As a life-long citizen and resident of London, England, I have travelled and observed plenty, yet not all there is to experience here. A small country it may be, but travel it well and you will see much to leave you standing in admiration. It never ceases to amaze me, how one can travel a distance of 70 miles and come upon people who speak differently. It’s as if you’ve arrived from a distant land, separated by an invisible sea. A few miles down the road and you’re regarded as a visitor from down south. How can it be that a relatively small place can encompass such diversity? What are the historical circumstances that created these subtle defining lines? I guess I could find some answers if I were to delve deeply into the history books, and maybe I will one day. Now the thing is, with this comparably small island as my reference, how can I begin to contemplate the magnitude of the Americas?

From the northerly, majestic peaks and valleys of the Rocky Mountains, to the extensive eastern costal plains, that huge mass of apposing landscapes makes no apologies for its awe inspiring grandeur. The costal plains outline a course extending more than two thousand miles from New York’s Hudson River, down through Florida and forming the land regions of the Gulf of Mexico. From there, the Mississippi river begins its lengthy course heading north. It is intersected by the Missouri river which takes a westerly detour up towards and along the Canadian Shield into Montana. These combined waterways form the fourth longest river in the world. Then there are the great lakes of the north. The combination of lakes superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario form the world’s largest contiguous lake district. What ferocious power of nature sculpted the Grand Canyon? A mighty chasm 1800m deep within the Great basin which is also home to the expansive desert lands of Death Valley and the Salt Lakes. Having only touched upon America’s geographical features my mind wanders on to consider the many trophies of its inhabitant’s legacy upon the land. Who thought of Vegas, the land where crazed imaginings are brought to life? Opulent buildings, intentionally over the top with wild quirks such as great “water features" flowing through them. Caesars Palace, streets aglow with a “neon light fantastic" second to none in the world. Disneyland Florida, the Statue of Liberty, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, these are just a few spectacles drawn from many. Maybe you can tell that I find this place most intriguing and if you were to personally encounter the smallest sample, I’m sure you would feel the same. But don’t take my word for it… “Go see it for yourself".