{"product_id":"an-odyssey-of-becoming-that-summer-of-72-9798990301436","title":"An Odyssey of Becoming: That Summer Of '72","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eWith Wit, Grit, and $100...a hitchhiking adventure \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e that transcends miles and memories begins\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the summer of 1972, the open road beckoned best friends, nineteen-year-old Barry Johnson and twenty-year-old Bobby Young. Carrying backpacks with the essentials, staples of Kraft Mac and Cheese, dressed in jeans, Frye boots, with $100 each, they set off from their homes in Massachusetts. And so their cross-country adventure began during a time when the bond of trust between driver and hitchhiker was rarely questioned. Little did they know that this journey would shape their lives in ways they could never imagine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn Odyssey of Becoming unfolds as a true coming-of-age saga. After a first failed attempt to hitchhike in the USA, they buy a bus ticket to Montreal, and hitchhike on the Trans-Canada highway to Vancouver Island, staying in hostels along the way. On the road, they make new friends, are offered refuge in their homes, and immerse themselves in the awe-inspiring beauty of North America.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis journey through breathtaking vistas is not without peril. Buckle up for the ride as they are arrested, nearly decapitated, and asphyxiated, and narrowly escape the clutches of a pair of psychopaths, confronting danger head-on. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheirs is a story of a moment in time that cannot be replicated. As the mid-1970s dawned, the glory days of hitchhiking faded. Reports of murders, sexual assault, and safety concerns cast shadows on the once-thriving culture. Thumb-out travelers became nostalgic relics, their stories echoing through time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Three Tomatoes Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50892498567442,"sku":"9798990301436","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f99ff211-2538-44c0-b2ff-46d62ddde567.jpg?v=1738193158","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/an-odyssey-of-becoming-that-summer-of-72-9798990301436","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}