107: How you see the world after biking 14,000 miles (with Jedidiah Jenkins)
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Hello, my beautiful people and welcome back to the moments podcast. I could not be more excited for this episode I am honored to be sharing it with you. I've been doing really good in the stepping out of my comfort zone department We have a very very very fun guest for today's episode. His name is jed jenkins He has written three books by the time we launched this episode and I actually found him because one of my best friend's mom was

told me to read the first book that he wrote and it's called to shake the sleeping self it's a book about his bike ride from Oregon to Patagonia which yes is like a 14,000 mile bike ride if not more

And it's all about his story and what he learned and who he met. And I just am so inspired, so amazed by him. I reached out before I even finished the book. So you're hearing this episode before I've even finished the first book. And he has two more that I get to read now. And I think that every single one of us should. He's an inspiration to me. And I think that you guys are going to love listening to him and his story. And just please enjoy this episode. And I hope you can take something valuable away from it. And I hope you get to just listen in on a great conversation. All right. Enjoy the episode.

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Okay, I'm a seven. I honestly forget which wing I am, but I'm like kind of, I'm a seven, but an introverted seven. Like I love to do things, you know, jump off cliffs and jump out of airplanes. Yeah. But I don't gain energy from people. Love people, but can't like be around them for too long. I've learned that the older I've gotten, but. Yeah, that's, yeah, I think that.

From what I've read about it, like the seven energy, like your Enneagram number is really created out of a response to the thing you fear, like your root fear. And our root fear is pain. We avoid pain, which is why we're always forward looking like, what's the next trip? What's the next thing? How do we stay happy? No, no, no, no, no. Because we're like afraid to sit in that pain. So I don't think it necessitates being extroverted.

Yeah, that does make so much sense really puts into perspective on why I run from literally everything I can't sit still every time I'm home for I love to travel every time and I'm sure you feel this too I will get into it as we keep going but like I just

I'll finally get comfortable, I'll get a good routine going, and I'm like, nope, time to go. Time to go somewhere else and do something else, meet someone else, whatever it may be. What's your zodiac sign? I'm a Sagittarius. Okay, that adds up a lot, actually. Yeah, I mean, I know... Wait a minute. I just did my cosign or whatever. I mean, I obviously know I'm a Sagittarius, but...

Then like the city I was born in at the time, I think I'm a, it goes Sagittarius, Aquarius, Virgo.

Okay. Okay. Okay. I can see Virgo a little bit, especially as a writer. That makes, I only know things about the signs that like I am and my friends are. I don't know all of them. Like I don't know much about an Aquarius at all. Um, but that's cool. Okay. I love such things though. Um, what's your current obsession? What are you like hyper fixated on right now? I love these questions. Um, I am hyper fixated on, um,

Well, against my will, but also excited is like my book comes out next week and I have like a book tour across the country. And so I get to like sit in bookstores and meet amazing people and flying all over. So, and I mean, I haven't done that since To Shake the Sleeping Self in 2018 because of COVID. So I'm very excited. Oh yeah, because when the other one

I know it was like zooms and Instagram lives and it was so it was so bleak. Yeah, so Oh my gosh, that's so exciting for you. I loved the the artwork for it like the handwritten. I thought it was so cool. I saw thank you Because I just I loved it and I'm gonna have to try to find one to come to you. Oh, I hope so. Um,

Reading all the books. I'm literally, you just got to Meta Jean and to She's a Sleeping Self. That's where I'm at. So I'm like, how, I can't even, it felt wrong, but I'm like, I don't want to postpone this because I want to hear about the new book and we can still talk about cool stuff. No, it's actually fun to be right in the mix of it. I love that. Yeah. Like, it's like, I feel like I know you now, but I still don't know, you know, enough.

Or everything, but super cool. And then, okay, last question before I get into the other cool questions I have. What's your love language? I don't know if there's a test, but I feel like I read that book a thousand years ago, The Five Love Languages. I'm very physical touch. I'm very touchy, affectionate. When I'm talking to you, I'm holding your hand. I'm very words of affirmation. I'll tell you all day long how amazing you are.

And I'm not acts of service. Like, I'm not going to do – I'm not going to clean your apartment. I just, like, that – some people, like, they want to change your oil. They want to fix your roof. I'm just, like, that doesn't cross my mind. Not into that. Yeah, okay, I see. But you say that your giving love languages are different than what your receiving are. Like, would you love someone offered to go change your oil? No.

No, I give what I want. But I understand, like, for example, I don't actually give quality time because I'm so travel-y, you know, and I'm attracted to people who are less. And so I like it when they just want to be around me.

and maybe they're not as verbose as me i mean of course everybody loves words but when they just like want to be with me and just i think that's really sweet i mean i've learned i thought everybody was a words of affirmation person because i'm a huge words of affirmation person less now than i was growing up i think it was like a validation thing i don't know but my best friend she doesn't care what like she's like don't say it show me yeah

Yeah, like I could write her, I mean, a book about how much I love and appreciate her and she'd be like, oh, thanks. That's so sweet. Move on. Yeah. And I would be like, yeah, you'd be like reading it and rereading it.

Oh, that's sweet. Sweet.

So I think it's so crazy the way that I even came across you. Also, how do you say your first name? Is it Jedidiah? It's hard. Jedidiah. Jedidiah. Yeah. Okay. I'm like, I was like writing this little, you know, like notes list of what do I want to talk about? So many people. It's so cute because like people have followed me on Instagram for 10 years or they've read two of my books and they've never heard anyone say my name out loud and they'll see me at times.

you know, the mall or at the movie theater. And they'll be like, and then, and they'll go, they'll go, hi, I don't, I don't know how to say your name, but I, it's so cute. It's so cute. I'm like, oh my God, I'm so glad that you came and talked to me.

Yeah, it's like they know your name. They just yeah, it's cool. They won't because they don't know how to say it. You know, it's one of those things. But I found you because I was kind of in this reading funk. Like I love to read fiction, classic romance, Colleen Hoover, love all of that. I never read an autobiography. I can't speak ever before. And I was picking up my best friend from high school. She was in town. She lives in

North Carolina right now she came home for the weekend I went to go pick her up I hung out with her mom for a little bit we all used to like chat and hang out in her kitchen all the time but I haven't seen her mom in probably three years and out of like nowhere we start talking about reading and she's like Lexi you have to read this book I was like okay what is it she's like I read it in my book club it's not a book I would have normally picked out because she doesn't do auto

Yeah. Same. Always.

I think I was on page 20 or 30 when I reached out to you and was like, oh my gosh, this guy is so cool. I feel not even just inspired in the amazing trip that you did, but just the way that you like articulate your thoughts and your feelings and how I felt like I was there. I was just, wow. Thank you. And I'm not even done with it yet, but I just think that's so random. What are the odds? You know? But how cool, like I think about in the nineties or something before there was social media,

If you liked something, there was no way, like how would you, like if I loved a book, how would I even talk? Like how could I ever reach out to the person who wrote it and say thank you? Like you would have to send a letter to their publisher. I don't even know what you would do and who's going to do that. It's like now, and I'm such a beneficiary of this and you are too, I'm sure. It's just people reaching out that you don't know that are like,

I really, you know, and they write me the sweetest messages and the most amazing stories and they tell me this. And I'm like, it's so cool that I get to hear that, you know. It's like such a cool time to be alive. Cool to be alive.

Yeah, it's like social media definitely has its downfalls and there's a lot of cons and a lot of stuff I don't love about it. But I think that the connection and the reach it has and the way that we were able to just get in contact from a few buttons and then now we can like share with so many people.

So much. It's so cool. To whoever's willing to listen. It's amazing. And I think that's always been my biggest goal is just connecting with people. And now to be able to do it like this when we're halfway across the country from each other or all the way across the country. What is the spirit of your podcast? Like when you're talking to your therapist or your mom or your friend, like what are you guys talking about?

Honestly, it kind of started out as me wanting to get deeper on mental health because this all started for me back on TikTok. I was just making videos talking about what I had going on in my life, what I was learning from it, how I could share it in an understandable, graspable way. And, you know, a bunch of people were commenting, you should start a podcast. So back in 2021, I was like, you know what? That's not a bad idea. And most of the beginning episodes, and honestly, still, I'm not a big fan of the podcast.

There are a lot about mental health, a lot about what I'm going through, how I'm taking everything I'm learning in my life and sharing it, which is similar to the way that you're doing it in your book. It's just in a completely different form to completely different demographics, which is super cool. But yeah, a lot of mental health and just... Well, it's very... I mean, that's exactly why I write books is like I...

Growing up as a queer kid in Tennessee in the evangelical private Christian school, I was so afraid to be myself and it was so torturous to live inside that mind. And all I want to do is be vulnerable and fully myself so that that kid can... What if he stumbles upon this book?

And it like makes him feel less alone or her less alone or them. I don't know, like you sharing your story and what you've learned is like, I'm sure so important to so many people. Yeah, it's such a similar goal. And I think that it's so cool to just make people feel heard or seen. And that's why I think, I don't know where I was watching this. I was doing my, just learning more about you and somewhere in some video or something, I saw you say that, um,

You like to, what was it? Something like you tell your story so that someone who's different than you can like feel also what you feel and be like they're in your life and then helps give them some kind of understanding. I don't remember where I was even going with that. Well, I mean, that's why we tell our stories is so people say, even if their life, you know, like you don't have to be a gay boy growing up in the South to identify with

My book, the idea is I'm telling a true human story from a true perspective and I'm being I'm in pursuit of true authenticity and and becoming an actualized soul. And that's everyone's journey to be truly yourself and become an actualized soul. And so when you see anybody doing that in any way, it's permission and exciting to be like, wow, if she can do it, I can do it. Maybe. Yeah.

Yeah. See what I mean? This is why this is awesome because you just, that's what I was, you know, thinking in my brain, but the words don't come to me like that. Like that was, that was awesome. And I'm sure everyone who's been listening to me for two years now knows, like I have a lot of really cool trains of thought that go on in my brain. I'm just so ADD and I don't, I'm not medicated for it that I just go in like circles and upside down and all over the place. So I love that I can share with everyone who's listening, like a different,

perspective and understanding. Well, I love topics that we try. I love the ADD tangential brain. It's so fun because the neurons are just seeing because the truth is everything in life is connected. So when you're bouncing around, to me, that's an even more evolved brain because you know that all the things pinging are related.

Gosh, it's my favorite thing. I grew up hating it because it was so hard for me to do school. I ended up just leaving school because of it. But I've learned that it's the thing that carries my creativity and my drive and just inspires me to do all these things. And I think that if I had any different brain, I would definitely not be doing what I'm doing now. So it's fun. It's become my strength instead of my weakness. I love that. Yeah. Yeah.

Super fun. Okay. Considering that I haven't even finished To Shape Your Sleeping Cell, I want you to give me, and anyone listening, because honestly, like my demographic is probably teenage girls. And I don't, all of my friends I've told this book about, they're like, I've never heard of that book. Yeah.

I get so excited, too. I'm like, no, you have to read it. It's this guy. He did this. And it's not even about what he did, but it's how he tells the stories and all the people that he met. And I wish I was finished with it so we could talk about it even more. But for anyone who hasn't read the book, aside from just reading the back of it, what would you tell them it's about? Oh, I love that. How would you describe it? Yes. Okay. So this is a fun challenge. So when I was...

The thing about getting older, when you're a teenager, the world is telling you who to be. In your 20s, I think, in your 20s usually, you try to be the person the world told you to be. And then around 27...

something shifts and you go, am I living the life I want to lead? And some people do this much earlier. You might do it. Okay. But what I, you might be 22 and realizing, wow, I'm in my lane. I love, I love the lane I'm in. And that's beautiful. I did too. But there comes a point as you approach 30 for a lot of people where you go, wow, this is my one and only life.

am I living the life I want to live or am I just doing what I thought I was supposed to do? And a lot of people have this crisis in their late twenties. And so I was like, my dream, my heroes are writers. My dream is to write a book. Maybe I won't be good at it. Maybe I will, but I want to do it. So I said, I'm going to quit my job when I turn 30.

And I'm going to go on a big adventure. I didn't know what that adventure was. And then I'm going to write a book about it because I didn't know if I was a good writer. I knew that I was a good reader and I loved communicating and I've been told I'm a good talker. So I was like, there's probably some through line there. Yeah. And so, yeah.

I'm like, I'm going to quit my job. And then I met this guy who had ridden his bicycle from New Jersey to Argentina. And I was like, that is effing dope. I want to do that. And going on a bike is like faster than walking, but it's slower than a motorcycle. So you can see things, but people will talk to you. I want to learn Spanish. So I decided I'm going to go from Oregon to the bottom of South America to Patagonia. Because when I was in middle school,

I had two dreams. I wanted to go to Machu Picchu because I was obsessed with Indiana Jones. And I want to go to Patagonia because I'd seen like some Discovery Channel nature show about it. And those were on. I didn't even know where Patagonia was. I had to look it up. Yeah. Like I think it was down at the bottom if it was that many miles. But I definitely had to look it up. It's like, you know how South America comes to the tip? It's like that little point at the bottom. So. That's so cool. So cool. So anyway. Yeah.

i quit my job and i went on this big adventure for a year and a half and the adventure but also like the book is the book the framework of the book is the adventure but the internal i love how you described it you said it's about so much more and it's the way he tells the story because that's i can't tell you lexi that's the biggest compliment because

I, when I read a book, I care more about the language and the mind of the author than I do about the plot. Like, I just love being in someone else's mind that when I think their mind is delicious, I'm like, oh, I love being here. Exactly.

It's exactly that. It's like, whoa, wow. You're just every, every sentence you read, you're like, wait, I've thought about that or I felt that or, oh my God, you know, you know, it's just a little, a feeling it makes you. Yeah. So thank you. That's so cool that you think that. And I don't know. I think if no matter what age you are, there's,

you want to live a life you're proud of. You're like, you know, when you're 18, you're like, is this what I thought I'd been doing when I'm 18? When you're 22, you're like, God, I'm 22. I used to think that was so adult. Like, what the hell am I doing with my life? Like this job sucks. Or like, what am I? And you know, we're, we're doing this inventory of like, is this the life I thought I was going to live? Is, is this the boyfriend I thought I was going to have? Like,

am I pursuing people that are worthy of me or just whoever's around or because I fear being lonely? Like there's all these stories we tell ourselves. And this book is about. And it's so cool to know that all of us are, all of us think those things. All of us. Because like I.

So much time, even back when I was 13, 14, 15, having these thoughts worrying about maybe at the time then it wasn't like, what am I doing with my life and having these existential crises? But still, I would have these thoughts and worry that like I was the only one feeling them. And now, especially we live completely different lives. And I read this book and I'm like, okay, no, we don't. We're all exactly the same. This is a human experience. I'm not alone.

Well, and that's one of the great, like, cool things about reading books is that, like, you think you're – and you said you've never read an autobiography. Like, the great thing about reading memoirs and autobiographies is that these are someone's real life, and you get to, like, see how so similar you are to people. And it could be –

you know, you could be living a little cute life in Tennessee and you read the autobiography of Will Smith or, you know, whoever it is, Oprah. And you're like, wow, like they have billions of dollars, but well, their insecurities are the same insecurities as mine. And their feelings get hurt the same as mine. And I don't know, it's very humanizing. So I love reading memoirs. It's such a comforting feeling. Yeah.

Yeah, now I'm definitely hooked. After I finish this one, I'm going to read the next one and then the next one that's coming out November 7th. I'm going to be on a spiral. Oh my god, just dive into the universe. It's like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Jedediah. You've got to do it. It's amazing. I think you would love...

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Have you ever read any of Elizabeth Gilbert? Do you know who that is? I don't think I have. Okay, so she is one of my heroes and she wrote the book Eat, Pray, Love. Have you ever heard of that? Oh, I've heard of that. It was a Julia Roberts movie, but that movie is based on her book, which is similar to my book. My book is similar to hers. Hers was first, where she went on a big adventure to find herself. And I think if you like my writing, I think you'll love hers.

You should try that book. - Oh, I'm so excited. I'll definitely add it to the list. - Okay, great. - So you knew before you did the trip, I don't know if you mentioned this in the book, if you did, I must have missed it. You knew you wanted to write a book before you even took the adventure. Do you say that? - I don't remember. I don't remember if I say that or not, but that's the truth. I knew I wanted to write a book and I didn't know if I was good. And so I was like, well, if I go on a big, crazy adventure,

then even if I'm a B minus writer, the adventure is still interesting. Like, you know, like at least they'll, at least I won't be boring. I might not be profound, but it won't be boring. So I was like, that's cool. And, and then let's say nobody wants to buy the book.

And whatever. Well, I'm still young and I had a job before. I'll just, I did this cool ass thing. I'm proud because one thing that I really thought about as I approached 27 is I don't want to regret. I don't want to be a coward and like, Oh, I could never be a writer. Like writers are so much smarter than me. Like who am I to think I could be

that because my heroes are writers. And then I don't do it because I'm chicken shit. And then all of a sudden I'm 60 years old and I'm like, why didn't I ever try that? Why didn't I try that? Like I was so young then I could have bounced back if I sucked, who cares? And that's something that I think I believe in so much. It's like, if you feel a little tug on your spirit of like,

God, I want to live in Portugal for a year. Or like, what would happen if I try it? What if I, what would happen if I recorded an album? Okay. Like I'm going to record an EP, five songs. Like maybe I'm not good, but I'll put it on SoundCloud and I'll be like, guess what? I did it. So I just, yeah, I just want people to like do whatever. I don't know. Do whatever makes them proud of themselves. Yeah.

That's so cool.

in the country and I was so scared to do it, but it's weird. I think I was a lot more fearless then than I am now because now I have these dreams and passions to film documentaries and interview people all around the world, but I don't do it just because I'm worried that I won't be good enough or I don't know how to do it. Everyone has those fears. Yeah. And I think that it's just, it's so amazing to hear other people. Well, there's a really, especially so

There's a really great clip. I'll send it to you after this thing, but it's, it's from this guy named Ira glass. He does this really, really famous podcast called this American life. He's been doing it since the nineties and he's a hero of mine. And he he's, um, it's his YouTube clip of him giving a talk. And he says, um,

He says, have you ever noticed that when you're starting in a creative project or a creative endeavor, you notice that your taste is so much better than your skill? You're like, let's say you love music.

reading book, you love writing and you read the best books ever. And you're like, I know a good book and I know a bad book. I know a great writing and I know trash writing. But then when you sit down to write a short story, you're like, this is not very good, but your taste is so good. So why is there such a gap? If your brain can recognize good, but you can't create good. It's like, what is that? And he says,

He says, all artists are like this. The way to shorten that gap is just by doing it. You can't wait until you're perfect. You just do it. You write, you write, you write, you write, you write. If you want to be a director, you film videos on your phone. You edit them on your phone. You create videos for TikTok. You do it, you do it, you do it, you do it. And only in the doing do you become excellent. And I think that is so... And it's something hard to swallow. I know. And it's... You just have to like...

Bulldoze your way and just keep doing it until you're great. And I think that's like liberating. Just run towards it. Because I've always felt that the things that we fear the most are what we're almost called the most to like run at and to accomplish. I don't know why. I've always felt that way. Not in the physical sense of like, oh, I'm terrified of bungee jumping. That means I'm being called to bungee jump. Yeah, I am terrified of that. We just fear the things that we want to succeed in because, I don't know, we just fear failure maybe.

I think you're exactly right. You fear, we fear failure. It's like, do you have, okay, have you ever heard of the phrase tall poppy syndrome? No. So this, I think America is better than most countries, but it comes from Australia. That's where I heard it. But it's big. I want to visit. Me too. It's basically like, let's say you're growing up in Boca.

and you have big dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress, okay? And tall poppy syndrome is when you have all these big dreams, but the people in your neighborhood are like, who do you think you are? You think you're some big hot shot? Like you think you're better than us? You're gonna leave us? So you having ambitions and dreams is an indictment and makes them feel bad. So they make you feel bad because they didn't chase their dreams.

they make you feel bad for chasing your dream and they cut you down. Like, so tall poppy is a flower. Don't get too tall. You cut them all. So they're the same height. And so, and so that happens and it can happen even in families, like your own sister or brother can be like,

oh i feel like it happens the most in families i think that that's where so many people even parents should i do this yeah big time parents definitely i've always been super blessed my parents have been super supportive but i know that that's not the case right a lot of the time so totally so definitely but it's like i just want to be somebody who is the opposite i want to be like no matter like try it it's not that big of a deal if you fail like

Just give it a go, especially now, like while we're young. I mean, there's so much time to figure it out. Might as well just give it a go. If you live your life with fear of failure and you don't do anything, then you just, you like, you'll grow old and you'll be like, what did I even freaking do? Yeah. I don't want to get to the age where like I'm 80 years old and I sit back and I regret my life. I just want to do these things. And now, now's the time. Amen. Oh my God. You're so cool.

Thank you. I think you're so cool too. But I want to ask you a couple more questions about the book that you're still not finished with. And then I know we're out of time, so I need to hear about the other two. In a short version, what was the best part of the trip and what was the worst part? Best part of the trip? Obviously, you don't know.

For 16 months, I think it was something, right? Yeah, yeah. August. I started in August and I finished Christmas of the next year. So whatever that is, 16 months, I think. That is a long time. I know. It was awesome. There's obviously a lot of stories in there, a lot of memories in there. But what is like the moment that gave you either the best lesson or the best memory or the best laugh? Like whatever you see that to be, what was it? And then the same goes for the worst.

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We did a four-day trek to Machu Picchu in Peru, and it was unbelievable. Eight of my friends flew down from LA, and so we were like, it was so good to see them, and we all did it together, and I'll never forget that. That was part of your goal, because Indiana Jones was such a big part of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You should message me when you read that part, because it was really special to me. But interestingly, the worst part of the trip was right before that, which was...

um one night we were we were biking way up in the andes mountains like 14 000 feet it was freaking cold at night and and we were in the middle of nowhere and we couldn't find a town or anywhere to sleep and so we just pulled over in a field and this little quechua woman like a native woman who lived there she was like you can you can stay here in her broken spanish

And we were like, is it going to rain? And she looked at the sky and she goes, no, it's not going to rain. And she looked like a wise witch. So I'm like, I'm like, oh, this like woman close to the earth knows if it's going to rain. She said no. So we lay on, we don't set up our tents because it's hard. And so we just lay on the ground on a tarp.

And we wake up at 10.30 at night in a lake of freezing cold water. It's been raining on us. And now the water's in our sleeping bags. And there's nowhere to go. We're in the middle of nowhere. She doesn't even have a house. She lives in like a cave. And it was like 40 degrees. Freezing. Holy crap. And it wasn't 4 in the morning. It was 10.30 at night.

- Yeah, that's when half of us go to sleep. - And it rained all night. And it was too cold to sleep. Everything we owned was soaking wet. So for a whole night, we're just shivering and rocking and being like, I hate it here, I hate it here. And that was like-- - That's a moment that really just-- - I was just like, this sucks. Everybody wants to go on an adventure, this freaking sucks. So that was the worst.

That sounds horrible. I can barely fall asleep if my house is too cold. I can't imagine. When I first started reading, I was like, oh, I could camp. I could definitely just...

live in a hammock and do all of this you know just spike ride a little bit every day and then obviously the further I get in the book you're like wait maybe not maybe just because I'm low maintenance and love to see the world that might be that's a little much for me and that's why I think it's well you can like soft launch that you know you go on a few like kind of easier camping trips and realize if you like it

Yeah, this is a very, very good point you make. My next question when it comes to this trip, it's been so long now, 10 years or so? I left 10 years ago and then I finished. So like next Christmas, so Christmas 2024 will be 10 years of finishing the trip. So I actually want to go back to Patagonia next Christmas or next New Year's or something and like party. Just...

You definitely should. I mean, does it feel like it was that long ago or does it still feel recent? Because there's certain events that happen in my life that feel like they just happened so long ago and other things that happened a month ago that feel like 10 years ago. Where does this fall? I think it feels like both. Memories of it feel very fresh.

But then I think about all the life that I've lived in the last 10 years and it's like a lot. So I'm like, oh, wow, I've grown, you know, 10 years. That's half your life. That's one fourth of my life. That's like a lot of your life. And the first 10 barely matter because you're just a little baby blob.

Yeah. And do you, do you like get sick of talking about it? Like, are you ready to get to a point where you're not talking about this adventure anymore? You're talking about something new or are you still like so proud of it that you want to talk about it? It did get, no, I got tired of talking about it when the book came out because it was just like, it was the same. And the trip was so difficult that also like,

I got tired of talking about it because I was like, I'm freaking done with this bicycle and it's all I talk about now. And people, yeah, I'm like, it was cool, but like get away from me. And now I miss the bike and I like talking about it and it's so nostalgic. So like, this is so nice. Yeah.

Yeah, it's just one of those things where everything is temporary. The loving it was temporary, the loving it was temporary. It's just all, it changes and it morphs. So I'm glad that you're not at a point where you still, because I was kind of worried. I was like, oh, I hope I'm not talking about something that, one, happened so long ago. Two, the book itself is four years old? Five? Yeah. When did this come out? It came out this, like, October of 2018.

So five years. I just, I'm like, I know it's, I should read, you know, the second one and then we could talk about that one and the new one, but it just, it tells so many valuable stories and lessons. Oh my God. Thank you. That I want everyone to read it. And I feel so strongly about it. So you're such an angel. Thank you so much. That is so good. I will talk about this book. I'll talk about any book. It doesn't even have to be about my book. Just any book that changes someone's life. I'm obsessed. That's all I do is recommend books. I'm like,

Because to sit on a beach or to sit in a coffee shop and just like, nobody knows what's happening in your brain. And like, you could have the most mind exploding thought. And you're just no one knows. And that's so cool. I've been reading this book at night and me and my boyfriend are living like we live together. So I'll be reading it at night. He's just doing his own thing. He doesn't really like. And after I put the book down, I'll be like.

And he goes, how was it? Like, what'd you read about? I'm like, I can't even explain it to you, but it's so good. I just need to read it. So my goal is to get him to read it eventually. That's so cool. Tell me what you just read. I'm like, well, he went here to here, but that doesn't matter. Like, that's not what I'm trying to tell you. I'm like, the good part is the juice of what's going on. Did you see, did you see the little short film about my bike trip called The Thousand Year Journey?

No, but I almost, it's, is it the National Geographic? Yes. Google that after this conversation, because it's my, what my old roommate and one of my best friends came and spent a month with me biking in Peru and came to Machu Picchu with me. And he was filming the whole time and made a little short film about my bike trip. So you can see what it looked like. It's very cool. I definitely, cause I love the combination too. Like documentaries are more my, my,

my reading usually, or, well now I don't know so much, but in the past, I love to watch and understand all at once. So super cool. I'm definitely going to have to check it out. Uh,

But we're kind of running out of time. Somehow that went by so quick. So tell me what happens in the next book you wrote. Was it about an adventure, about a journey? Or just give me the rundown. Okay, here's the rundown. You're so sweet. Okay. So my first book was my adventure book. My second book... So I kind of became...

Known for writing on Instagram long captions like almost like small essays about life about friendship When I google you it says Instagram personality and I didn't really understood what that meant so that I was checking out your Instagram like oh Cool ass caption. Yeah, it's like so it started it sort of started there because on my bike trip I would write because most people back in the day. I don't know what they do now but

Back in the day, you would have a blog. You would travel. You'd move to China, and you'd have a travel blog, and people could tune in. I was like, just follow my Instagram, and I'll write where I am and what I'm doing. I did that. Why don't you go somewhere else and do something? They're already here. Just read it. Anyway.

But I started reflecting on all these things and people really responded to it. And so my second book is a book of essays where it's just, I pick like eight topics. So it's family, friendship, love, work,

death, the soul and ego. And it's like the, I just basically break down what I believe about those things. So if you're like, Oh, I want to, I wonder what Jed thinks about friendship or love. So it's a fun, that was really fun to write. And then the new book, which comes out next week is this one. It's so cute. So it's called mother nature and,

And this is a picture of my mom. And it's about... I don't know about the little blurb of this one, but I want to hear... Yeah, well, so my sweet mama is like,

conservative Christian and I'm like gay liberal, la la la. And so we just don't agree about a lot of things and we love each other. I'm obsessed with her and we travel together and this is about a big adventure we did together. And it's basically like, it's basically all about like, how do you stay in loving relationship with parents when like they drive you crazy and you drive them crazy? I don't think that that is going to happen.

heal inspire whatever it may do for anybody who has that mommy issue or that daddy yeah I think it's I just read it and I think that your story with her is so cool and even just from what I've read and like the first half more than halfway of this book like it's just beautiful that you guys can still stay yeah so strong in your relationship with each other even through the differences and I think it just tells a much bigger story about how sometimes we're gonna all have to

You should read it with your mom and then you guys talk about it on your podcast. If I could get my mother to read a book with me, I would. Well, get her the audio book because I read it. I read the audio book and then she can, when she's driving around, go into wherever she's going. Yeah, because she likes listening to music too. She likes, I don't know, she's a little weird, but I will make her listen to audio and I'll do the real version. And I love now too that I've heard your voice because I think as I finish the rest of this book,

Oh, yeah. It's so true. Yes. So I'm very excited. I think I'm going to have... You'll hear me reading it to you. Yeah. It's true. So cool. So what trip did you do with your mom? She walked... Yeah. So in the 70s, my parents walked across America for five years. And...

they wrote for National Geographic and they were on the cover of National Geographic and it was very famous when they did that. But then when I was little, my parents got a divorce and it was really sad. And then my dad went on to be famous, the guy who walked across America. And my mom was kind of left in the dust, like people forgot about her. And it's always like hurt her heart. And I was like, mom,

Let's go on a road trip and retrace your walk across America. And I want to know what you were like when you were young. Like, I want to meet you as a young girl. Cause I only know you as my like mom and moms are different. Moms are like aliens, but you are actually just a young 22 year old girl who got older. Like, but it's that, that spirit is in you. The more I recognize that in my parents and just adults in general, I'm like, Oh wait, we're the exact same. You just have done a little more lackadaisical.

- Yeah, you're a person. And so we retraced her steps and then I realized that she had kept a journal the whole time. And so she's sitting there in the car while we're driving through exactly where she walked and she's reading me what she thought that day when she was in her twenties. And I'm like gagged. I'm like, this is so cool.

That is incredible. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So always keep a journal because you're going to be grateful when you're older. Oh, I, it's my biggest thing. I'm actually releasing a guided journal. Oh sick. April 21st. So as we kind of come to a close, this is perfect timing. I want to ask you just a simple prompt from the journal. Just get your,

what your response would be because i journaling changed my life and it made me start thinking and understanding myself and other people and just having more compassion for the world in general so love love that um but that prompt is what's something that you not only hide from others but you also hide from yourself oh my god that's deep and let me let me think about it that's delicious it's a tough one i honestly i haven't even filled out the prompt for this one so i'm just throwing it in your hands

I mean, honestly, this is really deep and I like that you asked that. I think because I was closeted for so long and I like pushed away my like

sexuality because it would get me in trouble it is still even now as an adult man hard for me to believe that like I am sexy and I am worthy of affection like if somebody likes me and they're flirting with me like it's hard for me to even perceive that someone's flirting with me and my friends will be like he is into you so long this wall yeah I had a wall up no I'm not

Not good. Exactly. Like I'm in a friend zone, everybody, because I'm scared. And so I hide my I just hide my sexiness from myself and from others. Shake it off. I mean, obviously, easier said than done. I hate that. Like, that's my first thing. Well, just do it. But definitely you deserve to feel loved. You're so wonderful. Thank you.

oh you're welcome oh my gosh this has been so much fun i think we definitely need to do this again yes when you're done and we'll do a three one with your mom tell her to read the book and then the three of us will discuss i definitely think we could do like a four-way we could all we could all come on and do a podcast your mom oh my god yes that sounded not like but you know what i mean oh my god lexi i've had the best time

Me too. That was so much fun. Thank you so much for coming on and chatting. And I can't wait to do it again and get into even more. But everyone who is listening, make sure you go read all three books because by the time this podcast comes out, I think all three books will be out, which is super exciting.

Go give them a follow if you want to tell them anything else that you want them to check out. Oh, no. I mean, read Elizabeth Gilbert's books. If you want, read my books. And keep following Lexi because she's an old soul with an angel's heart. And I'm very honored to be in this conversation with you. I'm right back at you. And I can't wait to do it again. I'm so glad we did this. Me too. How much fun.

Thanks, Lexi.

where do we take this thing next and how do we do it? We're all in this together. You guys are my family and you know that. And again, thank you so much for tuning in and listening. I love you from the bottom of my heart. Okay, bye now. See you next Monday when we have another guest. Look at me go.

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