It all seemed so simple. Needing a break from studying during our final finals week in college, a bunch of us took a break from our studies to view “Easy Rider,” the iconic cult biker film featuring sex, drugs, and bikes. It entranced me. Not the sex and drugs, although I certainly couldn’t claim faith then. But Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper captured the freedom of traveling on two wheels.

The idea burst upon me like inspiration—I’d work for a month or so, save enough to buy a bike, and head to Canada for a month before grad school started. Three weeks after buying the bike, I took off. Way too early, I knew almost nothing about riding or bikes. Not enough to know the danger.