I do not like travelling on bikes, I do not find it safe at all and yet, Bikes have been my go to vehicle when I'm in a rush to reach somewhere quick.
Despite not being a fan of bikes I owned two when I was a med student. Why 2 you may ask. Well, one of my bikes was smashed by an oncoming car! So yeah, I don't find bikes safe! And yet, the immediate next day I got myself another bike with the compensation sum. Bikes are very convenient regardless its safety profile. You need a quick run down the grocery shop, bike your way there. A quick run down to the supermarket..? No worries, bike got you covered. Those small distance runs with a bike ended up saving so much time it was invaluable as a student.
But one of my fondest memories with my bike was in my 4th year. I had only about a few weeks for my board exams and I just returned to my dormitory at 10 pm having spent the entire day at the library. I had my dinner at the library lounge, so all that was left for me to do was just freshen up...maybe have some fruits and hit the bed. My roommate, who was also my best friend had returned to his country for vacation so I had no one to chat to after a long tiring day. That actually helped me get my schedule on point.
Within 30 minutes I was cozily comfortable under my warm blanket ready to snore off into the depths of the night. And then at 2 a.m. I was up, sweating, panting...heart racing faster than Michael Schumacher's ferrari! That was the first time I was having a panic attack. It is not uncommon for med students to experience such occasional panic attacks, a good chat with friends usually settles the nerves. Unfortunately for me my roommate wasn't there and I didn't want to wake anybody up so late to tell them I was having a panic attack. Young me saw that as a weakness.
I got out of bed, put on my jacket and set off out into the quietness of the cold January night, under the yellow sodium street lamps. It was one of the serenest rides I have ever had in my life. As the cold wind slapped my cheeks, the silence of the night rang loud in my ears. Once in a while a large lorry, or an Audi will swoosh past. After I rode for a good 30 minutes or so, I parked my bike by the roadside and just sat on the footpath...taking in all the serenity. The yellowish tinge from the sodium lamps seemed the most beautiful color of light that existed. I often tell people I have a fascination towards such yellow lights when it comes to home decor. The fascination started that day, at almost 3 am in the night as I sat alone with my bike standing tall beside the road, listening to the time tick by as I paused time in my mind...trying to slow everything down....to calm the nerves.
For a couple of hours time stopped for me. To this day, I can still simply close my eyes and bathe in the cold yellow night, I can hear the silent serenity. Maybe we don't really need too much to be peaceful.
