In a world of constant notifications and endless scroll, presence has become a radical act. We give gifts, favors, advice—but the rarest thing we offer each other is our time. In this piece, I explore what it means to truly show up—for the people we love, and even for those we barely know. Because not all time is created equal—and the best moments often ask for nothing but us.
https://i0.wp.com/www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/R6AK0164-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C854&ssl=18541280allanhttps://www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/worldrider_logo_white_border-trans1.pngallan2025-04-29 07:15:532025-04-29 10:23:06The Most Precious Gift You Can Give
I flew to Europe for a celebration, a moment of family triumph. I left with a deeper understanding of loss, gratitude, and what truly matters. Rome gave me everything—and then it took something irreplaceable. This is a story about memory, serendipity, and finding resilience in unexpected places.
https://i0.wp.com/www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_4354_133450.jpeg?fit=2500%2C1875&ssl=118752500allanhttps://www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/worldrider_logo_white_border-trans1.pngallan2025-04-22 16:50:002025-04-27 15:09:24A Love Letter. A Heist. And a Reckoning in Rome.
I started writing this in the days before and after New Year’s.
What began as a simple reflection somehow turned into something else entirely. At times, it felt like I was writing another book.
It took me until April to finally put my pen down. To say, it’s done.
As we turn the calendar each year, our minds rush ahead—to what’s next, to fresh goals, to promises we make with fingers crossed and hearts hopeful. But rarely do we stop to ask: What actually happened? Did we follow through? Did the year deliver what we imagined—or something else entirely?
Don’t worry—there’s always something to look forward to. But before we leap ahead, I think it’s worth pausing to look back.
This post is my way of doing that. A collection of stories, moments, photos, and memories—some small, some sweeping. A year in reflection.
So if you’re curious what last year actually felt like—well, here’s my take.
San Diego’s Bobby Riggs Club Facing Challenges This post isn’t coming to you from a distant corner of the world or from the saddle of my motorcycle. It’s coming from right here—San Diego, California—the place I call home and the community I cherish deeply. For those of you who know me personally, you already know […]
After a delicious meal in the restaurant of the Parador of Monforte—an extraordinary hotel perched atop a hill, surrounded by the remnants of a 9th-century Benedictine Monastery, a palace, and other medieval buildings—Robb and I contemplated our route for the next leg of our journey. I savored a classic Galician dish of pork knuckle on […]
https://i0.wp.com/www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_1187_124328.jpeg?fit=11424%2C8568&ssl=1856811424allanhttps://www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/worldrider_logo_white_border-trans1.pngallan2024-10-21 04:24:102024-10-21 14:24:26A Rain-Soaked Journey from Monforte de Lemos to León: Discovering the Camino
It’s funny. This WorldRider blog has over 900 posts in its archive. I started it in 2004, right around the time I began planning my life-changing, epic motorcycle journey around the world. You know, the journey that inspired my best-selling book, “FORKS.” For three years, I wrote religiously, nearly every day. I’d spend hours riding […]
https://i0.wp.com/www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/R6AK9661_183414.jpeg?fit=2500%2C1667&ssl=116672500allanhttps://www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/worldrider_logo_white_border-trans1.pngallan2024-10-19 16:45:472025-04-10 20:46:56Are You Deep or Superficial? Thoughts From A 9th Century Benedictine Monastery In Spain
Kindness from strangers turned friends is one of the most rewarding aspects of travel. Last year, as I wrapped up an epic journey that took me from Greece to Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, and finally Portugal, I found myself in need of a place to leave my motorcycle, “Doc,” for the winter. My friend Jordan […]
https://i0.wp.com/www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_9361-1030x773-1.jpg?fit=1030%2C773&ssl=17731030allanhttps://www.worldrider.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/worldrider_logo_white_border-trans1.pngallan2024-10-04 14:28:442024-11-19 15:10:12Returning to Portugal: The Journey Continues
The Most Precious Gift You Can Give
/0 Comments/in Travelogue /by allanIn a world of constant notifications and endless scroll, presence has become a radical act. We give gifts, favors, advice—but the rarest thing we offer each other is our time. In this piece, I explore what it means to truly show up—for the people we love, and even for those we barely know. Because not all time is created equal—and the best moments often ask for nothing but us.
A Love Letter. A Heist. And a Reckoning in Rome.
/0 Comments/in Europe, Italy, Travelogue /by allanI flew to Europe for a celebration, a moment of family triumph. I left with a deeper understanding of loss, gratitude, and what truly matters. Rome gave me everything—and then it took something irreplaceable. This is a story about memory, serendipity, and finding resilience in unexpected places.
How’s 2025 So Far? Happy? Unforgettable?
/0 Comments/in Andorra, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Europe, Madeira, Montenegro, North America, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Travelogue, USA /by allanI started writing this in the days before and after New Year’s. What began as a simple reflection somehow turned into something else entirely. At times, it felt like I was writing another book. It took me until April to finally put my pen down. To say, it’s done. As we turn the calendar each year, our minds rush ahead—to what’s next, to fresh goals, to promises we make with fingers crossed and hearts hopeful. But rarely do we stop to ask: What actually happened? Did we follow through? Did the year deliver what we imagined—or something else entirely? Don’t worry—there’s always something to look forward to. But before we leap ahead, I think it’s worth pausing to look back. This post is my way of doing that. A collection of stories, moments, photos, and memories—some small, some sweeping. A year in reflection. So if you’re curious what last year actually felt like—well, here’s my take.
Pickleball: Peace, Paddles, and Perseverance
/4 Comments/in North America, Travelogue, USA /by allanSan Diego’s Bobby Riggs Club Facing Challenges This post isn’t coming to you from a distant corner of the world or from the saddle of my motorcycle. It’s coming from right here—San Diego, California—the place I call home and the community I cherish deeply. For those of you who know me personally, you already know […]
A Rain-Soaked Journey from Monforte de Lemos to León: Discovering the Camino
/0 Comments/in Travelogue /by allanAfter a delicious meal in the restaurant of the Parador of Monforte—an extraordinary hotel perched atop a hill, surrounded by the remnants of a 9th-century Benedictine Monastery, a palace, and other medieval buildings—Robb and I contemplated our route for the next leg of our journey. I savored a classic Galician dish of pork knuckle on […]
Are You Deep or Superficial? Thoughts From A 9th Century Benedictine Monastery In Spain
/4 Comments/in Europe, Spain, Travelogue /by allanIt’s funny. This WorldRider blog has over 900 posts in its archive. I started it in 2004, right around the time I began planning my life-changing, epic motorcycle journey around the world. You know, the journey that inspired my best-selling book, “FORKS.” For three years, I wrote religiously, nearly every day. I’d spend hours riding […]
Returning to Portugal: The Journey Continues
/2 Comments/in Travelogue /by allanKindness from strangers turned friends is one of the most rewarding aspects of travel. Last year, as I wrapped up an epic journey that took me from Greece to Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, and finally Portugal, I found myself in need of a place to leave my motorcycle, “Doc,” for the winter. My friend Jordan […]