A Year in The Books!
With all the ups and downs in 2023, it felt like it was two steps forward and one step back. Seriously, it seemed like a couple of great (much needed) things would happen and then we would brace ourselves for the unknown. We fought every day to not “settle.” While at the same time, accepting “it is what it is” more than once. God is good and we give thanks for all his blessings.
We must also say thank you to everyone that helped us out last year. The list of names would be so long if we tried to name you all, so if you were there at a rally, bike night, swap meet, bike show, special event, distributing magazines, writing columns, gave us a place to stay, helped with sales, or invited to your event… that means you. WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU! Our first year as the new owners in 2023 introduced us to so many new faces that we now call friends and our family. Thank you to all the readers and followers! It was awesome to see all the Thunderheads in their Thunderwear wherever we went. YOU made our year, and you made us feel like we were doing things right. Thank you to all the Biker Friendly Businesses that have stuck with us as we continue to blaze new paths. Again, we couldn’t have done it without all of you and we greatly appreciate all the support in keeping Thunder Roads Michigan Magazine free to our readers.
We have A LOT planned to come into 2024, and some new ideas that we are bouncing around for our second year. Still, we cannot wait for the events that are the staples of the riding season and the riding community each year. We are still in the planning stages of our calendar and would love to attend some of the events we couldn’t make it to last year, but there are also things we may not do again. To keep Michigan’s #1 Motorcycle Magazine growing we have to get out there, right?! If there is anything that Aly and I both have come to learn over the past year is how strong and fragile things are. We feel like we had a good first year, but we struggled alongside some wonderful businesses that didn’t make it. We witnessed some mom-and-pop places, small shops, local bars, taverns, and even the oldest Harley-Davidson dealership in Michigan close their doors for the last time. Our first year as the new owners opened our hearts and eyes to where we see the magazine taking us. We’ve learned a lot giving, taking, and letting go. We are still learning, and we appreciate all the pep talks along the way. All the input, feedback, and suggestions you shared, we heard. So, thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!
As we leave 2023 in the mirror, let’s take a moment to remember our friends and family we lost doing what they loved. We are here to keep their memories alive every day and they remind us to live our lives each day as if it were our last. Remember to share some words of love with your family and friends every chance you get. Tomorrow is not promised. Ride safe, ride often.
FTW
Happy New Year!
~ RJ & Aly