Free Ride cover art

Free Ride

Heartbreak, Courage, and The 20,000-Mile Motorcycle Journey That Changed My Life

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Free Ride

Written by: Noraly Schoenmaker
Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

By the YouTube sensation with three million followers, the inspiring account of a young woman who, in a moment of personal crisis, embarked on an epic, transcontinental motorcycle ride—and along the way found a new sense of purpose.

Noraly Schoenmaker was a thirtysomething geologist living in the Netherlands when she learned that her live-in partner had been having an affair. In desperate need of a new beginning, she decided to quit her job and jet off to India. But her plans were dashed when she fell quickly and helplessly in love: with a motorcycle. Behind the handlebars of a Royal Enfield, a short tour of the Himalayas quickly morphed into an epic 20,000-mile journey. She would cover remote and utterly unfamiliar territory, break down on impossibly steep mountains, and push too many miles down empty roads. But through her travels, she discovered the true beauty and simplicity of the world’s open spaces, the kindness of its people, and a newfound, unshakable belief in her capabilities.

Free Ride is a “no-frill, from-the-heart” (BBC) story of self-discovery and renewal that is filled with unforgettable figures and hilarious disasters, showing what happens when you open your heart and let the world in. Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Engineering Travel Writing & Commentary Funny Witty Heartfelt Iran Middle East

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I love to read books about women traveling, especially on motorbikes, and the story obviously was quite an adventure. I was constantly irritated by the narration. It sounded a bit like whining, very breathy and I think I would’ve preferred to read the paper book. There was a significant amount of complaining, which I also did not care for and I suppose that would’ve come through in the printed book as well. Perhaps the narration just made it worse.

Interesting story but narration is tedious

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Sometimes I get myself too hyped for a book by and my enjoyment of it falls flat based simply on what my expectations were. This was not the case with Free Ride! My husband and I watch the Itchy Boots YouTube channel so we already knew and enjoyed Noraly’s content and listening to this book made me weirdly emotional and made me feel so proud of her. We fell onto her YouTube account because I was in my step mom’s hometown of Stewart/Hyder just a week before Noraly and Alaska were, and a bunch of Stewart/Hyder content started popping up in my feed. We’ve been hooked ever since and are still following her journey on Frankie. I love that she is able to share such a raw and kind side of the world that traditional media does not always share, and she continues to emphasize the kindness of others in this book. I feel so grateful that this book exists for us to see a far more vulnerable side of her journey.

Was not disappointed!

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Taking this journey with Norley was very very pleasant. I enjoyed her attitude towards her travels and it was refreshing to hear her weave experiences together. She strikes me as a warm and curious person who would be a pleasure to visit with.

This was such a unique story!

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I imagine like most people, I've watched many of the videos on the Itchy Boots channel. This book is a great compliment to Noraly's documented adventures. It's personal, honest and gives great insight into different cultures that a lot of people will never experience.

Loved it.

A book that makes you want an adventure!

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I’m a big fan, a follower, a watcher of the Itchy Boots Channel on YouTube. Noraly is an amazing woman who has tackled her fears head on and trusting that things will somehow workout, when in the bleakest of times, it looks like it won’t.
She’s a positive force, a person of influence that challenges herself to take the path less travelled and discover who she really is…and it’s all done on a motorcycle. Excellent story telling.

A Ride of Self-Discovery

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