As the days become colder and winter approaches, we long for the warmth of a roaring fire and an interesting travel scripture. We hope that the words will transport us to another realm, away from the darkness and rain yonder. I believe that I have written such a tale, one which documents my incredible seven-week quest from the west coast of California to the east coast of New York City. America is an alluring and intoxicating realm. Whether we realise it or not, it has infiltrated British culture through TV, books and music. Many of us know more about America than we do about our own homeland. We have become addicted to box-set dramas, celebrity culture and the American political scene. News of America travels on the very wind in Britain and the fate of that country is intertwined with our own. I had dreamed of making this quest for many years. Despite growing up in the 'picturesque' city of Sunderland in Northern England, I had caught the American culture bug through reading crime novels and listening to Bob Dylan, but it wasn't until I arrived into California that I realised just how much. I literally felt like I had stumbled into my own surreal Hollywood movie. Palm tree lined streets, food portions that could literally feed the entire world and the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood walk of fame. This was just day one. I would gaze upon the otherworldly beauty of The Grand Canyon, lose money in the gambling metropolis of Las Vegas and venture through the musical realms of Memphis, and Nashville. I would enjoy spontaneous Jazz concerts on the streets of New Orleans, visit the scene of an assassinated president and enter the world of NASA. I would cross the barren deserts of New Mexico and Death Valley, and enter the capital citadel of Washington DC. I must confess that my journey wasn't straight forward and I would face many foes along the way, including the transport masters who would attempt to block our passage and make it as difficult as possible to get from one place to the next. I would also fall victim to my politeness and trusting nature, following random strangers into areas described as 'the hood'. Never fear though, for I would be making this quest with my wife, so there was always someone there to blame me whenever anything went wrong. This is but a tip of the iceberg and words do not do justice to the experience but I hope that they can at least inspire people to make this quest for themselves. I don't profess to be the next William Shakespeare, hopefully people will actually enjoy reading my book. My time had come.