My cross-country excursion: Enlightenment

How did I prepare? How did I prepare?

I didn’t.I didn’t.

NEW YORK CITY, NY- I packed a suitcase and a map of the continental US, which was falling apart. I rented a car, booked my tickets and headed to London to catch my flight. I arrived in Newark, NJ on a late arrival and went to collect my rental car. They ran out of economy-sized inventory so they put me in an orange Camaro with black stripes at no extra charge. I was ecstatic. “Here I come world.”

Saying goodbye to my grandpa was bitter sweet, as I knew I was also going to embark on a journey to help me see the home I left behind, restoring emptiness. I started in New York City. I got on a ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty from the Hudson. I then toured Ellis Island, to see where my paternal grandmother was processed, when she moved to the US as a Hungarian refugee. It was a surreal moment. Prices were the same as I remembered: High, $60+ for parking. The iconic street food seemed to lose its appeal and cater to cheap tourism. I took my photos and then left to head south, my first stop: Baltimore.

III tttooolllddd yyyooouuu iiittt wwwaaasss ooorrraaannngggeee………

TTThhheee SSSpppaaarrrkkk I had just moved from sunny America to the UK in 2012. We had endured one of the wettest summers recorded here, to include flooding in a lot of the south of England. I was sending out CV’s hoping to get a bite but to no avail. That August, I received notice that my grandpa, my last grandparent, was in the hospital with cancer and was rapidly declining. Within a week and a half of diagnosis, he passed away at 92.

I packed my bags to head back for the funeral; and in that moment I decided I was going to drive solo from NYC to LA. I think this idea manifested because I was homesick, frustrated and feeling melancholy. I lived in many cities but rarely ventured off the east coast. I felt an ember burning inside and I was going to ignite a fire.

WWWhhheeennn llliiifffeee gggiiivvveeesss yyyooouuu llleeemmmooonnnsss,,, uuussseee ttthhheeemmm tttooo gggaaarrrnnniiissshhh aaa mmmaaarrrtttiiinnniii...

The east coast has so much to offer.

BALTIMORE, MD- I stopped in Baltimore because I lived here briefly while I was in my secondary phase of military training. I fell in love with the Colonial era influences, but not the cost of living. The Chesapeake and its New England setting are charming. I stuffed my face with North East food like Philly cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and Rubens, yum.

Baltimore is a city that often gets overlooked by NYC and Boston. I found it charming with its Inner Harbor and art district.

“From sea to shining sea”

I visited a farmer’s market under a bypass. It was hot as hell but the scene was an urban paradise immersed with the locals, with me as a bystander. Thus, it was time to move on.

CHARLESTON, SC- I got on the old familiar I-95. My next stop, back to Charleston, SC, the charming southern city I consider my home.

I used to live on the islands; but briefly lived on the peninsula, an

influential place locked in time. It

Charleston: Southern Hospitality to rival most…

A great place for shopping includes Mt Pleasant Towne Centre and the outlets near the airport. You will not be at a loss for places to eat; this city is a gastronomy heaven from casual to fine dining. The best places to eat: Hominy Grill, Oak Steakhouse, Charleston Place hotel, Hank’s Seafood, Wild Wings, just to name my regulars. There are bars on the ocean, on the intercostal, distributed downtown- multiple views, tucked away.

You have the beaches and the rivers too, complemented by historical plantations so captivating. Giant oak trees sweep the ground while Spanish moss hugs the branches. The sound of crickets and the smell of warm summer rain will melt your heart. Just remember your bug repellant; the mosquitoes are ruthless. Before you leave, take a view of the Ravanel bridge, a gorgeous cable-suspended bridge.

was listed as one of the 100 places you must see before you die.

I love the Carolinas because of the Southern Hospitality, not to mention the food. You can enter a gas station and the attendant will likely greet you with a friendly disposition.

It is a city with so much to offer the locals and the tourists. There is a market downtown for the tourists, and a farmer’s market for the locals.

NEW ORLEANS, LA- Apparently New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, not Chicago as commonly assumed. I stayed in the popular French Quarter, which sits very close to sea level. The streets are washed every morning with an eerie mist that mimics cold ice.

I visited the site where the Louisiana Purchase was completed. Then I took a tour of the swamps. The whole experience was hot and sticky. I wanted to see real Cajun life but I wasn’t deep enough to find it.

I saw a lot of poverty, to include the area outside of the downtown district. This is the location where the levies failed. A local told me not all of New Orleans was flooded. I asked him why people didn’t evacuate. He explained a lot of them never left the familiarity of their home and were scared to do so.

This insight never made it through the media. Instead, it was portrayed as a racially motivated ploy, which divided the country.

EL PASO, TX- Although I did not stop here, I feel compelled to tell you what makes this place a paradox. On one side you are in the US, while you can see Juarez, Mexico from your car just a few yards away. I was told to drive through here without stopping. Juarez, Mexico is a leader in the world’s most dangerous cities.

There Juarez sat, with its third world poverty and world-infamous drug lords, with only a chain link fence and abundant US border patrol, separating two worlds. So we were keeping them out, but who was keeping us in? Nobody. I saw cars driving through the border and wondered if they would come back

alive.

From Florida, I head west.

Although Florida is where I grew up, I just passed thru because I had a long drive

ahead. I didn’t really have a desire to stop in Alabama or Mississippi, so I persevered

to Louisiana.

Juarez was a heartbreaking sight to see.

Next I take you to Arizona, a vivid landscape to remember.

There are no words to describe the breathtaking scenes the Grand Canyon has to offer- It is further complimented by the mountainous terrain, and the desert in the hot valley below.

ARIZONA- After a pretty unrelenting drive through Texas, I was able to visit the desert valley of Arizona, which offered shades of fire and a sense of spirituality. I drove north to witness the Grand Canyon.

The terrain completely changes, as did the temperature. I watched my car’s thermometer dropping with my ascension. With each change of atmospheric pressure, my bottles of lotion and water would leak.

The trees and vegetation became abundant. There were signs of Native American communities, which is not a usual sight for a girl from the east coast. The Indian’s skin was a complexion that resembled the earth. Their hair was jet black and reflected a shine. I thought they were the most interesting people I ever met. I wanted to speak to them, but was too weary to tread on their privacy.

Once I reached the Grand Canyon, the scene was spectacular. There sits a massive gorge that spilt the earth into browns and oranges. An evaporated Colorado River trickled through. The cool breeze was refreshing. Facing the canyon was striking and yet you turn around and discover the peaceful forests of trees and wildlife. I envy Lewis and Clark for their expedition.

.

Thus, my journey ends as I reach California.

The most I knew about Hollywood,

was what I saw in the movies, more

specifically, “Pretty Woman.”

Los Angeles, CA-

Hollywood met all my expectations with glamour and glitz: Rodeo Drive lined with high-end designer brands. The Boulevard provides all of the iconic images: the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, and the Dolby Theater.

Only a short drive around, and you can find Malibu and Beverly Hills; see how the richest and the most famous live, with their perfectly manicured lawns.

Santa Monica Pier offered the end to the famous Route 66. There is it falls right off into an ocean. So many places I didn’t have time to see. This was a memorable and spiritual journey.

I was able to see how people lived in different parts of the country. I learned a little about myself and a lot about my adventurous nature. I recommend packing a bag, a map, getting in a car with a loose itinerary, and just go.

Your adventure can start anywhere… along the Mississippi, through the Appalachian Trail, down the West Coast, into the Heartland, wherever. If you want to see the world, you can do so one piece at a time.

There’s more to life than what is in your back yard. So many continents rich with culture, food, landscape and people. Just travel when possible within your lifetime. Document it with a diary or with pictures. Safe travels.

“What’s you dream?” Bring it to California!

Pamela Weiler Charleston, SC, USA pamelajillweiler@yahoo.com 404-229-5887 https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelaweiler

Pamela Weiler Sample- Not for reproduction

About the author, Pamela Weiler Pamela Weiler was born and orphaned in South

Korea in 1983. She was sent to the US, and raised by a Hungarian Jewish Refugee. She graduated from

the prestigious Rollins College in 2005, with a BA in International Relations. Always seeking new trials, Pamela joined the United States Air Force. After

leaving the military, she moved to the UK to broaden her horizons. She transitioned into a new and

exciting industry, and earned a Master of Science degree in International Hospitality, Events and

Tourism from Oxford Brookes University. She is looking to use her experiences and passions to begin

an illustrious writing career in the travel industry. With no plans for a family, her focus is her career. She began a global travel portfolio and has many

more adventures to share.

***all photos included were taken by author***