The United States of America

Visited: June 1996, June 2004, 2005-2006, November 2014, May 2016, October 2017, February 2019

Duration of travelling: 150 days

Duration of living: 350 days

Capital city: Washington D.C.

Population: 328 million (2019)

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

• Exploring New York City from the perspectives of a backpacker, entrepreneur, and parent.
• Coast to coast drive from Washington D.C. to Portland by my dream car for free.
• Exploring dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs and gushing geysers in Yellowstone National Park.
• Driving a motorbike on the six-lanes highway of Los Angeles before touring around national parks of the West Coast.
• Enthusiastic about the evolution of Las Vegas from a small frontier town into a global gambling and entertainment mecca.
• San Francisco and Miami – are distinguished by their unique character, distinctive atmosphere, rich diversity, and an abundance of notable landmarks.
• Living and working in South Carolina gave me an opportunity to better understand the American culture.
• From amazing surfing culture to picturesque volcanic landscape in Hawaii.
• Various short trips to The Sunshine State of Florida – Orlando and Miami.

The fourth biggest and the third most populated state in the world, is the most well-known country on earth. Consisted of 50 states and a federal government in Washington D.C., without official language or religion, The United States of America is known as a melting pot of cultures, religions and nations.

From fast food chains to sport, entertainment and political celebrities, prestige universities, cosmopolitan cities, national parks to stereotypes about people, lifestyle or opportunities; the US offers as many reasons as any other country in the world to visit it and tour around for months.

I travelled through the US by rental car, on my own car and motorbike, as well as by public transport. I slept in luxury hotels, rundown guesthouses, camped in my tent and lived in a rental apartment.

Travelling, living and working in America offered me numerous opportunities to appreciate or dislike it. Natural wonders inspired me, the gambling capital of the world Las Vegas captivated me with the Strip and nightlife. I ignored iconic fast food chains, fell in love with American basketball, make fun of how naïve and brainwashed people often are.

The Land of Opportunity, where I started my first Big Tour and kept coming back to explore more and more, is one of the best countries to visit for me, but not to live.

I am separating my exploration of US in three sections, that occurred in different phases, periods and circumstances:

• as a backpacker crossing the US on a car and motorbike (1996),
• working in Grenville, SC, for a Slovenian corporation (2005-06) and
• a couple of short trips to specific areas (Hawaii, Florida) in 2014 and 2017.

The United States of America is likely the nation to which I have returned to most consistently. I travelled it on a motorbike, public transport, rented car and by my own car. Travelled around as an independent backpacker, with my family, as a businessman and I also lived there. From national parks and vast deserts to legendary cities, sandy beaches and resorts, it offers some of the most diverse opportunities to the visitors.

To me, it symbolizes a magnet to which I am consistently drawn back. It is indisputable that The United States of America ranks among the top three destinations on the continent.

It might seem too self-confident if I write that I know and understand American culture, but I got to comprehend it more closely than most of its inhabitants, let alone visitors.

I love the country, but I am not fond of the people. Arrogance or opinion on everything clearly show the fear to say “I don’t understand!” or “I don’t know!”. The extremes of poverty and wealth, well-educated and ignorant people are aligned with the common mentality of black and white answers.

The country could be a paradise, but it is not for many of the minorities that struggle through their lives on a daily basis. I consider the nation brainwashed through educational system, administration of finance, a consumer-driven mentality and alteration of eating patterns.

The American Dream encompasses a collection of ideals such as representative democracy, individual rights, liberty, and equality, wherein freedom is understood as the potential for personal prosperity or achievement. In my view, this concept has not been fully realized across society as a whole.

Interpersonal relationships have emerged as a critical issue; neighbors often remain unfamiliar with one another, racial tensions manifest as a black man verbally assaults a white man, who doesn’t tolerate Mexican immigrants, etc. It is important that the boss of the family owns a large vehicle, the mother an expansive refrigerator and a car, children the last iPhone and a car, and the family consistently finds their refrigerator well-stocked, with an additional vehicle available in the garage.

This overwhelming focus on materialism and greed is threatening the very essence of humanity in 21^st century.