TUPELO - On May 1, Stephen Dunn strapped 40 pounds of gear onto his father's old bicycle and left his Texas home in search of his manhood.

The teenager's solo journey has led him from suburban Houston through eastern Texas, central Louisiana and much of Mississippi as he pedaled north on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

"For me this is a self-test in manhood, not in the macho way of lifting weights but of accepting myself as an adult," said Dunn, who explained he'd never attempted anything like this before.

"I'm one of those throwbacks to the caveman time," he said. "I was looking for trials, because in today's society everything is so safe and secure, and there's no challenge dividing being a boy and becoming a man."

On Tuesday, the 19-year-old arrived in Tupelo and was promptly struck by a car.

"It was just a case of I was headed one way, and an older driver didn't see me and was turning left into a parking lot on my right," Dunn said. "I barreled into the side of the car and did some acrobatics for the people on the street, and I did a little rollover on the hood."

Dunn said he called his mother, who insisted he go to the hospital. He protested but finally agreed. Everything, he said, was fine.

He spent two days in a hotel while waiting for a new bike and some special-order equipment from Trails amp& Treads, but he didn't see much of the town.

"I don't have the money to pay for a taxi to go anywhere, and I don't have my bike," he said, "So I've relaxed in my room eating junk food and watching movies and getting any last comforts."

It's a rare treat for Dunn, who has mostly slept outdoors in a tent or on the occasional church floor since leaving home.

But the comfort ended Friday when his new equipment arrived. About 2 p.m., Dunn left Tupelo and headed north on the Natchez Trace. He'll roll through Tennessee and then on to Kentucky, Virginia, and much of New England until he lands in Vermont.

In all, the trip shoud last 40 days and 2,600 miles.

"My grandparents live in New England," Dunn said. "So I'll spend a few weeks with them, and then I'll take the bus back to be back in time for my older brother's wedding in late July."

After that, Dunn plans to enroll in a small community college in Austin but isn't yet sure what he'll study.

"I've changed my majors more times I can count - from French to anthropology to history," he said. "I'm still 19, you know, and I have time to figure out what I want to do."

Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.