Backpack, Jacket, Surfboard: My Journey Across America, Then and Now

In 1980, Graham Broyd did something outrageous—he sold his scholarship ticket to Washington, DC, bought a one-way flight to Los Angeles, and set off to hitchhike across America. Armed with a red backpack, a surfboard, and a knack for finding himself in both incredible and ridiculous situations, he bummed rides, crashed on beaches, and stumbled into experiences that would shape him forever. From rolling the dice in Vegas to interviewing senators in Congress, from the open roads of the West to the neon chaos of New York City, every mile brought a new story.

Forty years later, Graham returns to retrace his steps, revisiting the landscapes, people, and memories that defined his youth. What has changed? What remains? And how does time shift our understanding of the roads we once traveled?

Backpack, Jacket, Surfboard is a raw and humorous adventure memoir, a time capsule of 1980s America, and an unfiltered reflection on risk, nostalgia, and the unexpected turns that shape a life. It’s for anyone who has ever dreamed of throwing away the map, saying yes to the unknown, or looking back at a wild decision and thinking, “I’d do it all over again.”

For fans of Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, and anyone who knows that the best stories come from the roads we didn’t plan to take.