This American Summer

Danbee Kim’s got an infectious smile, and a lot of moxie to go with it. She’s an MIT-educated neuroscientist, but that’s just the day job: in her free time she hosts couchsurfers, juggles fire, and makes videos. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I found this modern Renaissance woman through couchsurfing.org, and was intrigued by her story. In the summer of 2008 Danbee, along with fellow students Alex and David, took off on a 72-day road trip through America. The trio did it all on their own gumption: they made the plans, found some grant money, took Mom’s minivan and set out to seek their cultural heritage.

Danbee and David, in traffic at Glacier National Park

This American Summer is the product of their journey: a ten-webisode series that features interviews with people from all over the country. It’s well-made and honest in its fresh-faced enthusiasm for the Great American Road Trip.

The episodes are entertaining, though sparse: after traveling for several weeks and getting no feedback on their work, the travelers assumed nobody was watching, and stopped filming. That’s a shame, because as Danbee tells it, they had a hell of a trip.

Highlights? The Grand Canyon, bien sûr. Las Vegas, where they were treated to a fancy dinner and a local’s tour of the town. Tidepooling in Oregon. The Marfa Lights. Being strip-searched at the Canadian border (by Canadian police).

Danbee at Acadia National Park, Maine

One of the greatest things about this trip, for me, is the enthusiasm and courage of the travelers. Watching the footage, there’s a palpable excitement. In a lot of ways, these three represent the much-maligned “liberal elite”, but it only takes a few seconds for their openhearted naïveté to shine through. For all their education, they understand that there are things that can’t be learned in a university. What they really want is to discover their Americanness—what it means to be a part of this country, and how they fit in. That’s an ideal that stirs this blogger’s soul, too.

Another of their project’s bright points is that the trio couchsurfed the entire way. There’s no better way to get to know a community than by staying with a local—and there’s no better way to travel cheap than to couchsurf.

Danbee says that, in their 72 days and 7,200 miles of traveling, they only had one negative experience: a CSer in Rochester who shorted the dinner check. The very next morning, however, they had one of their best experiences. Overall, she says the best thing about couchsurfing is the experience of personal exchange: sharing beers and conversation, going out with locals. Couchsurfers are laid-back, she says, and easily impressed: make your own bed, and your host will love you.

Alex, Couchsurfing host Tanner and Danbee in Franklin, TN

All in all, This American Summer appears to have been an excellent education for Alex, David and Danbee—and an accomplished piece of work that has the potential to inspire other young travelers. In one of the most touching moments, the three talk to a Kentucky dairy farmer about her quilt collection; in another episode, they learn about Lacie Madison’s adventures as an independent country musician in Nashville. There’s plenty more to watch, so take a moment to watch the series and find out what happens when three kids from MIT get their first glimpse of rural America.

Note: ThisAmericanSummer.org is no longer a record of these three’s travels. Find them on Blip.tv instead.