By Emily Pennington

Emily Pennington has planned a trip to visit all of America’s National Parks. She has a tight budget, but for her it is a doable experience. As a child she was left alone, and thinks she will enjoy the freedom of time alone, along with meeting up with her boyfriend and various friends along the way….

But this is beginning in 2020. Her relationship with the boyfriend falls apart. Her plans are greatly impacted by the closing of National Parks, hotels, and everything else in the pandemic. She is left in a liminal space where her home is taken away as she travels; her therapist, and dance classes are all online, and where her driven plans are in danger of falling apart…

This book is less about the actually hiking and the parks, and more about the author’s personal journey. She is an excellent writer, especially in capturing her own state of mind. Although, I felt at points that her own self involvement led me to feel like some of her complaints seem very petty? Or maybe first world? The other bothersome element was the Ahab like devotion to completing the trek – in spite of the pandemic. Being outside was safer, yes, but all of the travel – the shopping and staying in remote towns, airplanes, etc., seems selfish. I applaud her honesty and her drive to get her dream accomplished.

257 Pages

3/5