It was 27 years ago when Matt Palka pedaled his way from Ohio to California.

He was 22 years old with a freshly earned college degree from Ohio University and no job offer. A 2,300-mile bicycle trip didn’t seem foolish to him. It was more like an irresistible adventure and a great way to gain life experience.

The native of Haskins – a hamlet in northwestern Ohio – left home with $600 in cash, a guitar and little else. Cellphones were just being introduced at the time, and he didn’t have one.

The trip would become a watershed moment in his life. In many ways, it has come to define  him.

Palka shared the story in his 2012 book “Moment in the Sun.”

Now he’s given it a more vivid treatment.

His new audiobook of “Moment” was released this summer. It’s currently available as a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and will be released soon where all audiobooks are sold.

It is also featured as the first season of Palka’s new podcast, “Americana Bohemia.” 

The author expressively reads each chapter in the audiobook, bringing the scenes to life with sound effects – and songs from a new album that he released to accompany it.

The album, with the same title, was recorded in Youngstown a few years ago with the help of  some of the area’s best rock musicians. Palka wrote all of the songs and is the singer and guitarist.

The audiobook-album package recreates the dazzling scenery and roadway perils he faced and introduces the unique folks he met along the way. 

It also subtly urges listeners to pursue their own adventures.

Palka has been spreading the word in recent weeks with a series of Instagram posts that he filmed at actual sites from his bike trip.

The author and his wife live in California. But he was living in an apartment on Youngstown’s north side from 2017-2023 when he laid down the readings for the audiobook and recorded the album at Ampreon Recorder.

Contributors to the album include Jackie Popovec of The Vindys, Dave Lynn, Demos Papadimas, Pete Drivere, Chris Rutushin, Chris Leonardi, Eddie Davis, Scott Burns, Alan Moss, Nathanael Welch, Caitlin Hedge, Jeff Bremer, Kari Ann Rutushin and several others.

Sound of Adventure

Palka discussed the audiobook, the album and the bicycle trip during a phone call from Italy, where he and his wife were on their honeymoon.

“The biggest thing was that the technology is now available to tell the story the way I always wanted to,” he said. “It was such a transformative experience for me, and I always wanted to put the listener on my handlebars.”

To make the audiobook as immersive as possible, he hired Dean Hovey (“Batman Unburied” podcast). The sound effects Hovey added – from the gears on Palka’s bicycle to the call of native birds from Western states – create a mental vision of each scene.

“Think of it as an 11-hour movie, but without the picture,” Palka said. 

The sounds also help set the mood.

“There is the psychological stuff, like when I’m trying to sleep and hear all these noises,” Palka said. “What is that in the cornfield with me? Are those mice scurrying past? You can hear the hoot of an owl. And the mountain wind going 60 miles per hour across the highest highway in America that almost pushed me over the edge. You hear it; you feel it. And the music is also integrated in with it. You’ll hear the chorus and the melody of a song for maybe 20 seconds, with the sound of the bike and the wind underneath it.”

The audiobook conveys the excitement of riding alone across the continent.

“I took a chance on myself to see the world, to see what it means to be alive,” Palka said. 

He hopes listeners find their own reason to take a similar chance and just go for it.

“Get out of town or explore your own town. Make a call to heal a broken friendship or family connection, or start a hobby,” he advises. “The underlying thing is, what will make you alive? What is your dream?”

To learn more about the audiobook and the album, go to MattPalka.com.

Pictured at top: Matt Palka, author of “Moment in the Sun.”