By the time Alex’s thumb snagged a ride off the interstate and onto the winding backroads of Vermont, the late-summer air had turned crisp, carrying the scent of cut hay, woodsmoke, and the faint musk of cattle drifting from distant pastures. The driver—an older farmer in a rusted

After parting ways with Hank, Alex hitched a couple more rides that carried him deeper into the heartland. By late afternoon, he found himself in a dusty speck of a town in rural Kansas—population barely scraping a thousand, with faded billboards and a main street that time forgot. His

Alex had just turned 18 a few weeks ago, fresh out of high school and itching for adventure. With a backpack slung over his shoulder and a thumb extended toward the endless ribbon of highway, he set out to hitchhike across the US—from the bustling streets of New York