We’re often curious just what our customers are up to so we caught up with Jerad Lamarche, who recently completed a 6 month motorcycle tour of India and more……
B– Jerad, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us, congrats on finishing flight school, what’s next?
J– Right now I’m looking at a few job options and getting a few more certifications. For example, I’m getting my truck drivers license so I’m able to drive the heli’s on a flatbed.
BB– What led you to become a helicopter pilot?
J-I’ve always loved helicopters and I wanted a lifestyle that inspires adventure, having fun and being happy. It just seemed to line up with what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.
BB– Adventure and having fun, seems like a good transition from your trip in India. How did all that begin?
J– A few years ago, I owned a house in Saskatoon, and a little voice in my head started to get louder and louder. The voice was telling me to quit the rat race, and go out and find adventure. I was sick of the money pit my house was becoming and all the belongings I had acquired. The voice became unbearable, which led me to sell my house, sell most of my belongings and buy a ticket to India. I’d never even wanted to go to India.
BB– India, wow that’s quite a change from the scenery in Saskatoon. What brought you there?
J– Nothing specifically, I was really into yoga, and it just seemed like a cool place to explore. When I was three years old I told my mom I was ready to move out. Growing up I told my family I wanted to visit every country in the world.
BB– How does someone go about planning a motorcycle trip through India?
J– Actually, It wasn’t very planned out. I didn’t even have a place to stay once my flight landed. I landed in Thiruvananthapuram, and did some traveling around the region. I found a 1972 Royal Enfield Bullet in Rajasthan, and I became good friends with the guy I bought it from, he actually helped me rebuild it. I did the tourist thing while I rode the bike, breaking the new motor in before I took off on a road trip with Raju, a friend I had made. In the end, I put about 25,000km on that bike, over six months.
BB– Wow, that’s a lot of time behind the bars. Anything memorable or scary?
J– Haha, there are a few that come to mind, it’s fun to relive them in my mind as I think about the trip. It’s funny, a lot of the scary moments, didn’t seem too bad at the time, but looking back I should have been more scared. The traffic in India can be really bad, its just one big mass, and I had a few close calls. One time I was pinched in between a truck and the guardrail, and just barely escaped. I think I was laughing at the time, but looking back I should have scared.
BB– How did you handle navigation?
J– Well, I didn’t speak the language and most of the road signs are written in Devanagari, and I didn’t have a GPS. I knew the general direction, and I’d ask people in each town, and they would give me a wave in the right direction.
BB–Who inspires you?
J– Certain types of people, and lifestyles that go against the grain I look up to. I believe the world has a lot of growth to do, letting go of hate, anger, and fear, and I believe trips like these, or similar journeys can bring the best out in us. Specifically: Miyamoto Musashi, Dogen Zenji, Rumi, Padampa Sangye, and Tenzin Palmo to name a few.
BB–What is risk and what do you think about it?
J– Hmm, that’s a good question. When people look at the things I do, and the job I have, they see lots of risk, but for me it’s different, I don’t see risk, I just see a goal that I want, and the risk becomes an afterthought. We’re trained to think risk vs reward, and sometimes the reward cannot be seen without committing to the risk, so some people don’t take on risk. When I know what I have to do, risk becomes a moot point. Flying helicopters, for example, can be risky, but I never once considered it risky, it just became a matter of my occupation, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
BB–What motivates you?
J-Personal growth, reaching the expanse of our potential as humans. Fullest potential means free of anger, depression, and full of joy and being happy.
BB–How do you think about your possessions?
J-When I sold my house, I also sold a lot of my personal belongings. I sold ¾ of my stuff, and I’d never felt so liberated, to be completely free. With that said, we need to have some stuff. When I saw the watch, I love bronze, and I was drawn to it. I could tell it was durable, that it was going to hold up. I look for functionality over form, but when they have both it’s even better. I want things to last.
BB– What else do you have time for? Any upcoming adventures?
J-Well, right after India, I went to Maine to attend the Wooden Boat School. I’d never sailed in my life, but I’m drawn ocean, and a wooden sailboat seems to capture all of that. Sailing a boat around the world is on my list of adventures, but that might have to wait. To top that experience off, I bought a 1970 Harley and rode it home from Maine.
BB–Do you still have your bikes?
J– I sold the Harley, but I keep in touch with the new owner who is restoring it. I shipped my wood boat “The Bullet” home.
