hi Lois (know of but never met...yet)
I always have a rye smile when asked, usually by men, " so...how did your husband convince you to start to ride/go on this trip with him?"

when I reply..." well...I am older than him and have been riding 15 years longer than him and the trip was infact my idea....." it seems to leave them nonplussed.

I like that.

After almost 8 years on the road I am used to this - I come to expect it - but one day I live in hope that 'we' will just be accepted as bikers...regardless as to whether we have breasts or not...infact a lot of guys out there have bigger breasts than I do and these comments are never directed at them.....?

Aside from the comments from a few die-hard conventionalists - is it hard to be a woman?
no harder than it is for some men. I think that men have a lot to 'live up to'. what I mean by that is that there appears to be a lot more peer presure on them to be better, bigger, tougher than the man next to them whether it be at work or on a bike.
As a woman its my opnion that we put more pressure on ourselves rather than others putting upon us. 'We' think we should be stronger, tougher, more able than we are in most things that we do.

After many years of self-doubt about my riding abilities I have come to accept the fact that - yep...I drop my bike. Yep - I drop it sometimes in silly circumstances a lot of the time due to my height. I dont have long legs like my husband...he is 6'4"...I am 5'3". however, we DO ride the same pistes, have the same long and tiring days in the saddle but at the end of the day.....I feel safe and protected when in a dark and strange place in the middle of nowhere as he is by my side.
I wonder if I provide him with that same feeling of security and protection.....i doubt it.

When we are camping I'm the first to kick him outside if I think I hear a suspect noise or mad animal!

Im glad Im a woman!

Lisa
currently in Bangkok, Thailand en-route to everywhere else......

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Lisa
www.2ridetheworld.com