Travels With A Road Dog: Hitchhiking the Americas

In the early summer of 1994, I embarked upon a four year journey that fulfilled a deep longing to go out and experience the world. I left my boyfriend, gave away what little I owned, and set out hitchhiking and vagabonding around the United States, part of Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Venezuela.

The term ＂Road Dog＂ is slang for two meanings, either to describe someone who lives by the side of the road hitchhiking or a traveling companion. Many places where I traveled, grizzled old hitchhikers would call me ＂Road Dog＂ as a nickname, because I fully embraced and lived the road. I had little money and the things I carried were a cooking pot, matches, a tarp, some rope, a blanket, and a change of clothing. Along the way, I adopted a Shepherd/Lab puppy and named him Jambalaya. He was my traveling companion for most of my adventure and had a grand ole retirement, finally passing at 12 years of age. SPOILER ALERT: the dog lives!

My journey began following the Rainbow Trail; helping to build kitchens, set up water supply, seed camp, and clean up. Other adventures found in this wild memoir include a run in with a Mexican cartel, almost getting jumped and beaten by a Los Angeles street gang, catching a ride on a sailboat with no engine to the Bahamas, and experiencing student riots in Venezuela.Not only is hitchhiking considered an unconventional way to travel, but it is rarer still to read about this kind of road life from the perspective of a woman.

These are the incredible, true stories of how I discovered myself and the world around me through my radical love affair with the road. If you have ever wondered what the life of a hitchhiker was like, but don’t care to stick out your thumb, this is the book for you. This travel narrative will open your eyes to a subculture that few people even know exist