Alenka Vrecek joins the blog this week to discuss her memoir
Author Name: Alenka Vrecek
Book Title: She Rides, Chasing Dreams Across California and Mexico
Book Genre: Memoir
Release Date/Out Now: June 13, 2023
Publisher: She Writes Press
Welcome, Alenka! Please tell us a bit about your book.
It took years to rebuild my life after a divorce, but then one tragic event after another unraveled my life even further. I was running out of time to follow up on my lifelong dream, so to gain clarity I packed up my mountain bike with fifty pounds of camping gear and food and rode from my home in Lake Tahoe, California, to my second home at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, following the remote dirt trails and roads, seeing no one for days. It gave me plenty of time to think about what matters in life.
What made you want to tell this particular story?
We all face challenges and often we feel beat down by life, not knowing how to move forward. My 2,500 mile long bike ride through remote, high country allowed me to heal my battered mind and body, and rediscover not just who I was, but who I could still be late in life. I wanted to share my experiences to encourage people to follow their own dreams. It’s never too late, we just need the courage to make that first and most deceive step, which is usually the most difficult one. I hope I can inspire others to do something out of their comfort zone.
What was your research process like for She Rides?
For me, the biggest challenge was to find the courage to share my writing with others. That’s where I am the most vulnerable, especially when writing is deeply personal. English is not my native language to begin with, and I did not know what it would take to get from the first disheveled manuscript to the publication. I attended many writing conferences and writing workshops in person and online. There is a wealth of opportunities and information out there, and since I was such a novice, I wasn’t afraid to seek help from people who are experienced and knowledgeable. I’ve learned so much in the past five years and the best part is that I am excited to continue learning and improving.
What’s capturing your imagination these days outside of reading and writing?
Time with my family is everything. Yes, my husband’s Parkinson’s is progressing; Cancer is constantly on the back of my mind, but to watch our children thrive and our grandchildren grow is priceless. But, it is worrisome to watch political events around the world and it is sometimes difficult to stay positive and hopeful. I’ve been immersed in studying the history of the period before, during and after the Second World War because it is the backdrop for the story I am working on. The similarities of the political climate are frightening and it makes one wonder about human nature. It is important to continue to share stories of resilience, love and courage, but we also need to be reminded that not everyone has good intentions and terrible things happen if the wrong people take control and the masses follow the wrong ideology. I hope we can still learn from our past mistakes and there, lies the power of storytelling.
Where can readers find you?
Author Web site: Alenkavrecek.com
Blog: mylifesuspended.com
Facebook: Alenka Vrecek
Thank you, Alenka! She Rides is out now.
She Rides
After her first marriage crumbled, Alenka wrote down a dream she had: ride a bike from her home in Tahoe, California to her second home at the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Years later, after slowly rebuilding her life, and following a bad ski accident, chemo, and more, she realized that she was also running out of time to follow through on her dream from years ago.
In September of 2018, Alenka loaded her mountain bike with 50 pounds’ worth of camping gear, and starting in Lake Tahoe, rode up and down the spine of the Upper and Lower California Mountains on her bike “The Beast” alone until she reached La Ventana Bay.
The journey turned out to be irrevocably transformative, and She Rides is a galvanizing wake-up call for anyone who wants to unearth and follow their own deeply buried dreams—and reclaim their life.
Author bio:
Alenka Vrecek was born at the foot of the Alps in Slovenia, a part of former communist Yugoslavia. Born with a spirit for adventure, she came to America at twenty years old with a backpack, a pair of skis, and a pocket full of dreams. She was a ski coach and a director of Pedagogy for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Ski Teams for thirty years. Alenka owns Tahoe Tea Company and lives in Lake Tahoe, California, with her second husband, Jim, their four children, three grandchildren, and a Golden Retriever named Monty. She continues to ride and write.