Bruce K. Byers

The Extraordinary Journey of Harry Forth Bruce K. Byers

January 1950 - A small boy, his brother, and his father abandon their car in a blizzard near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Evening approaches and he fears being left behind. As they push on towards a distant highway, they hear a vehicle behind them. It stops and the driver offers a lift. They climb in and he returns them to the motel where his mother anxiously awaits them. The experience leaves a deep impression on the boy that stays with him into old age. January 1960 - Now a junior in high school, the young man struggles to fit in. He's attracted to several girls but is too shy to ask them out. Instead, he concentrates on his after-school jobs. His church and membership in Explorer Scouts remind him of obligations when he really wants to enjoy greater independence. He reaches a critical turning point when his French language teacher persuades him to apply for a summer student exchange program. Still struggling to define his identity, he applies and hopes to be accepted. After failing a major French exam he doubts his chances. His teacher offers him a make-up exam, but first he must write an essay about the exchange program and why he would like to live with a host family in another country. He meets this challenge and is accepted but not in France. An exchange of letters with the son of a host family in Germany heightens his desire to escape his hum-drum suburban life and set out on a great adventure. Using his own money, he buys a ticket on a transcontinental bus and heads for Montreal to board a ship for Europe. Along the way he meets several interesting passengers. He embarks with hundreds of other young Americans from across the country on a ten-day Atlantic crossing. The young man soon realizes that he is on a much grander voyage to see a more interesting world than he had ever imagined in his home town. Reaching port in Holland, he and the others board trains for destinations across Europe. He anticipates that th