The author embarks on a solo cross-country road trip from New York City to Los Angeles after the death of their grandfather. They drive through major East Coast cities like Baltimore and Charleston, then head west through New Orleans, Texas, Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, and finally arrive in Los Angeles. Throughout the trip, the author reflects on growing up and living in different parts of the US and how the landscape, culture, and people vary significantly in different regions of the country. The journey helps the author feel less homesick and gives them a sense of adventure and appreciation for traveling domestically.

1. 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...

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. .
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!

6. 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***