This week the BUSY Lab connected with LMP Financial Analyst, Kenny Chieu to learn a bit about what he does to take a break from the BUSY and shape his personal health and wellness. The theme: Riding motorcycles.
Kenny says it all started when he rented a scooter while vacationing in Taiwan. He was 21 at the time, cruising up and down the coast, taking in beautiful scenery and a rich ocean breeze. The picturesque experience naturally left a void when Kenny arrived back in Canada – so it wasn’t long before he started looking into riding a motorcycle.
“Most Saturday or Sunday mornings I’ll wake up and just go out for a morning ride,” says Kenny. “That’s the relaxation/wellness piece – it’s just me and the road.”
Before being able to get on a bike and start riding, Kenny had to get his motorcycle license and learn the basic skills of operating a motorcycle. He did a bit of research and enrolled in a course that pairs in-class theory and on-bike riding.
Kenny says the course was straightforward and covered pretty much everything you need to know to be able to ride. From learning how to turn a motorcycle on, to actually maneuvering it, Kenny was able to get some valuable experience on a bike and ended up passing his final test to get his license.
Now riding a motorcycle is a lot of things for Kenny. It’s a mode of transportation, it’s a way to explore, and it’s just fun to do.
“It’s caused me to become much more patient on the road,” he says. “I used to always get frustrated with traffic, but now I’m just relaxed – even when I’m in a car.”
Kenny rides into work for the better part of the year too, so it’s not really a hobby that’s difficult to make time for. On the other hand, it seems to be a hobby that makes time for other things, like enjoying nature. Kenny will sometimes make small day trips to go hiking, or he’ll even just keep riding until he finds a scenic road or gets lost.
I’m sure there are probably a few LMP staff who have thought about riding a motorcycle, so if you’re one of them or have been on the fence for a while, hopefully this is the motivation you need. Kenny suggests investing in doing a course first to make sure it’s something you enjoy, or, if riding a full motorcycle seems daunting at first, maybe try a scooter or moped rental to see if you’re comfortable with that.
Kenny says, “Sure, it’s dangerous – but if you’re smart, not reckless, and in control, you shouldn’t have any problems!”
If you’re interested in learning more about riding a motorcycle, see what the Ontario requirements are HERE, or click HERE to check out possible courses at the Rider Training Institute.
What do you do when you need to feel “BUSY”?
What’s that thing you do that makes you happy (“Bliss”),
or helps you relax (“Unwind”),
or makes you feel like you can take on anything that comes your way (“Strength”)?
Kenny might go for a long ride on his motorcycle. What would YOU do?
Check in next week as we hear from another LMP staff member about their BUSY activity. We hope these stories may remind you about your BUSY thing, or even inspire you to try something new!
The Pathology Report 
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