I haven't driven a car since I left the US 6 months ago. A car is impractical and expensive here (SE Asia). Everyone drives a scooter/moped and even though I had never driven one before, I was able to zip around town on my Yamaha Nouvo within a week. It's a very practical mode of transportation. you don't feel the traffic, you zip between cars, and driving from 25-40mph, the moped is at its best. I tried taking it on a highway and even though it can generate speeds up to about 65mph, I gave up at 50mph. I was scared. As you drive, you feel that you'll be in deep shit if you hit a pot hole and that your life is hanging by a thread as a moped is not exactly a precision instrument and hasn't been designed for highway driving.

I decided to try my hand at something bigger and rented a small cruiser bike. Oh my God! It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys! I never understood the attraction and the whole riding experience that bikers talk about until I got on this thing. It all makes sense now! It's so much fun, I'm giddy with joy!