Get to know Ville & Kristen Jokinen of our 2025 Global Ambassador Team!
A little bit about Kristen and Ville in their own words…
Hello, beautiful people of the Warmshowers community! Ville and Kristen here. After meeting on a scuba diving boat in Nha Trang, Vietnam, in 2008, Ville and I found in each other cohorts for a wandering, unconventional life of travel, work, and partnership. We road-tripped through the USA, backpacked through Central America, and crewed on sailboats before embarking on a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (having never spent a night in a tent together). We didn’t kill each other, so we married, traded shoes for bicycles, and decided to ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, without having ridden further than around the block. It took nearly two years and over 18,000 miles to reach Ushuaia, but our lives were forever changed by the kindness we encountered along the way.
Since 2016, we have been a part of the Warmshowers community, living as nomads touring the world on bicycles and as hosts briefly in between, through the Nordics, Eastern Europe, Spain, New Zealand, Cuba, and a large portion of Africa. We have since traversed 38 countries and covered over 30,000 miles by bike, all while sharing the message of kindness in schools, community centers, and bookstores along the way. Ville is a former pro-soccer player turned corporate suit and now documentary filmmaker. I worked as a wildland firefighter, teacher and real estate agent before becoming an international speaker and author of ‘Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina.’ (Hawthorne Books and Literary Press)
Why did you decide to become Warmshowers Global Ambassadors?
We believe that for all the kindness that has been shown to us and positive things that have happened to continue, they must be shared. We owe it to the people who have done so much for us. That is why we are Warmshowers community members, travelers, speakers, filmmakers, writers, hosts, guests, and now ambassadors. Also, we need to see the potential to know anything is possible. I wish someone had come to my high school and shown me all these things were possible, so I want to show it to others. I hope we inspire others to walk the path that is true to themselves. Especially in an era of cell phones, internet, and social media, we want to inspire kids to get outside and get active. To see the world and make friends that are different than they are. In a time that feels so divided, we need to remember, “United we stand, divided we fall.”
What is something you’ve learned from traveling the world by bike?
This world is full of kind people. Generally, we are all seeking the same things: health, happiness, and the best for our families. When given the opportunity, we want to help each other. Also, you get what you give. Remember, a smile goes a long way.
What advice would you have for someone who hasn’t left their comfort zone?
No better time than now. Don’t over plan. In fact, it’s best to not make a plan. The best laid plans will always change. Plus, new opportunities you hadn’t known existed will present themselves along the way, and if your schedule is set, it’s hard to deviate. Without a plan, the world is your oyster. The big picture can be overwhelming, so tackle things day-by-day. Want to do a long bike tour? Start with a short ride in your hometown. Or even take a ride around your block. Small successes will grow to big acts of greatness.
Have you always wanted to write a book?
Absolutely not! In fact, I had no intention of writing one. Ville and I began speaking in schools during our hike of the Pacific Crest Trail and continued even after the Alaska to Argentina bike ride. It was there that everyone wanted to know more of the story. When COVID grounded all of us, it gave me the opportunity to write the book. I wrote it from Buenos Aires, Argentina; Helsinki, Finland; Portland, Oregon; and New Zealand. I thought it would take a year, and it took three. I planned to shelve it and head to New Zealand to bike and was fortunate enough to have an incredible editor and publisher who wanted this book published as badly as I did. My goal was to inspire others, and if we inspire just one person to live their dreams, that is a huge success.
Catch up with Ville & Kristen on Social Media…
Facebook: We Lost the Map
Instagram: @welostthemap
YouTube: We Lost the Map
TikTok: We Lost the Map
LinkedIn: Kristen Jokinen
Get Ville & Kristen’s Book…
Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina. Explorers Kristen and Ville Jokinen met and fell in love while scuba diving in Vietnam. Ville then left his native Finland to join Kristen in Oregon, and together they embarked on a life-changing two-year cycling adventure covering 18,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina. Despite never having cycled further than around the block, 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. Kristen and Ville believe that kindness connects us to our shared humanity. They held babies, attended quinceaneras, drank pulque, played soccer, and visited schools. People in Mexico, Central America, and South America invited them into their hearts and homes, allowed them to camp in their fields and farms, and acted as personal tour guides. Kristen and Ville are love on wheels, and who doesn’t need a little more love in their lives? The book is available online and at bookstores across the country. The Jokinen’s encourage you to shop local and have included their local book seller HERE.