for a couple of days, I never felt like something was missing.
Moreover, even here in Thailand, I spent my first two years as a pedestrian — using public transport, moto taxis, or car taxis when needed. Sometimes I rented a motorbike for one day a week, and that was enough.
I genuinely love walking, and the hot weather doesn’t bother me at all. But after a full month on two wheels — I got used to it. And now, after returning the motorbike and becoming a pedestrian again, I feel like something is missing.
Just a day later, the feeling only got stronger. It’s like I’ve lost a part of myself.
Riding a bike wasn’t just convenient — it became a hobby. Moto-life, moto-love — I don’t even know what to call it. But this small vehicle became an essential part of my everyday experience.
Considering the country I live in — Thailand — riding a motorbike is amazing. The weather is mostly good, even if it’s hot. To avoid getting bright red sunburns below the sleeves — the kind that looks like gloves worn by cabaret dancers — I bought special sun protection gear: sleeves and a face mask, like local riders use.
That really helps when you’re stuck for 5–7 minutes at a big intersection under the blazing sun, waiting for the light to turn green.
So now, motorbike trips have become a part of my life — and I think it’s for the long run. It’s a beautiful new hobby I discovered almost by accident.
Again, I was totally fine with Thailand’s public transport and affordable taxis, including moto taxis. I never planned to rent a motorbike long-term.
But once I visited several spots outside the city — and crossed Pattaya many times, back and forth — I realized how many amazing places are reachable only by bike. And how much joy it brings.
Now for the downside — I stopped walking. I used to hit the famous 10,000 steps a day without even trying. But after switching to a motorbike, that number dropped 5 to 8 times!
My fitness tracker must’ve been confused — speed went up, steps went down 🙂🙂 Just look at these Google Fit screenshots: they clearly show how my steps dropped from the 17th to the 17th.
Then, they went back to normal levels — but only briefly. For three days, the step count dropped again. You might think I was just lying at home — but no, I had rented a bike again for three days!
What about now? At the moment, I’m still testing different bikes to eventually choose the one that suits me best — and buy it.
But what’s also important is that I’ve slowly found a balance between healthy walking and my motorcycle passion. To keep it, I have to wake up earlier than usual — but even that turned out to be a plus.
I’ll talk more about that some other time. Stay tuned!
