The teenage Adam Farmer wants to visit his dad in Rutterburg, Vermont. He doesn’t want to be on a suffocating bus, so he plans to ride his bike. He lives in Monument, Massachusetts, and he has many fears. Adam thinks about taking some of his “pills,” but he tosses them in the garbage disposal. He wraps a gift for his dad and puts on his dad’s old hat. Adam and his dad adore the early 20th-century American novelist Thomas Wolfe, but the October weather isn’t romantic like in a Wolfe story—it’s “rotten.” Adam doesn’t say goodbye to anyone—not even the girl he loves, Amy Hertz. He delays for two hours before taking off. Adam feels the trip is ludicrous, but also like he must pursue it.

A transcript of a taped conversation is given. The speakers are Brint (T) and Adam (A), with Brint pushing Adam to articulate his “earliest” memories. Adam remembers hearing his parents make “nice sounds” in their bedroom as a three-year-old. He also remembers “harsher” tones. His mom asked his dad if they should tell Adam something. His dad thought Adam wasn’t old enough to understand this thing.

During the winter, Adam and his parents went on a trip that felt like “running away.