Whenever I visited family in the west coast, I’ve always flown over, and relied on family and friends to drive me around, or used public transit.
This is the first time where I am able to explore this city by myself without anxiety in the comfort of my own vehicle paired with Android Auto. However, this too comes with disadvantages. For example, while my mother and I was looking for a Chinese grocery store in Chinatown, Edmonton, we were stopped outside a intersection where drug deals were taking placce. My mother told me that several questionably looking characters were sizing us up while I was waiting for the light to turn green. I wish there was a button in modern day GPS systems where they say “Avoid sketchy ass neighborhoods…”
I think the biggest lesson out of all this is, always keep your door locked even when you are driving.