I forgot my protective pants. And my skirt.
“I’M so bored of thinking about myself,” I complain to Steve Crombie, Professional Adventurer, raconteur and author of ace new book Lost On Earth. He’s an expert on how to give your life a kick up the arse, but on a day-to-day basis he recommends not taking things personally, practicing the art of detachment and living in the moment. Headphones out, phone off, then.
We’re going to test the latter by going out for a ride on his motorbike in Sydney’s Surry Hills. “I look like a hooker,” I warn him as I climb on the back in my poorly thought-out ‘slut-but-punk-slut’ gear. He laughs approvingly.
I shouldn’t really have expected any different, but upon weaving smoothly out of the garage, Steve takes off like a missile down Foveaux Street and pops a wheelie. We’re hooning so fast my mind barely registers we’re only half on the ground, before he bombs around a corner and breaks sharply at the light. “Mum would kill me,” flits through my head, then I look down and see my undies staring back at me. She’d be proud, too.
We stop for a caffeine break to really send my adrenal glands into overdrive, and I wipe away tears that have appeared from somewhere; like from the g-force, probably. “Have you had an epiphany yet?” Steve asks intently, as I spasm my coffee all over the saucer.
On the way back, Steve yells something that sounds exactly like: “We’re going to jump straight over that intersection,” and next thing you know we’re home. As we pull in, he grabs my rattling thigh and laughs, “I didn’t know I could have that effect on someone.”
It’s a pretty amazing feeling, completely putting your trust in someone who could skin you alive with one wrong move. I’m still laughing as I board my flight to Melbourne. Damn it, I don’t want to be sitting still on a plane right now. Hopefully the pilot does a loop-the-loop.
Keeper? I’m driving next time.
Keep track of Steve’s adventures here:
Twitter: stevecrombie
Lost On… www.loston.com
Facebook: Steve Crombie
Hey man, now you're really living 
I am still smiling after reading this, its so good you didnt let your non protective clothing stop you from adventure. Sometimes it is trust in others that protects you, something we dont do very often.
Thanks, Leeann, I agree! Jenny