CHASING CRYSTAL
CHASE YOUR DREAMS
ABOUT
Hi! My name is Crystal and I am an Asian American female motorcyclist born and raised in the Bay Area, California. I attended the University of California Berkeley and have a degree in Architecture with a minor in Sustainable Design. I worked in the architecture field for 10 years before embarking on this motorcycle trip. Or as my friend says, "That's not a trip, that's an expedition!"
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Traveling has always been a passion of mine. It has the beautiful ability to open our minds in a way nothing else can. It teaches us about different people, cultures, and deconstructs our assumptions about the "other". It is imperative for me to experience travel first hand and not through someone else's skewed lens. I hope I can inspire people to get out there and see the world for how it really is, and not with the projected fear people can pass on when they hear a story that happened to someone else.
If there is one thing I learned from solo traveling for over two and a half years so far, it is that there is a tremendously more good in the world than bad.
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I am currently on the road solo traveling with my 1990 Honda Dominator 250cc. It is over 30 years old and reliable. I travel with over 100 lbs/ 45 kg of gear with me.
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FAQS
How long have I been riding?
I've been riding since 2010.
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How did I get into motorcycles?
I was introduced to motorcycles by a friend during college/ university who took me on rides up to 160mph and did wheelies and endos with me on the back. Did I mention I wore a spare helmet a size too big, a hoodie, jeans and Nike dunks as gear? It was at that point I decided I needed some control. I attempted to get my M1 by taking the California Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, but accidentally drilled a hole in my finger in woodshop in college. My finger was swollen for months and would not fit in my riding gloves. So I needed to wait for my finger to deswell, my nail to grow back and my nail bed to be less sensitive before I could try to finish the class. I dropped my bike the first day of the class because I was so scared of this big machine! I also failed the multiple choice test at the DMV the first time. It goes to show even if your riding journey isn't smooth, you can still go far!
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What kind of bikes do I ride?
I have a Kawasaki Ninja 300 in the United States and a Honda Dominator 250 in Europe.
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What do I do when I'm not riding motorcycles?
I enjoy a mix of rugged passions such as weight lifting, badminton, camping, backpacking, hiking and ultramarathons, as well as some decompressing ones such as arts and crafts, meditation, reading, and spinning poi.