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Chapters 1-7 of The Open Road
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I'm in my thirties and so far my life has been nothing but a long, meaningless routine...
So begins Roland Belmont's remarkable journey of escape from his dreary past as a lonely, bored accountant working in a dead-end job. Desperate for a change in his miserable situation, he abruptly resigns to go backpacking in the mountains of Colorado, without any plans beyond the summer. In the rugged environment of the outdoors, he becomes energized by his new-found freedom and adopts a free-spirited, open-minded attitude that soon transforms him into an impetuous adventurer, ready for anything the future may bring. But finding his better self is only a prologue to his search for the deeper meanings of life, a search that takes him through an odyssey of outdoor thrills, mystical friendships and heartfelt romances, from the ski resorts of the Canadian Rockies to the coastline of Southern California.
The Open Road entices the imagination and appeals to the most basic human instincts with its jaunty narrative of one man's escape to a simpler, more natural life in the outdoors. Initially a feast for the nonconformist, this compelling story ultimately becomes a celebration of the human spirit on a level uncommon among modern-day fiction.
As Roland surveyed the landscape far below, he knew he was a different person than had left Boston five months earlier. He looked down upon the immensity of the world, from what seemed to be a heroic location, and had a sense of his own self-sufficiency. Its symbol was his simple, outdoor lifestyle. I can now take my backpack--it carries everything I own--and go anywhere I want, and stay as long as I want.
When Roland hitchhiked out of the Colorado Rockies the following week, he was tan, bearded and becoming stronger every day; and he was ready for the adventures of exploring the back roads and small towns of the great midwest, depending only on his backpack, hiking boots, and right thumb.
Douglas McKinley was born and raised in Southern California and has spent much of his life skiing, backpacking, bodysurfing and traveling. He has worked as a tour guide in the Canadian Rockies and as a consultant in the management services division of a national accounting firm. He lives with his wife in Newport Beach, California. This is his first novel.
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