What if the adventures that define you don’t require a summit, a world record, or a perfect plan?  What if all they require is stepping up?

James Nehring cycles four thousand miles across North America, rows a boat he built in his garage down the East Coast, and walks five hundred miles with the pilgrim community on the Camino de Santiago.  These are not superhuman feats.  That’s exactly the point.

Between journeys, this true-life memoir digs into who gets to call themselves an adventurer and why.  This heartfelt and retrospective journey through midlife resilience challenges everything you assume about what counts as brave, weaving personal growth with honest questions about outdoor equity and belonging.

For readers drawn to non-fiction adventure stories rooted in real life, this walking, cycling, and small boat adventure memoir delivers something rare: proof that ordinary challenges transform real lives.

If you’ve ever felt the pull of something difficult and wondered whether your version of adventure counts, this book is for you.

Advance Praise for Everest and the Rest of Us

"With its beautiful prose, Everest and the Rest of Us is a meditation on meaning, action, and discovering who we are through challenges and overcoming -- no matter how large or small the scale.”

     --James Hibbard, Author of The Art of Cycling: Philosophy, Meaning and a Life on Two Wheels

“Absorbing and thought provoking, Everest and the Rest of Us takes us on a deep dive into the meaning of adventure. It affirms what I've always felt, that my own journey into motherhood was just as life changing/transforming as sailing around the world. 

     --Tania Aebi, first American woman to sail solo around the world and New York Times best selling author with Bernadette Brennan of     Maiden Voyage

“Getting away has never been so tempting. Nehring, with candor and eloquence, explains why a brief respite from the grind of life is so essential (and often so hard to manage). Thoreauvian in spirit, humble yet ambitious, this is a book for ordinary readers, who long to take extraordinary adventures.”

     --John Kaag, Author of Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are, Editor's Choice New York Times and NPR Best Book

“This is adventure panorama at its best, serving up greater meaning within by turning one's ears, eyes and heart to the open road and all its wild secrets.”

     --Scott V. Edwards, Harvard University Professor and solo cyclist who carried a Black Lives Matter sign across the United States

“Everest and the Rest of Us is a compelling blend of well-crafted adventure tales and critical self-examination.”

     --Tori Murden McClure, first woman and first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean and author of A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean

“I loved delving into the deeper meanings of our search for new, challenging experiences. It's a unique and fascinating adventure tale. 5 stars!”

     --Joan Griffin, author of Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail

“[Nehring] extends an invitation for readers to tag along, but the invitation does not end with the physical journey.  We are invited also to consider what adventure is, how it is experienced and why we seek it...  A joyful read!”

     --Karen J Fluet Roy, Camino Companions Support, Pilgrim Office, Camino de Santiago