Jedidiah Jenkins

A 30-year decides to take a bike trip from Oregon to Patagonia with only what he can carry and a friend. This may sound like a sequel to Motorcycle Diaries, but it’s actually a modern-day adventure with millennials spending time on Intagram.

The drive for travel and adventure gets people moving in different ways. For this author it meant announcing to his friends and coworkers he was going to undertake this adventure - and following trough on it.

While many books of this genre are journeys to “find myself” it felt more as though this were a journey to just do something cool and instagram worthy. To enjoy doing it for sure, but that was more the drive. I felt I could very well empathize with the narrators sometimes controlling behavior and over planning, which can be a hinderance to just enjoying the moment.… (más)

Essays gives one a personal look at the authors thoughts and feelings. Subjects here, mimic many of those that impact all of us. Family, home, friendship, love death and others. Home struck a chord with me, his take on how our childhood homes become more special when we no longer live in them, memories of our lives lived within. Regrets about family members we didn't treat as well as we should have and taking the time in adulthood to recognize and correct our childhood blunders, missteps. Death brought his grandmother to the fore, his special relationship with her was one in which I could relate, since I had the same with mine.

This should have wide range appeal, because within there is something for most people. His writing flows well, conversational in tone, gives one much to ponder.

"I wonder how much of who we are comes down to doing what we know we're good at, and avoiding what makes us feel small."

"So much mental energy is spent maintaining self-worth."

I loved the title and the idea of the title. All our streams flow into ourselves and each other. Not the authors particular view, but my own.… (más)

I didn't start out with high hopes after finding out the author took off on an international bike quest with virtually no preparation, but he surprised me. Much like the author's cycling skills, the book got progressively better as it went along and I'm sure this story will inspire even more people to seek out Patagonia. I especially appreciated the segments about crafting your own journey and not letting others impose their arbitrary restrictions on it as well as the instances of kindness by many strangers along the way. A story well worth reading on the plane (or even before) if you do find yourself headed to South America via Mexico.… (más)