[Is there a way to expand a single overlapping stroke as itself or in sections?]

Thank you! Breaking the nodes worked great! I've been playing around with adding a stroke to the expanded objects... This project has definitely been a learning experience. Your advice helped a lot I appreciate it.

 

Here is a progress update. I'm still trying to get it perfect. though I'm much closer than before. Thanks again.

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[Is there a way to expand a single overlapping stroke as itself or in sections?]

I have a single stroke making a word in cursive. The sections of lines that overlap merge into a single flattened shape when I expand. I would like for the stroke to be expanded as just the path or in sections so I can make the stroke appear to be weaving. (Images: 1.Stroke, 2.Expanded Stroke, 3.Output if stroke were consistent with path, 4.Output if stroke expanded in sections)