Page 17 - ABILITY Magazine - Avril Lavigne Issue

ABILITY 17
or the past few years, I have braved the harsh FMarch winter here in the northeast and made
“Dallas.”
the migration south to Daytona Beach, FL, for bike week. Well, mostly I go in order to attend the Iron Butt Association’s (IBA)
annual gathering in Jacksonville to break bread and tell lies to hundreds of other motorcyclists who share my love of long distance riding.
When I got a call in late February inviting me to share my story at a pharmaceutical company’s national sales meet- ing the same week as Daytona, I replied, “Absolutely yes.” Then I inquired, “Where?”
“The one in Texas?”
No problem. It was 2000 miles to Dallas, another 1100 or so to Jacksonville, and then 1200 miles home. Not a bad catch towards my million-mile goal. Although it was bitter cold at home, and Dallas had received six inches of snow from a giant storm that was heading east, the only real anxiety I had the week before leaving was worrying if the beef jerky I’d ordered would arrive in time.
Admittedly, it was hard not to look at the forecast 48 hours before leaving. I wasn’t changing my plans, and I
don’t own a trailer or a truck. The entire trip was at risk, and I didn’t have a good contingency plan.
When I left home, the temperature was in the teens and continued to drop for the first 300 miles, but I was able to get out of Dodge and right on schedule. My first night was spent with friends just outside of Raleigh, NC. Smoked ribs and home brew beer beats a motel any day.
I headed west early the next morning, but again, the temperature dropped the more I rode. It never went above 42 degrees all day and riding through the Smokey Mountains was quite interesting as one lane was entirely covered in ice. I finally made it to Memphis where I had located and booked a hotel room on the fly; all hands free with an app on my smarter-than-me-phone.
All I wanted was a warm shower and Memphis BBQ. I abandoned the bike for the night and took a shuttle to Central BBQ to enjoy some pulled pork. While sitting in the restaurant I realized something was wrong with the main camera of my new iPhone: it wouldn’t focus, mak- ing all my pictures fuzzy. Luckily for me, the phone has a pretty decent front facing camera. Unlucky for everyone else, the rest of my trip’s photos are all selfies!
Day three’s ride from Memphis to Dallas was cold and in torrential rain. When I arrived at the plush hotel, I parked in the garage, unpacked and waddled my way to