Torn from the USA

The trip is over, i’m back at work. I had such a blast. I met so many wonderful people who opened their doors and arms to me. America gets such a bad wrap from the world, and rightly so, their government is despicable. But all the people i met were warm, generous, fun loving, hospitable, open minded and clever. Perhaps i was lucky but my 3 weeks in Austin, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles left a great impression on me.

In the 6 different places i stayed in America i only had to pay for accommodation in Las Vegas. Everywhere else i was welcomed into the homes of kindly souls. In all but one instance i had never met the people who offered their homes to me. It’s bloody marvellous. In two of the places i stayed at the people didn’t even lock their doors, i could just wander in and out without a key. All the fear that had been instilled in me about crime in America didn’t gel with my experience. The only time i felt afraid was riding a bus late at night through some rather rough neighbourhoods of Chicago. But that was more about my own fears and prejudices than a genuine danger i think.

I’m jetlagged and trying not to let go of the post holiday euphoria. Just wanted to note and thank the lovely people i met along my travels.

I’ve got hundreds of photos to post, they’ll slowly be appearing in the USA 2005 gallery and on my Flickr photostream.

6 Comments

  2. Glad to hear you made it back safely Dan, photos are looking pretty sweet too!
    I know what you mean about America, I love the country. It’s a shame about the government though…

  3. welcome back to the neighbourhood Boud.
    The people in our suburb are pretty lovely too 😉

  4. Glad you had good experiences here in America. Just wanted to add a little info about the door-locking remark. I’m guessing the places you stayed were either in rural areas or very suburban? I live in the country, where my neighbors houses equal several blocks’ distance and we never lock the doors, but in city areas, pretty much everyone does. Just a trivial little tidbit I thought I’d toss into the mix. See ya.

  5. Hey Dan, my two trips to the US last year echoed yours and Shauny’s (http://pu55ycat.shauny.org/) experience. While CA is a bit weird, layer upon layer of unreality, the people seemed to be genuinely friendly and I too stayed with people who barely knew me… and were embarrassingly hospitable. Love your work.

  6. Dan,
    those L.A pics really capture the city and its vibe….I am impressed, but at the same time, expect nothing less! 😉

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