I recently came back from my first trip to the States and was pleased to find that most of the stereotypical images of the country were greatly exaggerated. They are some of the friendliest people I've ever met and understandably proud of their country.

The only time I had a jaw-dropping "only in America" moment was queueing in line at a theme park. On the video screens designed to entertain both you and much younger generations for the sometimes two-hour wait was a cycle of adverts for the park, upcoming TV shows and.. marine recruitment videos.