There are so many different subgenres of motorcycle enthusiasts. But still, chances are excellent that if you chat with anyone who's at all interested in watching motorcycle travel vloggers on YouTube, the subject of Itchy Boots will come up.
It's the long-term project of Noraly Schoenmaker, an ADV rider from Holland, and she's been out traveling the world for years on various motorcycles, meticulously recording her adventures with action cameras and drones, and then editing the footage to share on her YouTube channel. It's safe to say she's an inspiration to many of us, for so many reasons. Not the least of which is that she's out there grabbing life by the handlebars and experiencing some of the best things the world has to offer.
As for the book, Free Ride, it's something she wrote while she was recovering from injury. As she tells it, it's something she'd been meaning to do for some time, but just never had the time to do it while she was on the road. Like most people who find themselves injured, she suddenly had a lot of free time on her hands since she couldn't ride her bike. So, she finally started writing out her memoir of how this entire crazy journey started in the first place.
But the book tour set to debut the book Noraly was planning has now been cancelled. If you're wondering why, perhaps you haven't been keeping up with the news lately.
It starts, "SAD NEWS—A little while back, I announced that I would be coming to the USA for the launch of my book "Free Ride" on the 3rd of June. A lot of planning already happened, venues contacted and fun stuff arranged—but now, I am so disappointed to tell you that I won't be able to come to the USA. I have a valid, 10-year visa that I was planning to use, but the US immigration authorities are now reviewing social media activity for content deemed to undermine the US foreign policy. Visas are being stripped from people on a daily basis now and several Europeans have been detained for weeks and then deported."
Her post continues, "Given my recent travels and content in the Middle East and especially Yemen, I run the risk of having the same happening to me. I never thought I would say this, but it doesn't feel safe to travel to the US right now. If you've followed me for a while, then you know, I don't back down easily and don't shy away from a little risk. But the risk of being detained and deported could mean a decade long ban on entering the US, and having "Deported from USA" in my passport could jeopardize visa applications for other countries too."
"On top of that, so much work, effort and money goes into planning a book tour that having to cancel it one day prior because I'm detained at the border is just not an option. I was looking forward to meeting so many of you in the US and I'm gutted it's not going to happen now. I truly hope you still love reading my book and even though we can't talk face to face, write me a message here once you've ready it, I love to hear what you think of it. I poured my heart into this book. Pre-ordering is still possible!"
Having read a pre-release version of the book (review coming soon here at RideApart), I can tell you that it's both very moving and exhilarating to read, as well as being very relatable. If you've ever been in a job and/or life situation that you felt was going to break you, but you found your way out and back to yourself through riding your motorcycle, then you'll probably feel the same way when you read it. Of course, not all of us turn riding our bikes around the world into a full-time career, but that's why there's only one Itchy Boots, right?
Anyway, the English-language version of Free Ride is due for release in the US on June 3, 2025. At the time of writing, that's still the plan; you can preorder a copy now if you like, and it will be available in both print and e-book forms.
