Right from my childhood I was attracted to the United States. In 2006, I decided to leave everything in The Netherlands behind and cross the United States by myself: a bicycle ride from Florida to California. During my trip it appeared that I was one of the few who'd decided to ride the route, the Southern Tier, from east to west, into the wind. Despite of the steep hills, the extreme differences in temperature and the low budget I dealt with every day, and inspite of the infinite hospitality of all the Americans I encountered, it was an experience of a lifetime.