On The Road USA is complete. Over the last 49 days I have travelled from Seattle to Maine, down to Atlanta, back to Boston and onto New York City. There was one domestic flight thanks to England being good at international major tournaments now, but this was a 7,835-mile driving epic to most corners of the country. I went to 10 per cent of the matches at a World Cup, going to 10 different stadiums.
And this is the ultimate result: 101 things I learned from a monstrous journey: across US cities and small towns, through vast deserts and forests, meeting people along the way and taking in a World Cup like no other. Strap in:
1) The one thing that surprised me more than anything else on this trip was the welcoming nature of small towns in Texas and other southern states. I heard warnings of a mistrust of outsiders and the type of atmosphere that would make me fearful. I experienced precisely none of that. These places contained some of the most kind and welcoming locals I met all summer.
2) While this was true everywhere in the USA, it is important for me to also say: I was in a position of privilege. I am white, I am male, I am cisgender and I am a UK tourist (and Americans love nothing more than a UK tourist). My experience would not necessarily be shared by others and I am not intending to speak for everyone.
