To Shake the Sleeping Self is a masterpiece. It's a road trip narrative, a story about a young man coming terms with his conservative upbringing and sexuality, and a disquieting look at our expectation toward travel.
Approaching his 30th birthday with a sense of mounting dread, Jedidiah Jenkins decides to do something crazy and unexpected: Bike from Oregon to Patagonia. In spite of having zero biking experience, Jenkins embarks on his adventure with relish - anticipating a transformative personal and spiritual experience.
But this is so much more than a book recounting a crazy adventure. Jenkins is gay, and sections of the book are reflections on his conservative Christian upbringing and its effects on his sexuality. Throughout the trip, Jenkins muses about his faith and the evolution of his spirituality. To be honest, these sections form the heart and soul of To Shake the Sleeping Self. This book asks hard questions about the nature of belief, morality, and family.
Additionally, Jenkins does a wonderful job at not presenting his trip as some sort of "millennial spirit quest." He does not shy away from the unromantic and difficult aspects of biking through two continents. And he's honest about not having a dramatic revelation when he reaches his final destination.
Also, To Shake the Sleeping Self contains one of the most quietly devastating final chapters I've ever read. This is a beautiful book that should appeal to the widest possible audience. Highly recommended.
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Travel Memoir Sorting out oneself
Jenkins, J. (2018). To shake the sleeping self: A journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a quest for a life with no regret. Convergent Books.Jedidiah Jenkins is a NY Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and Instagram personality.Imagine deciding one day that when you turn 30 you're going to ride a bicycle from Oregon to Patagonia, 13990 miles. No training, no ramp up. Just one day walking into REI, buying a bicycle and a set of panniers and starting with a friend who decided to join you. This memoir is the story of what transpires along the way. More deeply, it's the story of how travel is both a deconstructive and reconstructive journey. We learn about a Christian young man who knew he was gay early; "I knew I couldn't be myself, so I had to watch and figure out how to be." He went to law school, became a lawyer, and then worked with a nonprofit. About this Jenkins observed, "I looked back on my 20s and realized that every time there was a crossroads, I took the first and safest path.. . . . There were deep parts of me that were wounded by Christianity." For Jenkins, travel was a way to "go out and see.. . . rattle the bed, shake yourself out." Throughout his journey he captures his external experiences and internal ruminations. He reflected, "I didn't know that this trip would free me from shackles I couldn't see. I didn't know it would pry my fingers from the parts of myself that had to go. I was holding tight to the narratives of my youth like treasure. But with hands full, I couldn't receive anything new."Jenkins said his parents "taught me to look around, to explore, and that it didn't cost a whole of money to do it. They always told us that we could do whatever we wanted, be whatever we wanted." My grandparents and parents gave me the travel bug, they liked to explore, sometimes setting out on Sunday after church to "go see something." It was a way to engage with our surroundings and to pay attention. I firmly believe that traveling is essential to good leadership, one has to see beyond one's horizon to imagine anew and to gain a more diverse line of sight. This is a fun read although I had more questions than answers after I finished, wondering about his life and how this changed him.
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Jenkins, J. (2018). To shake the sleeping self: A journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a quest for a life with no regret. Convergent Books.
Jedidiah Jenkins is a NY Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and Instagram personality.
Imagine deciding one day that when you turn 30 you're going to ride a bicycle from Oregon to Patagonia, 13990 miles. No training, no ramp up. Just one day walking into REI, buying a bicycle and a set of panniers and starting with a friend who decided to join you. This memoir is the story of what transpires along the way. More deeply, it's the story of how travel is both a deconstructive and reconstructive journey. We learn about a Christian young man who knew he was gay early; "I knew I couldn't be myself, so I had to watch and figure out how to be." He went to law school, became a lawyer, and then worked with a nonprofit. About this Jenkins observed, "I looked back on my 20s and realized that every time there was a crossroads, I took the first and safest path.. . . . There were deep parts of me that were wounded by Christianity." For Jenkins, travel was a way to "go out and see.. . . rattle the bed, shake yourself out." Throughout his journey he captures his external experiences and internal ruminations. He reflected, "I didn't know that this trip would free me from shackles I couldn't see. I didn't know it would pry my fingers from the parts of myself that had to go. I was holding tight to the narratives of my youth like treasure. But with hands full, I couldn't receive anything new."
Jenkins said his parents "taught me to look around, to explore, and that it didn't cost a whole of money to do it. They always told us that we could do whatever we wanted, be whatever we wanted." My grandparents and parents gave me the travel bug, they liked to explore, sometimes setting out on Sunday after church to "go see something." It was a way to engage with our surroundings and to pay attention. I firmly believe that traveling is essential to good leadership, one has to see beyond one's horizon to imagine anew and to gain a more diverse line of sight. This is a fun read although I had more questions than answers after I finished, wondering about his life and how this changed him.
Jedidiah Jenkins is a NY Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and Instagram personality.
Imagine deciding one day that when you turn 30 you're going to ride a bicycle from Oregon to Patagonia, 13990 miles. No training, no ramp up. Just one day walking into REI, buying a bicycle and a set of panniers and starting with a friend who decided to join you. This memoir is the story of what transpires along the way. More deeply, it's the story of how travel is both a deconstructive and reconstructive journey. We learn about a Christian young man who knew he was gay early; "I knew I couldn't be myself, so I had to watch and figure out how to be." He went to law school, became a lawyer, and then worked with a nonprofit. About this Jenkins observed, "I looked back on my 20s and realized that every time there was a crossroads, I took the first and safest path.. . . . There were deep parts of me that were wounded by Christianity." For Jenkins, travel was a way to "go out and see.. . . rattle the bed, shake yourself out." Throughout his journey he captures his external experiences and internal ruminations. He reflected, "I didn't know that this trip would free me from shackles I couldn't see. I didn't know it would pry my fingers from the parts of myself that had to go. I was holding tight to the narratives of my youth like treasure. But with hands full, I couldn't receive anything new."
Jenkins said his parents "taught me to look around, to explore, and that it didn't cost a whole of money to do it. They always told us that we could do whatever we wanted, be whatever we wanted." My grandparents and parents gave me the travel bug, they liked to explore, sometimes setting out on Sunday after church to "go see something." It was a way to engage with our surroundings and to pay attention. I firmly believe that traveling is essential to good leadership, one has to see beyond one's horizon to imagine anew and to gain a more diverse line of sight. This is a fun read although I had more questions than answers after I finished, wondering about his life and how this changed him.
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