Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina

Book Synopsis: Explorers Kristen and Ville Jokinen met scuba diving in Vietnam and fell in love. She was a real estate agent from Oregon, and he a financial analyst for Toyota in his native Finland. After hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from the border of Mexico to Canada they decided their next adventure would be a two-year cycling trip covering 18,000 miles from Prudoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, despite never having cycled other than around the block. Only their starting and ending points were planned, in between was navigated daily by their sense of adventure and intuition. Locals in Mexico, Central America, and South America allowed them to camp in their fields and farms, invited them into their homes and families, and acted as tour guides. Kristen and Ville held babies, attended quinceañeras, drank pulque, played soccer, and visited schools. They persevered unrelenting, punishing rain and wind, altitude sickness, dog attacks, bike accidents, and countless flat tires to cycle between the ends of the earth. Ville and Kristen Jokinen move through the world with a sense of curiosity and belief that kindness connects us to our shared humanity. Well-timed following a global pandemic, Joy Ride reconnects us to hope and the inspiration to pursue our wildest dreams. Kristen and Ville are love on wheels.