First published 2018
At twenty nine, Jedidiah Jenkins faces a future that feels predetermined and suffocating. He abandons his dream job and sets out on a bicycle journey from Oregon to Patagonia, spending sixteen months pedaling across two continents. Jenkins documents his travels on Instagram, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers who connect with his central question about what makes life meaningful. This memoir weaves together his external adventure through cities and mountains with his internal struggles over adulthood, sexual identity, and faith. Raised in a conservative Christian environment, Jenkins wrestles with reconciling his beliefs with his emerging understanding of himself. He encounters diverse people and landscapes that challenge his assumptions about life and purpose. The physical journey becomes a vehicle for examining deeper questions about authenticity and courage. Jenkins argues that travel serves as a mechanism for awakening us to the possibilities in our everyday lives. The book combines travelogue with personal revelation, offering readers both adventure narrative and spiritual exploration.
Genres: travel, adventure, autobiography, contemporary, memoir, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family, spiritual-journey
Setting: Oregon, Patagonia
Period: 21st Century
336 pages · Hardcover · Convergent Books