CHAPTER EIGHTEENJesse worked a year and a half at the newspaper before taking his first weeklong vacation. He’d been too busy becoming a reporter and a musician and being in a demanding romantic relationship to think about taking time off. Once he thought about where he’d like to go, an idea took shape in his mind. It was something he could only do on his own.
He would hitchhike to Los Angeles the last week in August with only seven dollars in his pocket and do a series of travel articles titled, “A Dollar a Day to LA.” The concept was a conscious effort to escape the pressure-cooker existence he had created for himself. The adventure was designed to be just what he needed: a way to get out of Fort Wayne on his own and take an overdue personal inventory.
Jesse decided to pitch the idea t
