Free Ride: Heartbreak, Courage, and the 20,000-Mile Motorcycle Journey That Changed My Life

by Noraly Schoenmaker

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Noraly Schoenmaker's life blew up after she found out her partner was having an affair, and things were never the same again — in more ways than one. Hopeful, funny, insightful and introspective, Free Ride is a special story about one woman's season of life.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

By the YouTube sensation with nearly 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 a long-term 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, she felt alive and free—nimble enough to trace the narrowest paths, powerful enough to travel the longest of roads.

First, she set off toward the Pacific, through the jungles of Myanmar and Thailand, then into Malaysia. Rather than satisfy her appetite for the open road, this ride only piqued it. She shipped her bike to Oman, at the base of the Arabian Peninsula, and embarked on a journey through Iran, across Tajikistan along its border with Afghanistan, over the snowy peaks of Central Asia, and into Europe, all the way back home to the Netherlands. She covered remote and utterly unfamiliar territory, broke down on impossibly steep mountains, and pushed too many miles along empty roads, farther and farther from civilization. But through her travels, she discovered the true beauty of the world, the kindness of its people, the simplicity of its open spaces, and a new and unshakable belief in her capabilities.

Free Ride is an inspiring story of self-discovery and renewal. Filled with unforgettable figures, hilarious disasters, and powerful human connections, it shows you what happens when you open your heart and let the world in.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668092491
Publisher:	Atria Books
Publication date:	06/03/2025
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Noraly Schoenmaker is the creator of Itchy Boots, a YouTube channel with more than two million loyal subscribers. A motorcycling obsessive, her journeys have taken her the length of the American continent, from Argentina to Alaska; from the northernmost point of Europe to the southernmost point of Africa; and to some of the least traveled regions of the globe. Trained as a biologist and geologist, she is based in the Netherlands.

Editorial Reviews

Schoenmaker’s grounded optimism adds poignancy to her sometimes-fraught experiences—including being catcalled in Iran—and her conversational prose mimics the feeling of receiving regular travel updates from a close friend. It adds up to an inspiring and often-thrilling ode to healing on one’s own terms.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] glimpse into the generous nature of strangers who came to [Schoenmaker's] assistance throughout her travels, particularly in those regions that many consider unsafe. . . . Heartwarming inspiration for readers seeking adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A love letter to finding yourself through travel, to healing previously broken parts of yourself by getting out of your comfort zone, trying new things, and meeting new—and mostly incredibly kind—people” —RideApart

“Free Ride isn’t a rehash of the video series. It's much more than that. . . . The writing is clean and lucid, mercifully free of travel-writing cliches (‘stunning vistas’ and ‘breathtaking scenery’) and full of insights about life on the road.” —Revzilla

“[A] vivid chronicle of her global adventures and a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of life on the road.” —ADV Pulse

“Free Ride is told with unflinching honesty, emotion, and humor. The vivid detail takes you along through the spectacular, seldom-seen parts of the world Schoenmaker traveled and puts you in her place as she encounters each challenge. You’ll ask yourself, ‘How would I handle this situation?’” —Ultimate Motorcyling

From the Publisher

2025-04-04
Back in the saddle.

In her debut memoir, adventurer biker Schoenmaker, creator of the popular YouTube channelItchy Boots, shares details of her original transcontinental motorcycle journey from India to the Netherlands. In 2018, after a relationship ended, Schoenmaker sold her house, quit her job as a geologist, and booked a one-way ticket to India with the goal of becoming a travel blogger. However, after experiencing little success, Schoenmaker decided she needed a new plan. Missing the Ducati she sold prior to her trip, she purchased a new bike—this time a Royal Enfield Himalayan, which she christened “Basanti” after the heroine from the 1975 classic Indian filmSholay. With her newfound freedom,Itchy Boots was born. As Schoenmaker contends, “Now I was trying to make traveling my job. But even more than that, I wanted to create and tell visual stories about people and places that not everyone knew.” While Schoenmaker does include some details regarding the landscape and culture of the locations she traversed, her memoir focuses primarily on the ongoing difficulties she experienced with her motorcycle, which may be disappointing for readers who are familiar with her more culturally focused and visually appealing YouTube videos. What her book does offer is a glimpse into the generous nature of strangers who came to her assistance throughout her travels, particularly in those regions that many consider unsafe. As Schoenmaker reflects during the journey, “I’d lost count of the number of people who had helped me without question, refusing my offers of payment, and was overcome by a sense of shame. When was the last time I had given a stranger that much help and love without expecting anything in return?”

Heartwarming inspiration for readers seeking adventure.

Kirkus Reviews