I’ve lived outside America for 50 years, mainly in Scotland, but also England and Egypt. My American frame of reference is the 1960s when I grew up in Peoria, Illinois. Baseball, Vietnam, moon shots, civil rights. I’ve travelled back to the US frequently since moving to Glasgow in 1971, and these travels reinforced how much the country had changed – it was no longer the America that I knew.
Having sold my company, I set out to rediscover America through long road trips of car, bus, train, bike. My interest in history and politics framed my exploration. I visited old friends, shared stories, and got their take on what’s changed over the past 50 years. I asked strangers what America is like now, what the future held. I had over 550 conversations as I explored the Lower 48. My book, The Country I Left Behind, will present the perspectives of my journey to rediscover America.
Talk
My road trips came at a momentous time for America – the convulsions of contested elections; 50 years of abortion precedent overturned; the economy and wars causing Americans to question the future as they became more divided. I’ll talk about the themes of my road trip and give insight to America today.