You must take risks to achieve something worthwhile.

That’s what Zach did after he purchased a new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. He took a 23,000-mile trek in his new small SUV, looking for three things: Don’t crash the car, meet new people, and seek discomfort. The first two sound reasonable, but why would you seek something painful? 

For Zach, seeking discomfort meant pushing his boundaries, challenging his fears, and stepping out of his comfort zone. 

You’ve heard; no pain, no gain. In Zach’s case, that’s precisely what he did. He went way out of his comfort zone, and in doing so, he found more than what he was looking for. 

Subaru says, “For Zach, it wasn’t just a solo cross-country road trip. This was about facing his fears and venturing 23,000 miles beyond his comfort zone. Equipped with a reliable Subaru Crosstrek, Zach expanded his own sense of what’s possible.”

There was a Zach before his journey began, and then the Zach after he returned from his 23,000 Subaru road trip. He was different, and what he found was priceless. The sense of accomplishment he felt was unparalleled.

Here is Zach’s inspiring story.

My name is Zachary, and I’m from San Diego, California.

I gave myself three rules for the trip: Number one: don’t crash the car, and number two: meet new people. Number three: seek discomfort.

Before my trip, I was more on the introverted side. I kept to myself.

I have a lot of anxiety, and I didn’t, you know, really do everything I wanted to do

I just, y’know, fell into that cycle: work, sleep, repeat, work, sleep, repeat.

I’d had all these goals. I realized I’d lost sight of them. I said, “July 23rd is the day I’m going to travel around the country.”

It ended up being July 24th, but regardless, I still did it!

I decided to buy a Subaru (2024 Crosstrek) because I needed a reliable car because I’m a diabetic. It’s a nice car, and I had plenty of room for all my stuff. It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.

On the day of the trip, I took my insulin out of the fridge, put it in my car, shook my dad’s hand, and hit the road.

I drove through California, Nevada, and Arizona. If anyone thinks that a little diabetes is going to hold me back, you’re wrong!

I pulled into Virgin River Campground and just took a moment to take in the view.

I was so happy! That’s when I realized this is what I want to do. Just travel.

The first couple of days of my trip, I kept to myself.

After that, I started getting a little bolder. I started walking up to people, “Hi! Howya doin’?” and realized that it was not as bad as my anxiety thought it was.

Once that ball gets rolling and you start feeling great, you start talking to people; you start getting out of that comfort zone and can’t go back to your old ways.

You learn about different places and different people from all walks of life. And it helps you grow.

Anxiety holds you back from that a lot because you think, “No one wants to talk to me.” You think of all the negatives instead of “Why not? Just do it.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

None of the things on the trip would’ve happened if I listened to my anxiety. As a diabetic, traveling made things a little more complicated.

So, I needed a car that I knew could get me from point A to B to C to D… a car that if my car stopped working, I could lose everything and have to go home.

But my Subaru never let me down.

Going as far away from the pavement as possible, just watching your car get dirtier and dirtier, is one of the best feelings ever.

You can just have fun on, just go, go, go, and climb up rocks; you can go up mountains. I did donuts in the dirt.

I had a lot of fun just testing the Subaru’s capability and testing my own capability.

I put about 23,000 miles on my Crosstrek on that trip. Going all the way to Maine, crossing that welcome sign, and seeing the sunrise in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time was beautiful.

I would’ve missed out on tons of memories if I had listened to that anxiety telling me, “Don’t do it, don’t do it!”

I’ve learned to trust myself. And I’m not going to let anything hold me back. Especially once I started having those great experiences.

Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without the Subaru. I’ve become the person I am today because of the trip I took in my Crosstrek.

Dear Subaru, Thank you for all the adventures and the miles we’ve shared. Thank you for making my dreams possible. See you soon for a drive!

Remember, you must take risks to achieve something worthwhile. Zach’s journey is a testament to this, and it should serve as a reminder that the path to personal growth and adventure often involves risking everything.

Have you gone on a long road trip in your Subaru? What did you find? Something unexpected? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Watch: Road to Self-Discovery

I am Denis Flierl, Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. Before test-driving new vehicles in 2001, I invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You’ll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.