Plot hole: Laura moves to Iowa and rents a nice, large house, conveniently furnished with everything she could possibly need, by using a fake name, having no job, no established financial history, has no current bank account or credit cards, or any references. She merely hands cash to the agent to seal the deal. She later lands a job without proof of identity, citizenship (legally required), and has no references, no credible work history, or a different social security number. Laura is resourceful, but certainly lacked the illegal avenues to obtain a convincing fake identity and other false documentation. If she had been able to do any of that, then it would have to be incorporated into the plot as credible exposition. Movies audiences are sometimes expected to employ a "suspension of disbelief" for the sake of the plot, but this stretches credulity.
raywest
Answer: There's no way to know what she was thinking or why she chose to do that. She was panicked and reacted on impulse rather than logic. One thought, going to the front door is the most direct route to the main street where she could get to a neighbor or find other people more quickly. Backyards are more secluded and dangerous.
raywest