September 5

I know I’m in the right place.  This is my second participation in this adventure.  Last year I came with trepidations and anxiety and this year I’m here because this is a truly exceptional healing journey for me and I know for the other ladies too.

I can’t wait to see how every day will unfold with God, Megan and Meredith as our leaders, I expect only the best for us. 

Last year I was afraid because we were changing roommates every night, this year I’m excited about getting to know everyone on a one-on-one deeper level.  Everybody has such an incredible story.  I pray for lots of healing in all of us, and that this will be an adventure we will never forget and smile when we reflect on it.

I love all my sistas!

Ginny, from Half Moon Bay, CA

September 8

Riding through iconic places on an iconic bike is just amazing.  I’ve driven along these roads watching enviously as groups of bikes rode by, never imagining that one day it would be me!

I can’t describe the sense of achievement and power that this brings.  To be doing it with this group of women, for this cause makes it 100x more special.

Thank you all so much.

Wendy

Have you ever wanted to do something so badly you could taste it?  That’s how I felt on our first day ride and just couldn’t believe I was actually on this ride.  It’s an amazing journey with spectacular women – all diverse but with the same thing in common; a love of life and adventure.  I want to thank my sister Joyce and nephew James for coming to send us off at California Harley-Davidson.  Then my wonderful family, Bob, Devon and Daniel joined us at Ventura Harley-Davidson to meet everyone.  And I had the nicest surprise to see my boss Eva, her husband Jay and daughter Maya.  It was a treat!

I think about all my supporters (Jan’s Fans) and am so thankful to be here because of you.

Jan

How amazing is all of this!!  I keep having to laugh out loud in my helmet as we ride through pure Americana!  And the women – my God!  Ther is only one word for this – inspirational!  This is the time of my life!

Marie

PS – I promised I’d say hi to everyone at Greencroft School – hope the new term is trating you right!  Special Hi to 10.2.

I was an introvert.  Kind of…at least as a 50-ish citizen of my little town, stacking rock, being oh so responsible.  Then, as it has been such a long wait for the opposite and equal reaction, the EXTROVERT bursts to the surface.  And all the ex words flood my head while the wind whistles past. 

I exit my life as I know it.  I am exuberant now that the sky has opened a brilliant blue.  Ecstatic in the newness of these women friends.  Excited to finally have the Sportster I am riding responding to my will.  I am the exhibitionist stripping down to the naked reality of a body doing its level best to provide a biological miracle.  I am experiencing the incredible beauty of my own free spirit.  Shifting gears at extremes, RPMs exactly hot enough to finally burn the crap out of the carburators. Taking the extreme line through the next corner (twisty).

Expounding praise to the universe for the fortune I have discovered in the hearts of my sisters.  How extravagant my choice to leave the world I knew to swing my leg over a Harley and head into the absolute unknown.  Letting go of a tedium, extricating myself from the illusion that I can wait till tomorrow, till next, next summer, next year. 

To say goodbye to excruciating denial, to watch it disappear in my rearview mirror.  Travelling up the open road.  Seeing the ribbon of motorcycles ahead, the exhilaration as I hammer on the throttle of my Harley.

EXQUISITE!

Breast cancer made me extinct.  But today I ride covered head to toe with the hide of a being who left before me, a word of thanks.

One day I will shed my own skin and exit this world, but for not my deepest joy expressing itself, has irrepressible, undeniable, irreversible and full of hope.

Thank you Amazons.

Andrea



September 10

M & M, you two have got hearts of gold, nerves of steel.  This has been the best week I have had in 4 years.  Keep it up you and Amazon Heart rule.  No-one knows unless they have been in our shoes just how your life does change.  And this ride sure lets us know just how strong we really can be – we all have to keep a smile on our faces and our chins up and live life to the fullest each and eer day.

Karen

Amazing
Mesmerising
Awesome
Zest
Optimism
New

Hope
Energy
Adventurous
Rock-n-roll
Transformation

Thrilling
Hilarious
Unified
Naughty
Daring
Exciting
Ride of our Life!

Thank you Megan and Meredith

Alyssa

September 11

Whenever I get on my Dyna Fat Bob, I get the biggest grin on my face.  Riding has continued to be a blast!  Yesterday we had a wild and craggy ride which felt like an advanced training class.  I love this experience and I am becoming an experienced rider!  Yippee!  But the best experience has been talking and sharing with these wonderful women.

We each have so much to learn and share with each other and every day has been a blessing.  I think God for being here and for keeping us safe.  I put my pegs down today to honor my friends who died last year from cancer: Sandy, Ruthie and Margie.  I also am keeping Tom in my thoughts who we lost last week in an accident.

Ride Safe!

Jan

The end of the 6th day.  ¾ of the way through this Amazon Heart Thunder Adventure.  I’ve resisted writing in the Blog Book because written words feel so weak when trying to convey the power of this experience.  IN 6 days 20 women have met and bonded with each other.  We have grown together as sisters.  We all came to the beginning of this ride knowing we had the common bond of breast cancer survivorship.

As a matter of fact, I think I had somehow minimized the sheer power of our common thread being breast cancer survivorship.  It is so much a part of who we are and why we are on this journey.  Day 5 and 6 have been packed with moments that I felt the Amazon Heart spirit surging in each of us and between us.  We gathered for lunch at Santa Cruz and 2 past participants (sisters) joined us (Rhonda and Jenny).

As we sat in the showroom finishing lunch we were approached by a woman who was clearly an Amazon Heart Warrior Sister.  By normal standards we were “strangers” – but one of the many strange and beautiful gifts of breast cancer is the bond we all share and feel.  Cheryl now knows that she is at the beginning of an incredible journey that she shares with many others.  A journey that led 20 women from all over the US, from the UK and from Australia to join each other riding on Harley-Davidson motorcycles from LA to San Francisco.

Tonight we arrived in Benecia and gathered for dinner in the lobby of the Best Western where we are staying.  There we met another “stranger”.  Clara had prepared the meal for the evening.  Clara is also a cancer survivor.  She shared her journey of 24 years having faced both cervical and lung cancer.

Strangers and sisters sharing the bond of an incredible journey.  No matter where we are on the journey we are support for each other.  Megan and Meredith – what a gift you are to the world.  Truly brilliant.  Thank you for being the original Amazon Heart warriors.

Thank you for sharing your vision and courage in facing breast cancer.  Thank you for making the commitment and sacrifice to create and sustain Amazon Heart.  You are making a difference in people’s lives!  You are true leaders!

Wanda

September 12

WOW!! This has been an incredible journey.  I can not put into words how everyone has helped me to heal a little more.  I have met 20 of the most interesting and strong women over the past 10 days.  I now have a new family of sista’s for life that I know will be there for me if I need them!!

We have all had the same reason to be here – to grown and take our next step to living!!  Thanks M & M for making this all possible.  I am truly blessed to have been part of Amazon Heart 2008.  I am looking forward to AHT 2009 – Australia and US??

Thanks to everyone for making me the Warrior I am now!!

Gail

PS – thanks Ginny, Stacy and Megan for being there for me.

I cannot believe it’s our final night together.  I tried very hard all week to stay in the moment and enjoy each minute we spent together, and yet the time has gone by way too fast.

I’ve made more friends and have more sista’s to share my life with.  I got to be a sweep in Megan’s riding group and I was soooo proud!  We were definitely 20 different women from different countries, continents and states, and 20 different personalities.  It took each and every one of us to make this adventure what it was.  I’ve grown again,a nd feel like I wasn’t here just for myself, but also to listen and be there for others.  Thank you Suzanne for being part of this journey and for your listening ear.

Thank you Kathy for that wonderful special “night program” for us.  You are the bomb!

Thank you everone for being here and making this all possible.  Thank you M & M for giving us a place and a chance to do this.

Thanks to everyone who listened and encouraged about my personal struggles.  May God bless all of you and keep you safe on the road.

Feeling connected,

Your sista,

Ginny

Thank you – the first gift that cancer has given me.  It’s been amazing following your arses all the way from LA to San Francisco.

Marie

I had a wonderful ride and laughed really hard.  There is nothing better than getting to ride everyday.  Thanks Amazon Heart for a great ride!

Nancy

This has been incredible – the whole week.  I am thankful for all my new friends and for all the great memories!

Michele

For all those who have ridden before me, for all those present today – for all the ones awaiting for their journey to begin – thank you!

An open road awaits us all – full of hope, adventure and love.

Love your Amazon Heart Warrior,

Alyssa

Wow, what an amazing week and 21 amazing women.  I am always ambivalent on our last night together.  Glad to be home but sad that our time together is over.  It’s been beautiful!  Cold beer, hot wings and the open road with my sistas.  It doesn’t get any better than this!

Stacy

I am the van driver – and I’ve had a lovely time watching all the warriors on their Harley’s – especially the first time riders.

Thanks for the memories AH.

Lisa L.