What a Ride!

Melissa Hussong completed a life-changing solo motorcycle trip five years ago, and is now encouraging other women to take their life by the handlebars.

The popular podcast host, business mentor and mother to one (with another on the way), has quite literally  taken her life by the handlebars.

Melissa fell in love with riding when her husband got his license in 2018, but when she wanted to ride more often than he did, there was only one solution: get her license so she can ride alone.

‘We would go on rides in the evenings along the Mississippi River in Minnesota and I absolutely loved the freedom, thrill, and anticipation of what I would see on the ride. I quickly became hooked and wanted to control my own journey by sitting in the saddle of my own motorcycle,’ she said.

‘My passion for riding exceeded my husbands and I often found myself wanting to ride more often than he did – there was only one option.’

Melissa is not one to stay stationary. Born in Japan, and then raised in America until she was six, Melissa moved to Australia, then back to America, before settling in Gippsland three years ago. Melissa said riding was much more than getting from place A to place B.  It’s about taking control of your life and becoming real, authentic and unapologetic about who you are.

‘It is kind of like giving societal norms and expectations the middle finger. Motorcycles are more than a mode of transport – they are freedom machines that offer you a way out of a life that feels old and stale, and no longer fits who you are,’ she said.

‘Motorcycles give you permission to stop caring what other people think, overcome your fears, and lean into your authentic wild nature. I have always loved the thrill of the ride and challenge it presents to always be the best version of myself, and I try to improve every time I swing my leg over the saddle.

‘You never know what you will see or where you will end up. There is nothing better than watching the sunset from the saddle of a motorcycle.’

And she has watched many sunsets from the saddle of her motorbike, with one particular adventure transforming her life.

In 2020, Melissa embarked on a solo motorcycle trip. She had purchased a 1993 BMW K75 touring motorcycle which allowed her to pack all her camping gear, clothes, and food for a five-day road trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota.

‘I was excited yet nervous but felt deeply that this was something I needed to do,’ she said.

‘The Black Hills is a type of American motorcycle culture Mecca which hosts the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the largest in the world. Outside of the town of Sturgis, there are incredible riding roads like the Needles Highway known for challenging curves and breathtaking scenery set among national forest and state parks.

‘Many famous attractions are located in the Black Hills like Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, and the nearby Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

‘The Black Hills have a special spiritual and mystical charm that makes them magnetic for a lot of travellers. I wanted to travel there solo on my motorcycle to experience the magnetism and beauty for myself.’

The trip began St Paul, Minnesota and wound down through the state to South Dakota and Wyoming with overnight stops at Blue Mounds State Park, Devil’s Tower, Black Hills National Forest and Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota).

Melissa slept in a one-person tent with a blow-up mattress and portable stove, carrying minimal clothes, wet riding gear, a basic food supply and three litres of water.  

‘I was eager to cover as much ground as possible and spent many hours in the saddle each day. The thrill of the ride was so exciting I almost ran out of petrol in a middle-of-nowhere town along Interstate 90 in South Dakota,’ she said.

‘On my third day I was riding through Custer State Park known for its bison who openly roam the prairie lands, often found blocking traffic through the park with their large herds. I found myself at an impasse in front of such a herd and, along with other road users, we proceeded towards the herd to clear a path.

‘After a few minutes of this, I turned around to see I was totally alone – the cars had backed off and let me go ahead – and I was completely surrounded by a herd of bison as close as one meter away and eye-to-eye with these large creatures on both sides.

‘Though scared and vulnerable to being charged, I projected love and safety to the creatures and felt they would not hurt me. Twenty minutes later I pulled into the park visitor centre to catch my breath, exhausted and covered in sweat but grateful for my exhilarating safari adventure.’

One the third day of the trip, Melissa was leaving Custer State Park and had no plans for where to stay the night. A friendly ranger told her about a small access point to the Black Hills National Park that allowed free camping, but Melissa felt something was not right.

‘The sun was setting, and I was nervous about encountering more bison, so I made my way to the spot he recommended. Upon arriving, nothing was immediately out of order – just one other car in the parking lot, probably overnight hikers – but otherwise quiet and peaceful. And yet, inside my mind and heart were racing and I felt very anxious about this decision to stay the night in this location,’ she said.

‘For the first time on my road trip I desperately wanted to share my location with someone. I walked around for fifteen minutes to find reception to send a location pin and message to friends back home. I decided to push aside my deep feelings of unease and set up camp anyway.

‘As I was setting up my tent, the unthinkable happened. A gun shot went off very close to me in the darkened woods near my tent. It could not have been more than twenty meters away. I paused, unsure what to do, then heard pairs of footsteps running straight at me.

‘I jumped in the ravine next to my tent to hide and the people ran past me to their car and hid there, silently in the dark. Terrified and confused, I remained in hiding until the car silently pulled away with lights off.

‘The weirdest part was that I could not tell if these people were the ones that shot the gun or were being shot at. Should I fear them, or was there someone else in the woods with a gun to be feared? I never did find out.’

‘With my cover blown – my tent and motorcycle were both on clear display – I decided to camp there anyway and address additional challenges throughout the night as they surfaced. Nothing else happened but I did feel a protective presence outside my tent while I was sleeping, and felt confident the danger had passed.’

One her last night in Wind Cave National Park, Melissa set up her tent in the campground, made dinner and settled in for the night when she learned that unseasonably bad snowstorm was due to arrive the following day. With the potential over a foot of snow predicted to fall in the coming hours, she made the decision to hit the road early.

‘As I began my ride, the adrenaline kicked in and I just kept riding and riding all the way home to Minnesota which was almost ten hours away. Looking back, it was really reckless to ride for so long, especially since I was trying to outrace a storm on the horizon, but I was enjoying myself and up to another challenge.

‘I arrived home wet and cold, and still vibrating from my motorcycle but felt so content and proud of myself for completing my first solo motorcycle road trip.’

Melissa said that the adventure forced her to step outside her comfort zone. Having been indecisive before the trip, she was forced to make simple decisions such as what to eat, to more critical decisions like the one she made to run and flee from the gunshots on her third night.

‘This motorcycle road trip gave me a bravery and courage I had never before felt. When I returned to my life, I felt empowered to speak up for myself, advocate for my needs, and refused to take shit from anyone. I walked taller, spoke louder, and made decisions with confidence,’ she said.

‘It showed me what I was capable of. Not only could I manoeuvre a powerful machine, but I was in control of every step of my journey which was extremely empowering. I was leading myself and boldly taking my life by the handlebars. The road trip helped me overcome my fear of failure and to finally stop caring what other people think of me. I gave myself permission to be who I wanted to be, live how I wanted to live, and do what I wanted to do,’ she said.

‘Every time I feel self-doubt or lack clarity on direction in my life, all I have to do is get in the saddle of my motorcycle and I am reminded again of what I am capable of.’

Melissa said she now listens to and trusts her intuition more than she did before. She has learned not to dismiss her feelings of unease and reminds herself that we live in a spiritual universe, and we should pay attention to our surroundings.

The trip was so enlightening, that Melissa found the courage to quit her 9 to 5 job and begin a new business called Her Handlebars. She also proposed to her husband and began living a fulfilled life on her own terms for the first time in her life.

Through her business, Melissa mentors and coaches women who want to earn more, work less, and spend more quality time doing what they love.

‘I work with clients 1:1 in my Burnt Out To Badass program and in my weekly membership program Badass Business Accelerator Circle.’

Melissa also hosts the Full Time Freedom podcast which she described as being your co-pilot on your path to living a fulfilled life on your terms. There are over one hundred episodes which covers business and life hacks, motorcycles, health and wellbeing, travel, mum life and everything she is learning on her own personal life journey so that listeners can go further, faster.

Melissa is also a motorcycle coach, helping and inspiring other women to become ‘badass riders,’ too.  She hopes to one day have a Women’s Riding Academy.

For more information, email hello@herhandlebars.com  or follow her on social media @melissahussong.