Whilst staying in New York, I thought it would be pretty easy to sum up the U.S. of A. in a word or two. After my trip from East to West I find myself at a loss as to where to start in my description of this huge county. I guess I could start by painting a better picture of how big America really is - if anyone was to travel the same distance from the UK heading east, they would end up in Iran.
I wonder how many people reading this just checked a map to see where Iran is :) .........
I have to walk away from this trip and say that I'm really not the best camper in the world. In the first few days of the tour I was bitten all over by insects and would have been sure that I had lost weight through sweating had I not eaten so many snacks after paying a few visits to walmarts and gas stations. As I finish writing this up, I have been stuck in an elevator waiting for a repair man for the past fifteen minutes with six other individuals in a hotel in San Francisco so I guess I have put on a few pounds!
Despite this complaint, what I can say is that I have probably seen more of the good old USA than many Americans would/will see. And New Yorkers aside (some, not all may I add!), most Americans are incredibly friendly and you can have a good conversation with them. In fact when I was grabbing breakfast from a McDonald's in Texas (yes I've already broken my rule about not going to McDonald's), the girl serving me was so excited to learn that I was English that she called her colleague over to announce where I was from and ask why I was in town.
At many times I couldn't believe that I was in the same country as where I started in. From a city where you are pushed if you are walking too slowly to open landscapes and deserts (FYI: NEVER walk the strip in Las Vegas with a massive hangover, the sun and heat are not merciful), to New Orleans; a city that still hasn't completely rebuilt itself since Katrina yet everyone is so laid back and cheerful, especially on Bourbon Street. New Orleans is also where I tried a sauce so hot that I cried and had to get ice cream to stop my tongue hurting!
I have been able to see natural wonders like Monument Valley where it is difficult not to become engrossed in the Navajo culture and traditions and the Grand Canyon where in my opinion, you would be a fool not to fork out $250 and take a helicopter ride over it.
I have seen national parks that I didn't even know existed. My favourite probably being Yosemite in California, although the campsite was awful, with its thousand year old (or older) sequoia trees towering above me on hiking paths and beautiful lakes where you can take an afternoon swim.
America is by no means a country full of over crowded cities, gun toting hicks, fat people - though I have seen a fair share of them - or idiots. I will cast aside that stereotype from now on and think back to the incredible journey I have had across a country with a whole collage of culture, tradition, religion and race despite its short history when compared to places like Europe.
I may not camp across it again, but I will definitely return to take on states I didn't visit on this occasion. Florida and Hawaii need to take heed of this warning because I haven't seen the last of America and in a year or two, they need to offer just as great an experience for me to talk about.