all in a rucksack slung over my shoulder, with my thumb stuck out on expressways.

• a bar of soap; a bottle of lotion; a stick of deodorant; a toothbrush
• a carton of cigarettes; a dime bag; a bic & a book of matches
• a dozen pair of clean panties
• a pocket knife
• a road map
• a thick notebook & inkpens
• his class ring; a lock of his hair
• mix-'n-match clothing staples; a jacket; a spare pair of shoes
• photographs of my loved ones
• the cash sum of my emptied bank account & an identification card
• the jewelry given to me by my grandmother
• the key to my home