ROSIE GABRIELLE: BUILDING A LIFE ON TWO WHEELS
By Paul Strubell of Dirt Orcas – 2/27/17
Rosie and Winston
For the twenty first installment in our ongoing interview series here at Dirt Orcas, we are thrilled to be speaking with Rosie Gabrielle. Rosie is an adventure rider in the purest sense.
I discovered Rosie through Instagram after I saw that she was doing some work with The Modern Motorcycle Diaries. (View our previous interview with Alex Chacon.)
Even though I discovered her through Alex, Rosie is without question her own force in the adventure motorcycling community. As she continues to develop her methods of story telling and we are the better for it.
Her Instagram account is full of vibrant images that take you right to the moment as she lives it. Her photo’s have a lot of life in them. You can also follow her adventures on facebook if you prefer.
However, the place you really want to pay close attention to is her YouTube channel. Her videos are well made and provide a much more visceral experience. You get a full sense of adventure travel and the elements that go into this kind of trip.
Rosie is an excellent reminder anyone can follow their dreams, but doing so with a plan and working hard, will certainly enhance your ability to realize that dream.
We are grateful to have such wonderful story tellers in this community to continue to inspire and educate us.
Year, Make, Model of your bike?
1983 Honda Shadow 500 cc
Did you name your bike? What do you call it?
No, my bike currently still stands with no name.
When and how did you get it?
I got it when I was 20. It was my first “big girl bike” I bought it after I had returned from my solo moto tour around SE Asia.
What other vehicles did you consider and what made you ultimately pull the trigger on the one you bought?
At the time, I wasn’t too picky. I knew nothing about bikes and was more concentrated on cost. I found it second hand on a local buy sell page. I went to check it out and was immediately sold. I got it for a great deal. I’ve owned it for 11 year now and it has never given me any problems.
Have you made any upgrades or changes to it?
Everything is original on it. Because of this, I got accepted for classic plates which saves me huge on insurance!
What do you consider to be your current job or goal?
My current goal is to make a sustainable living by traveling and making my videos.
What is your favorite part about it living/working out of your vehicle?
I like to be flexible and run my own schedule. I’ve worked for myself for the past 10 years and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being able to combine my passions this way is a great way to live.
What is your least favorite part about it?
Sometimes I’m not very motivated. It’s hard to film everything yourself, produce, edit, Etc. on the road. Sometimes I lack the enthusiasm to do it. But I’m the only one I’m counting on so I just need to do it.
How many miles have you put on your bike?
I’ve driven a dozen bikes all over the world, the miles weren’t all accumulated on one bike. I’m not sure how many I’ve clocked, I haven’t kept track
What is the best place you have taken it? Is there just one?
This bike in specific… I did a loop from Vancouver BC- Yosemite and back this last summer – 5000 km
Favorite road you ridden?
Right now I’m currently in Cape Town and there are some amazing roads here. Also, recently I ascended Wadi Bani Auf in Oman which was pretty epic.
In one word, what describes your approach to life?
The word for “taking every opportunity I can and embracing life to the fullest.”
If you could give a person one piece of advice when thinking about living and traveling off of a vehicle, what would you tell them?
Don’t plan too much, just do – be spontaneous and go with the flow. Take any opportunity that comes your way, you never know where it will lead. And, don’t be afraid.
It takes a special kind of person to recognize that the journey, not the destination, is the point of life. Travelers know this. Was there a point in your life where you became conscious that you were one of those people?
I’ve always known that I was different. But it was probably when I was on my SE Asia tour when I was 19. When I first decided to ditch the backpacking method and to buy 2 wheels.
You have found a strong place in the community of adventure riders, as well as photographers, do you see yourself as someone who gets more out of adventure riding by documenting your travels?
It’s a sacrifice you take, documenting your travels. But for me, I’m an artist. I need to create. So for me, I cannot do one without the other, even though it is often a challenge.
What values do you think your home town has instilled in you that you take on the road and bring to your trips?
Hmmm, I don’t feel I connect with this question. I didn’t learn anything from my “home town:” Everything I learnt was from personal life experiences. My location didn’t really have anything to do with it.
Do you see yourself as somebody who took a leap of faith to live in an unconventional way or do you think it kind of just happened?
It’s not even a question for me to live my life this way. I wouldn’t be happy doing it any other way. There is a huge leap of faith, as I’m not quite sure what I’m doing yet, but like anything else in my life, I will work hard towards it and I know it will work out.
Where do you want to go next? (Geographically and career wise)
I want to go everywhere… where to next, I have no idea, I don’t plan that far in advance. As far as career, I want to be making money off my videos.
awesome thanks for sharing another rider to follow.