BlueRoad is a multimedia project about the life of Patches O’Nassis, the 1st person to live fulltime in a teardrop trailer pulled by a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Documenting her life on the road with her dog named Yoska, chicken named Esmeralda, Harley called Blue and teardrop trailer called TicTac. Empowering herself and women everywhere to follow their dreams no matter how wild they may seem. Anything is possible.
Saturday April 2, 2011 was the first performance of BlueRoad for the 11th Annual Women & Identity Festival Opening at the Deep Listening Space in Kingston, NY. The piece is called BlueRoad: Grand Women.
Check out the archive from the Deep Listening Institute ustream channel.
Moto Meditation is a piece I created from a recording of my daily ride on Blue to school. My ride consisted of a back road that goes right next to the Everglades outside Miami, FL. Some of the most beautiful views and a nice peaceful route without the traffic of the Turnpike.
When listening to this piece think of a beautiful place. Feel the vibrations of the sounds throughout your body. Let your mind relax and meditate within the constant sounds of the rumble.
I grew up on the back of a motorcycle. I remember going on poker runs with my dad, uncle and grandpa all over the state of Nebraska. I use to love the freedom I felt (once the initial fear of falling off would go away).
My little brother and I on our grandpa's Honda
I always wanted a motorcycle of my own but I had an eating disorder for over 20 years that prevented me from being able to lift a bike none the less ride one. October 2007, I was far along in my healing process, about to turn 30 and finally graduate from college. So to celebrate such great milestones in my life I decided the time had come to learn to ride. I took the weekend course that taught me everything from the very beginning and I got my motorcycle license. A week later I found the most perfect motorcycle, a 2007 Harley Davidson FLHT. The sales guy thought I was a little crazy going straight for the big bike and I told him I was looking for a bike I could grow into and be comfortable to ride everywhere. He just kind of chuckled and sold me the bike.
A couple days later they delivered my bike.
I told them to park it in the yard but no one said I wouldn't be able to back it out again... so here is a pic of my bike stuck in hole that I put her in when trying to get her to turn around because I couldn't back her up. hahaha... I had to call the Harley shop and have them come back out to get my bike out of the hole.
Anyway... once the hole drama was done I rode her every day. I finally felt free. I finally felt like I was home. I ended up naming the bike Bluebird of Happiness, Blue for short. When I was a kid I use to love the movie Follow that Bird, you know with the Sesame Street gang. Big Bird gets adopted by the Dodos and runs away back to Sesame Street. Well... anyway, there was one song I would listen to over and over again that Big Bird sang when he was captured by this carnival and was painted blue and called the Bluebird of Happiness.
When I listen to this song now I can't believe how true this song is to my life and how I felt. There was always hope even in the darkness. So it was fitting for my new Harley and new chapter of my life. I believe in using your past not as something to be ashamed of but something to help you remember just how far you have come.
