My Wild 1970 Ride. How My Life Worked, #3

"This book is Russell Beck saying yes to every crazy idea that came his way in 1970." - MalaikaI was twenty-one, broke, and itching to escape the gray slush of an Indiana winter. The Vietnam draft had been breathing down my neck for years when a lucky twist of fate set me free. What I wanted next was simple: adventure. What followed was a year I still can't quite believe happened. Hitchhiking to Mardi Gras with nothing but a knapsack led to my first - and only - alcoholic blackout.
Fifty cents to my name after the party ended, I stumbled into a mystery job that turned into two weeks on a tugboat during an oil rig fire in the Gulf of Mexico. No toothbrush. No change of clothes. No idea what I'd signed up for. That was just the beginning. From a truck-bed camper in the Indiana woods to the highways of California, from a great-aunt's front porch in Banning to the rain-soaked streets of Portland - I was making it up as I went.
Later that fall, my friend Steve and I hit the road promoting singer Glenn Yarbrough to radio stations and universities across the country, 14, 000 miles fueled by canned sardines, bad maps, and a stubborn belief that things would work out somehow. They usually did. Barely. What readers are saying:"Hitchhiking to Mardi Gras, blacking out on cheap wine, and working a tugboat during an oil fire - how did he survive all that?" - Malaika"A cross-country road trip fueled by canned sardines and optimism." - Hoor"You get the funny, the messy, and the 'what was I thinking?' all rolled together.
If you like stories that feel like a road trip with a slightly reckless friend, this book is such a fun ride." - Malaika"I finished this book in just 2 sittings. Absolutely recommended!!!" - Bonnie"This book was an absolute thrill - captivating, adventurous, and full of heart." - AyeshaThis is Book 3 in the How My Life Worked series - but it stands completely on its own. If you've ever said yes when you probably should have said no, you'll feel right at home.