Long rides can take a person into a type of dreamworld. As the real world of day to day life recedes in the rear view mirror, one is slowly immersed in unfamiliar territory. The senses are heightened. New worlds arise and float by. Days blend together. Being a stranger in a strange land is the norm. Riding far away from one's normal life can give a person perspective. Life's day to day responsibilities, material concerns and personal relationships change. What once seemed important recedes far in the distance and tends to lose it's immediate grasp on your attention. The benefit of this is that it allows a person to gain insight and appreciation for what is truly important in their life. The media portray the world as a dangerous place. It is only by travel that one discovers the truth of how friendly the world is in most places. Newspapers and television are desperately trying to grab your attention so you'll view their advertisements. It's how they make money. No one tells us this growing up. People with no experience of foreign lands assume the world is a dangerous place because of all the sensationalist stories they see in the news. It is as if newspapers had gathered all the worlds rattlesnakes into one place. Of course that hissing mass of media attention looks frightening. The truth is, rattlesnakes are sparsely scattered around the globe and are easily avoided by paying attention to the warning signs. Just like volcanic eruptions, drug wars, riots, lions and unsavory people. There is no greater therapy in the world than riding long and far as the thoughts drifting through your mind sort themselves out and you gain an appreciation for humanity and the things you hold dear in life.