Practicing my bunny hop

About 8 years ago, I decided that I wanted to dust off my bicycle and start riding it regularly. A rail trail runs right through my town, which was the perfect spot to go for a spin, and it got to the point where I was riding 10 miles almost every day. On those rides, I'd ride either as fast as I could or I would slow down and practice some necessary skills. It sounds ridiculous, but I had to practice lifting each hand up from the handlebars, and that was tough. No riding with no handlebars for me! I eventually got to the point where I could lift my left hand up enough to wave or to give a stopping or turning hand signal. A few years later, I spent a lot of time trying to learn how to bunny hop over sticks and branches. I never could seem to get the hang of it, and that's how it's been with me and bike skills. 

Today I set aside some time to go for a ride alone and practiced being loose, lifting each hand up, and going through or around things that I was afraid of hitting. I feel like a little kid, but I need so much more experience to feel comfortable. As long as I keep this up, though, I'll start to make some progress and feel more confident.