The USA and Canada are almost magical; like Hong Kong, it was built by immigrants and refugees who arrived with nothing and faced with an uncertain future. With determination and grit, they resolved to make this a meritocracy where anyone can make it in life – or so they believed.
I’ve visited the US many times, trying to do a thematic tour each time. I’ve learned about the history of the War of 1812 when separate Canadian and American identities were forged through blood and battle, I have driven across the country four times to visit the flyover states, saw the lasting impact of southern slavery and the life and death of Martin Luther King Jr., and visited sites that once symbolized American ingenuity and industry crumbling to time.
This country let me drive a NASCAR on a racetrack, a British light tank in the swamp, and a 120-ton diesel locomotive on a mainline railway.
