The Man Traveling America to Prove You Wrong About It

We're in a tense [music] time, I think we can all admit. And most of our dialogue is political. We need to not forget a lot of what's so cool about this country. My perspective [music] comes from living in four other countries, traveling to 85. If you go in with an open mind and you're cool to people, you get that back. >> One of the YouTube channels we've been watching is Peter Santanelo's channel. He's got 4.27 million YouTube subscribers. He's traveled all over the world, but all over America. She has this really great new book called Your Fellow Americans. >> More pumped on the country than ever before, which sounds odd to most people. I have two styles. So, one is I meet up with someone that, let's say, is an expert. I want to get into that world and to show that perspective. [music] Other videos, about half of them, I call it wing it videos where I have a a plan what I'm going to do, where I'm going, but it's really who I run into along the way. I never know what anyone's [music] going to say and it's my responsibility to be the conduit to bring that message out whether I agree with it or not and let the audience see it. When you can understand where someone's coming from, it definitely develops empathy. >> Yeah. >> You don't [music] have to agree. When you're open and you're curious, it gets so much more interesting >> than when you think you know what it says about somebody. >> You know, I want my videos not just to be a travel [music] video. That doesn't interest me. I would do something else. But is there meat on the bone? Is there substance in there? Can we learn something? Like, what's the culture doing? I want everyone to be able to watch or read this. And I felt good reading your book. I've lived in two of the places and then I just did a road trip down through the redwoods. So, I felt like I felt like I was reasonably familiar with it. >> All right. All right. What places? So in the redwoods, >> we started in Seattle and we drove down through Sacramento. So we did all of Oregon, basically all of Washington, all of Oregon, and then a little bit of California at the top and then down through I I had a talk in Portland and San Francisco. >> So we started in Seattle and did a road trip with the kids. So that was the most recent one, but then I've lived in East LA and I have lived in Louisiana. So I've done done all of it. >> Oh, cool. You have you have stories? >> Yeah, I do. I'm I'm a big road trip guy. I think it's like the best way to see a place. >> 100%. And we're in the country for it. >> Yes. You you said America is kind of like a choose your own adventure country or like a make your like it's a country I think you have to see by car. I mean, we did invent the car, so it makes sense that you have to see it by car. We also guess >> my my wife who's from Ukraine says it's a build your own bowl country. >> That's what you said. >> Pick your protein. >> Yeah. >> Pick your toppings, your dressing. >> Yeah. >> And that's geography. That's climate. That's even politics. It's who you want to be around. >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> Million choices. >> Driving from from Washington to Sacramento, it was weird going like, "It's June and it's cold in America." I was like, "What?" You know, and like not being in Alaska or something. I'm just like, "Wait, it's cold." Like >> San Francisco was the warm place on the drive and I was just like, "What is happening right now?" Cuz I left Texas. It was like 100°. >> Yeah. >> And I basically didn't see the sun >> for like five or 6 days. >> Mhm. >> And then, you know, like the ocean in Seattle is so radically different than the ocean in even in San Francisco. Yes. >> Then I've lived in LA and then that's you're like, how is this all the same? Then we've been in Hawaii a couple months earlier. You're just like >> so many cuts on the same thing. >> Uhhuh. But the United States is so big that it totally changes what you're experiencing. >> Yeah. And you and you can fly around. Obviously, people have been to Las Vegas or New York or Miami. >> But when you connect it through that road trip >> and then when you get off the highways. >> Yes. >> And then you really start connecting the dots, it's endless. >> Yes. >> It's a lifetime. >> Yeah. And and I think the one thing that you find, and to me, this is what I sort of took from the book, is like people are people. Yeah, >> like they're all even though they might speak with radically different accents. They might have different political views. They might have very different lifestyles, but like it's all basically people. I mean, you get that travel all over the world, but it's you you also get that at home. >> There are very few uh I don't swear on my channel because I got a bunch of kids watching. So, I'm going to try to continue that. Okay. Jack, you know, >> yeah, >> Jack House, let's call him that. There are very few, right? If you go in with an open mind and you're cool to people, you get that back. >> Yes. >> I run into very few problems. >> Like I can't even think of any. >> Yeah. It is weird. People are like intimidated by travel and I don't know if I've ever experienced anything that would confirm that intimidation anywhere I've been in the world. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's true. >> Although it was funny. We just got back from Rome and on the way we were in the airport in Detroit and our plane was like horribly delayed and uh we're in this airport lounge and my kids were being crazy cuz they'd been good for like five consecutive hours. So they were they were just running out >> and then this like this Italian lady comes over and she's just like, "Do you have to yell?" She like yelled at them for yelling and they were like, "What is this?" You know, they were so shocked. And then the irony was like uh we're like, "Okay, we're so sorry." You know, and then this lady came up to us after a different lady. She was like, "I thought your kids were totally fine." And she was like, "By the way, that lady that yelled at you, >> she was listening to an audio book without headphones on in her part of the the latch." And you're just like, >> you know, I was like, "Great. Okay. I actually think that's a much worse sin." But >> yeah, for sure. No, definitely. >> So, so you've you've been to a lot of these places in the book? >> Yeah. >> Any any new places you didn't know of? >> Well, I've never been to Alaska, so I thought that was fascinating. And then even let's say like that is another thing you find when you travel is like you think a place is one place and then you realize like >> it's a place plus a bunch of islands or do you know you know what I'm saying like you you're like Alaska is Alaska and then it's also a bunch of islands like you think Taiwan is an island >> but Taiwan is an island and other islands like the Philippines is like a bazillion islands like >> it's it's too much for one mind to comprehend so we we use easy labels like the US is this Italy is that Right. >> And then you can break it down to like Texas is this, California is that, right? And then you can break it down to counties. >> And then you can go granular on the town. >> Yes. >> And every town's in its cycle right now in America. It's either >> coming down at the bottom or going up and peaking. And so I was just in Austin. Haven't been in Austin for a little bit. >> Yeah. >> Lot of energy there. A lot of excitement. >> You can feel that's on the up or I don't know if it's at the top, but it's on the up. It's rising. >> Sure. >> I was just in Maine. Did a series there. was in a town where it's it's on its floor. >> Right. >> Right. So, even when you talk about a state or even a county, it depends where you are in that place. >> Sure. >> But it's too hard to explain all that. >> Yes. >> I try to get into that in my content. Don't label easily >> because Sacramento is different than Tahoe. >> Yeah. >> Roseville is even different. >> Yes. >> I love the Sierra Foothills, Nevada City, Grass Valley. >> Mhm. >> You can live a different life out there. >> Totally. So, a lot of Americans, you know, we're we're in a in a tense time, I think we can all admit, >> and most of our dialogue is political. >> Yeah. >> Which a lot of it's needed, and we should have that conversation, >> but politics isn't everything. >> And we need to not forget a lot of what's so cool about this country. And my my perspective comes from living in four other countries, traveling to 85, and then in 2020 coming back from Ukraine. lived in Ukraine for 4 years and seeing America in a whole different light. >> Yeah. >> More pumped on the country than ever before, which sounds odd to most people. >> Yeah. >> But that's what the videos capture and that's what the book captured. >> Well, the politics thing is interesting cuz people will go like Texas is red, California is blue, right? >> And it's like, well, I live in Austin, which is blue in Texas. Y >> and then I grew up in Sacramento in a county that was incredibly red, like one of the most red counties in California at that time. And so it's like my experience was conservative upbringing living in a liberal place now, but on a on a >> zoomed out enough map that doesn't that doesn't seem like it would be true%. >> And then of course it's like for the people that live there, it's like what is their friend group like? What are their neighbors like? If if you're talking to a a theater kid in South Dakota, they might have one experience. And you're and you're talking to, you know, uh son or a daughter of parents with a very different occupation. They they could, you know, it it doesn't match the labels, I guess, is what you find. >> It doesn't at all. Yeah. >> In California. Okay. I live in Florida now. I've lived in Florida. >> I live in Palm Beach Gardens, north of West Palm about 20 minutes. So, hour and 20 north of Miami. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Florida has its labels. California has it lab. I lived in California the majority of my adult life. >> Yeah. >> Right. And both labels are true to some degree. But then once again, once you go granular, you can break them up in in in two seconds. Like with what you just said, you can choose in either one of those big states like Texas, Florida, California, they're their own countries. >> Yes. >> There's everything there. >> Mhm. >> Every type of person there. >> Yeah. What's the line about Florida? Like uh the further north you go, the deeper south you get. >> The further south you go, the more north you get. >> Yes. >> And so northern Florida is deep south. >> Y >> you go down far enough, it's all my neighbors are New Yorkers are from Jersey. >> Right. >> And then when you get down south enough to uh Miami, it's the capital of Latin America, >> right? >> That's what they say. >> Yeah. >> It's all mixed up. >> Yes. >> So Florida's redneck as you want. >> It's as gay as you want. You have Key West. >> Sure. >> You have Miami Beach. >> It's as Latino as you want. >> It's as retirey as you want. It's as business >> Disney as you want. >> Disney. It's business centric. A lot of entrepreneurs. It's like Texas. It's attracting creators. >> Mhm. >> So, it's many things. >> Yeah. >> But we often go off the last bit of information we have. >> Yes. >> For example, my mom when I said I'm moving to Florida, she said, "What what are you retiring?" like just going to be around old people. >> Different places mean different things to people based on the era that they're were most was most formative to them. >> Yes. And or let's take Mexico City for example. When I first went there in 2008, so many people said, "Don't go there. It's dangerous." >> Yeah. >> And they're going off information. Yeah. There's danger there. Sure. But they're going off information when it was way more dangerous. >> Yes. Or you could even say that with the Balkans in Sievo >> for example. Go to Save is fine to travel to now. >> Yeah. >> The last bit of information people have the war in their head. >> Yeah. >> Quite often. >> Mhm. It's very hard to correct impressions. >> You you have to update constantly. All these places are always changing. San Francisco where I left when I left in 21 it was at its low point. >> Yeah. >> Right now it's it's much better than what it was. >> Right. >> Totally. Not totally different, but a lot better. And so people will go, "Oh, it's so terrible there." But have you returned lately? Have you checked it out lately? >> Yes. >> So to go with everything, I mean, it's the same story with everything. It's just the book tries to go into these stories through individuals in this country that most people probably have never met, these types of people, cuz we're all in our bubbles. >> Doesn't matter where you live. >> You can be in the richest neighborhood, you can be in the poorest neighborhood. Everyone's in a bubble. And this gets you out of your bubble into a different bubble. >> Yeah. >> Smith Island, Elizabethan English still being spoken there. I met this guy, his family's been there 370 years because it was so removed for so long. The old-timers still have some of that accent. >> Yeah. Like there's a Texas German, then there's Louisiana French, you know? Yeah. >> And and like that feels like it would have been a long time ago and then it's not. The tradition is still there. This I don't know. Texas too. Well, does Texas when you get close to Louisiana, is there any of that cinjun culture coming over >> a little bit? I mean, Houston and and Bowmont like there is you're just so far north in Louisiana, you're you're out of a bit. I mean, there were towns like there's this story that Robert Carro tells in in his book on Lyndon Johnson where uh one of the first sort of foreign leaders that Johnson entertains when he becomes president is the chancellor of Germany, right? And he brings them to was it New Bron, some town in central Texas, right around here in the Hill Country, one of those Texas German towns. And the guy's just like, "What is He's like, I'm back home." >> Yeah. you know because like the the Germans had come there you know 100 plus years earlier and the community they created was so insular they were so isolated that it was basically Germany you know and and you forget that America was I mean like the idea of the six flags right like how many different flags have flown over Texas or these different parts of the country >> that feels like distant history >> and it's not it's one or two generations in some cases >> right right the thing is We adjust and change quickly. >> Yeah. >> Which makes it exciting. >> Mhm. >> Like seeing all the cranes in Austin right now, >> my hotel, I'm looking down on a massive construction site. Coming out here. Yeah. Convention center. >> Coming out here, you can see the sprawl coming out. It probably doesn't make you too excited. I can imagine. >> You move to a small town and then it doesn't stay small, >> right? But this is happening all over the country. It's like places are attracting or detracting. >> Mhm. And it's easier for people like you and me. Well, you're pretty tied in with your bookstore, so you're probably not. It's not easy and you got kids here. But >> if you're working online, >> yes, >> it's a new phenomenon. >> Yeah. >> Hey, this place I want to go where it's going to work better for me. >> And you pack up and move. And it's happening all over the country. And I think it's fascinating. >> Yes. >> I mean, we've always been a country of migrants >> from abroad and internally. People always moving around for the opportunity. >> It's it's weird because there's kind of a divergence there, right? It's like some people are incredibly mobile and some people are not mobile at all. And and so much of the driver of American prosperity was like if New York was on fire, if LA was hot, people could go there and and live and work. And part of the problem of the housing crisis is that it it's just it's hard to move, right? If you have money, it's not hard. If you don't have money, it's very hard. >> If you have money, you're not tied in super deep to your community, many generations. And I'm sure out here there's a lot of that which I admire very much. I think it's very cool. The more I travel the country, I really admire these these places where the you know the family's like six, seven, eight generations. It's cool. I think it's awesome thing. You either have they or you don't. But so fresh in the American story, all our ancestry, how insane were they? They're just like, I'm going to leave my language, >> my work, my family. I'm going for this new thing. No guarantees. We'll see what happens. Have you seen the new uh Little House on the Prairie? >> Haven't. >> It's kind of an interesting take on it because like we've often celebrated the pioneers as being like courageous and whatever. And obviously there's the whole, you know, taking other people's land part of it that we didn't do a good job talking about in the past. But the the other thing we've missed is that like >> it wasn't all like >> to borrow a very offensive, we weren't always sending our best. Like it wasn't it was not people with options that were choosing to to to cross the planes by wagon, okay? Like these were these were somewhat impulsive people. These were people that had blown up their lives. These were people that were fleeing from something. And so one of the things they do a better job of in the show is like why are they moving so much? It's like cuz the dad's kind of not a deadbeat, but like not like like the reason Lincoln moves around a lot as a kid is his dad was just kind of a nerdwell, right? Like if it's working, you stay where you are. >> That's true. >> You know, and and so part of that American spirit is like it's not working here. I'm going to walk a thousand miles and start fresh in Oregon. >> There's some gold over there. >> Yes. and and that there is a little bit of I mean it's fundamentally irresponsible to take your family by covered wagon through unsettled lands and you know >> to be in the donor party. >> Yeah. Cuz you read a newspaper article that said there's stuff over here and then this guy sold you a map. You know >> who'd be the modern-day version of that? >> Well, the the Donner Party guy was a charlatan. Like the the guy that sold them the secret path or whatever. like he was like an internet marketer basically, right? He was like this is how you you know and so just to follow that is also crazy, you know, >> it it is crazy but there's that adventure in all of us, right? >> To some degree some have more of it than others. >> Yes. >> And I could imagine in those times you're just getting by and then it just sounds so good. It's sort of like the internet today, right? >> Some people can make something sound so great. >> Yeah. >> And people follow it. Totally. Right. And so you're like, "Oh man, my life sucks, but I'm going to get some land over there, homestead act, 160 acres. I can farm it. I can live my dream." >> Yeah. And now it's like, "Oh, you're watching a Tradife or you're watching a uh this person or this per and you're like, that's what I want my life to be." >> Just a different medium, huh? >> Yes. Oh, totally. >> Similar impulse. >> Different medium. >> And the same people willing to to tell you what you want to hear and sell you what you want to hear. the wishful thinking of of of hearing it and not checking it too closely, right? >> You know, >> yeah, >> it's all there. One of the things I was thinking about as I was reading your book is like travel is a little bit like reading in that there's all the places you want to go just like there's all the books you want to read. >> Mhm. >> And the problem is some places traveling to once or reading once is not enough, right? Like it's hard to justify rereading when there's all these books that you haven't read, >> right? But there's something about traveling to the same plate. Like I we were just in Rome and I it was it's maybe my fourth time and it was crazy to think I'm walking around on the forum. I could afford this time to hire this really good guy and she's showing us stuff and I'm like I don't remember seeing this. And she's like oh this just opened >> and I'm like it's been here for 2,000 years and until and I was here 10 years ago and I couldn't see this. Like they just excavated this. So like in 10 10 years is that in Roman history, >> but it fundamentally changed the experience that I was able So so like it's hard for someone to afford to go to Europe once. >> It's hard to do a family road trip across the United States once, but actually you have to do it like three or four or five or 10 times to actually get it, you know? And and so this this tension between reading and rereading, traveling and coming back is like that's the tricky part. >> That's a great comparison. >> Yeah, that one I mean it's a good problem to have firstly. >> Mhm. >> But I understand what you're saying. Like I'm not trying to toot my horn. I've been 85 countries. I could have been to all of them, but I went back to Istanbul 20 times. Yeah. Lived in Ukraine. Wanted to go to somewhere warm in the winter. Two hours. Okay, cool. And I love that city. It's fantastic. >> In Italy, how is it? It's It's really hard not to go back to Italy. >> Sure. >> So, I get you. And the older I get now, it's I don't need as much adventurous stuff. >> Don't need to go to Pakistan again. Uh Iran, I don't really think that would go so well these days, >> right? But going back to some more stable and uh I'd say easier travel places as you get older. Makes sense. >> It's like are you going to understand a handful of places really really deeply? Yeah. or are you gonna have been like, you know, you hear they're like, "We're going on this cruise and we're gonna stop in 16 cities and you're like, "Okay, you got two hours here, one hour." I mean, it's better than nothing, but like >> you skimmed the surface. >> It's go everywhere, see nothing. >> Yeah. >> And so that's a tough balance and that's tough to sell to someone who gets two weeks. >> Mhm. >> Like if you're working the average job in the United States, what are you getting? Two weeks >> maybe. >> Right. And so Christmas family, Thanksgiving, family, you're lucky if you're going overseas. >> And so you got six days in Italy. >> Yeah. >> Do you want just want to stay in in Rome and and just see Rome or you're like, I got to see all these things I've always dreamed of going to. >> Yeah. It's about and everything's a a everything's a choice, you know. I saw with my father when I was growing up, he never we never traveled growing up and he never got vacation time. His his industry didn't allow for it. And so I'm like, okay, if I want to see the world, don't do that. >> Yeah. >> And you can sort of line it up at a younger age and be like, okay, these are my priorities. And maybe you don't know your priorities at 18, but if you're like, I really want world travel. >> Well, you can X a lot of things off your list. >> Sure. >> And you might be broker than your buddies who got that corporate job. >> Yes. >> And ascended the ladder. >> Mhm. >> That's all a personal choice. or you know there is more there is some of this attitude like you got to you know the the more welltraveled someone is that you know the higher the higher they are in the hierarchy or something >> which I think is total BS cuz >> you know I've I've sacrificed not having a I'm married we don't have kids and so to do my work the sacrifice in that is well if I want to be a great parent I'd either have to I'd have to cut back on that >> you you had the fantasy of traveling with your kids and then you realize like it's actually not really fair to [laughter] them. You know what I mean? Every time I hear someone, they're like, "We're selling everything and we're going to travel for a year on a sailboat." I'm like, "Yeah, okay. I'm sure I'm sure that's actually great for your kids, not not a nightmare, [laughter] >> right? >> But no judging, but you get what I'm saying. It's like it's like kids need routine and structure and obviously also novelty and adventure, but like they want to go to their friend's house. They don't want to go to France. >> And when you become a parent, that's that's your number one priority, right?" >> Yeah. Yeah, >> it should be right. >> I would think. And so greater point is everything has a sacrifice and just seeing as many countries as possible >> Yeah. >> doesn't win you any award in my opinion. >> Yeah. They don't they don't get a prize and you're probably not on your deathbed being like I'm so glad I sold all the countries. Done. You know, >> you're going to be thinking of a handful of >> experiences, not not >> the long list. The beauty and you're going to get a very pro-American talk with me because that's the premise of the book in my videos. And the beauty of this country is >> you do have a lot of people have that option. I get it. If you have health issues, if you're taking care of your parents, you're not going anywhere. But more than anywhere I've seen, and I've been very open-minded with it, you can cut your own life here. >> Yeah. You want to open up a bookstore, have a cool pod, do what you've done, live in a small town in Texas, go for it. You can do it. And many places in the world, let's take Ukraine for example, you know, it's war now. It's a bit different, but if you want to take your career to the top, it's pretty much one or two places to go. We just got back from an amazing vacation [music] in Italy. I I'll I'll bring you some some clips from it over the next couple weeks. I recorded a bunch of stuff [music] while while we were there, although it was as hot as it has literally ever been. It's one of the best family trips we've ever had. And we stayed [music] in this amazing palazzo that we booked on Airbnb. It was like 500 years old. It had all these Romanerary [music] headstones in it, which is this crazy momento my thing. It was like staying in a museum. The hosts were incredible. They lovingly restored [music] this place. They took amazing care of it. And by listing their place on Airbnb, they get to share [music] this amazing experience with people from all over the world and get funds to put towards upkeeping and restoring their place. [music] If you're planning a trip this summer, it's worth considering listing your place on Airbnb. Can be a great way to help offset the [music] cost of your vacation and earn a little extra money to put towards your next adventure. Your place might be worth more than you think. [music] And all you got to do is go to airbnb.com/host to find out more. You also see this in foreign countries, particularly Europe. You're like, oh, like the social safety net creates a floor. >> Yep. >> But there's also kind of a ceiling, you know? You're like, >> oh, like like waiter is good job. You know what I mean? And so there there is especially like for young people, you know, there's there's there's either like if I stay here, >> there's limited opportunities or I have to leave. Y >> and you can kind of feel that. And and in America, you can leave and just go to another part of America cuz it's so big >> without having to do anything with the government. Okay. You get a new driver's license. >> Sure. >> There are other countries you have to like you have to get approval to live in different regions of the country. Yeah. >> You can't just get up and go. >> Yeah. >> And so it's interesting. My wife being Ukrainian, I lived there for four years. I was we were married a couple years before we came back to the US. And just think seeing it all through her eyes. and she edits all of our content. So, that's a full-on crash course on America, you know, seeing different regions, >> just how insanely big it is. >> Insanely big. And how different the people are. >> Yeah. >> And super pro, like the most pro-American person I know. >> That's funny >> cuz she she loves it. She's totally embraces. She speaks English perfectly. She didn't go for the, hey, I'm just going to get Ukrainian or Slavic friends in America, right? Because that's easier. She really made an effort to integrate, make American friends. She has friends from all different backgrounds, but like >> and she's fully in and absolutely loves it. So, to see it through her eyes, like >> probably like how I don't want to uh equate my wife to a ch a child, but you're seeing things through someone else's eyes for the first time. You're like, "Oh, I didn't think of that or I didn't see it that way." and she was a big help in this project, too. >> That's why it's important that Americans travel so you can you can see >> how other countries see the world and then how other countries see you. Like one of my favorite passages in from Bill Bryson, who's like one of the greatest travel writers ever. He's talking about being in Australia and picking up a newspaper. >> Yeah. >> And just how absurd the news felt to him. He's like, he's reading about some murder and it's not scary because the names are ridiculous and the circumstances, you know, don't seem real. He's reading about their politicians, but he doesn't care. He has no stakes, right? It's just he's just able to see it as this thing. And then like we were in Australia two years ago like during the 2024 election. And on the one hand, it's weird how much American politics are on the front page of uh you know other countries newspapers and then also their news broadcast. At the same time watching it through another country's eyes. We're also watching Olympic coverage from another country and you're just like oh yeah they're rooting for different people. You're watching the same thing, but the lens is different. Y >> and it forces you to realize, oh, like my perspective is not the only perspective 100%. >> And that everyone is going around. >> It's like everyone's the main character in their own movie and and every country is the main character in their own movie, even if America looms so large literally and figuratively in in other people's stories. >> Yeah. In international travel, it allows cuz we're in the game. I like to say we're in the game right now. >> Yeah, >> we're on let's just it's World Cup time or just finished. We're on the football field. When you're in it, you only see what's in front of you and that perspective. And then when you're in the stands, >> you're looking down at the game from a different perspective. And that's international travel. >> I've learned more about the US in many ways from being outside of it and viewing it as a spectator than sometimes when you're in the thing. >> And that probably is I mean in your videos like there's usually like some person from there showing you around, right? like you you you have you have that person's perspective on that place. >> I have two styles. So one is I meet up with someone that let's say is an expert. Like this next video we're doing is about a lobster man in Maine. And so I want to get into that world and show that perspective. >> Other videos about half of them I call it wing it videos >> where I have a a plan what I'm going to do where I'm going >> but it's really who I run into along the way. >> Sure. And the goal is to show the audience like things are way more mixed up than we ever think they are. >> Yeah. >> I never know what anyone's going to say. >> And it's my responsibility to be the conduit to bring that message out whether I agree with it or not and let the audience see it. Yeah. >> Sometimes someone will say something, >> you know, that's over here and then this the next second they're saying, you know, someone else is saying that something that's totally different and that all exists. the only way to truly get a story. How many people live in this town? >> Eight 8 to 10 in the town and then it's like 80,000 in the county. >> Okay. So, let's say say there's 10,000 here would be to do 10,000 stories. >> Sure. >> Everyone's experience is different. >> It's the only way to really get it in an accurate way. But usually there's some consensus. Mhm. >> Like for example, if there are, you know, people on the streets, you know, every other step someone's passed out, you know, on fentanyl or something, >> pretty much everyone say, "Hey, we have a fentanyl problem." >> Yeah. >> Right. So there's some consensus with most stuff. >> But then you realize how wildly differently, you know, different people are with what they think >> and that comes from their experience. And it's not for me to tell them they're right or wrong. It's to tap into that because I didn't I didn't live the life they lived. >> Yeah. It's like I mean I feel like life is about figuring out how the other half lives, you know, like like oh this is what it's like for you, you know? >> Yes. >> And then what do you do with that information I guess is the question. >> When you can understand where someone's coming from, it definitely develops empathy. >> Yeah. >> You don't have to agree, >> but most things I mean some stuff's just bad. >> Yeah. >> Oops, I swear. Uh >> you swear here. >> I know. I got I've I've worked very cuz uh a lot of people home more people are homeschooling. Is that a thing out here? >> Yes, very much so. >> Okay. So, a lot of parents in these small communities they they're watching my videos to understand the country and I made sort of a pro there. Thank for not swearing. So, I really try not to. >> Um I I've been amazed again this is like how different people's perspective. It'll be like the outrage about cursing and then the complete shrugging the shoulders of like actually outrageous things, you know, always baffles me. >> Good point. Good point. >> Like that's always been weird to me. How do you make your stuff as palatable to as many people as possible is important. Like because you want you want to bring people in. So I think about that. >> I want I want everyone to be able to watch or read this and not feel all triggered. And and here's where I'm at. >> Yeah. The number one comment goes something like this. My family and I can't get together for Thanksgiving without arguing about politics. We can't watch anything on on TV that has anything to do with culture cuz Uncle Larry starts arguing at Aunt Jane and blah blah blah. Your content is something we can all sit around and watch and enjoy together. >> Yeah. >> And so that's that's my lane. >> Yeah. >> Now, does politics get into things? Because politics gets into life. There's no way around it sometimes. And things are going to go into that. They're going to flirt along that. >> Everything is the way that it is because of politics. >> It's all policy, right? >> Sure. >> Pretty much everything end results are because of policy. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And economics. >> Why one county is doing well and the other isn't. Why the freeway is here as opposed to here. >> Why, you know, they grow soybeans instead of this or that. You know, all these are ultimately are incentives and policy decisions. >> Yeah, exactly. >> I think about this all the time. My wife and I always talk about we driven up from New Orleans. We're in Nachas, Mississippi, and we're going to Vixsburg. I want to see the Civil War battlefield. We're talking to this waitress. She was telling us she's from there and blah blah. And I go, "Oh, so have you ever been to Vixsburg before? Like, what's it like? What should we expect?" >> And she's like, "I've never been." And I'm like, "It's like 30 minutes away from here, you know?" Yeah. >> And you realize like, oh, just some people have literally never for whatever reason have never gone outside their little area, right? You talk to people and they're like, I'm going on my air, you know, I'm flying on an airplane for the first time to visit my aunt in Nashville and you're like, >> okay, you're in your 40s. And and so that's just a very different way of experiencing the world. Put aside passports, put aside international travel. Uh whether you're, you know, setting up roots in one city or traveling by train. It's like some people haven't been to the next town over. >> For sure. >> The most extreme form of that would be the Schwarz and Trouer Amish. >> Yeah. >> The Schwarz and Trooers are what most people think of when they think of Amish. No technology, basically living in 1871. Kerosene lamps. And I met up with some of those people when I was in Holmes County. Holmes County. People think of Lancaster County was the home of the Amish. Yes, it is. But Holmes County not not far behind. And so like everything, you have the Schwarz and Trouer on this end for those listening. I got my hand way out to the right. And then you have the beachy Amish on this end. And now that's almost Menanite. >> Yeah. >> And the beachy are going to drive around, use microwaves, and have electricity. Now they're all technically Amish. Now, when I was with some Schwarz and trooers that I met accidentally, and you know, I was very respectful. I'm like, "Guys, I'm making a video." They didn't really even know what a video was, >> right? >> They didn't know who the president was. >> Wow. >> Yeah. And I said, "And I Yeah. No. And and this this was four years ago. They just had no clue about any of this stuff. They're living in their own world." >> Yeah. >> And I said, you know, "Do you mind if I show some of this?" And they're like, "Yeah, just don't have our faces on it." So, I made a video without putting the camera on their faces. And the woman said to me, her number one question, I said, "Is there anything you want to know about the outside world?" She said, >> she looked up and she's like, "Have you ever flown in a plane?" And I was like, "Wow." Yeah. And she's like, "What's that like?" I had to think about it. What's it like? I don't know. It's sort of like flying in a dream state through clouds. and gets you somewhere really quickly. And then I >> She's getting you to think about something magical that you have completely taken for granted. >> Totally. And I looked in the rearview mirror as I was leaving and she's looking up at the sky like with a little smile and you realize she's just as American as you and I >> in the same country. >> But yeah, that's a different world. And we also tend to think that those things it's like oh way over here far away maybe there's these Amish people that are very it's like >> there's a Menanite community like five minutes from here and and it's like these things >> if you look for them there's >> you're closer to this to this stuff. You're closer to people living in a completely different reality than you than you think. I mean right down to unhoused and homeless people are living in a completely different reality. every state, you know, who's the richest person in that in that state. What is their life like compared to yours? Like they might live in Texas, but they don't live in Texas. You know what I mean? They live in the world and their doicile is in Texas, right? And like just just the wide enormous breadth of experiences that different people looking up at more or less the same horizon are experiencing. >> Yeah. I have a part in the book called Neither here nor there. >> Yeah. >> And it's about people that are in the country obviously. Yeah. But sort of living in their own world, Siberian Eupic up in St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. You can see Russia from it. It's 30 miles away. Three times the size of Maui. They still hunt whale every year. Reindeer. >> Wow. >> Yeah. You need an invite to get on the island. >> Yeah. And didn't you go to Machai, too? I mean, just like >> Yeah, I bet. Mokai that's a >> the the Hawaiian islands are radically different than each other. >> Machai and Aahu two different universes. >> Sure. >> So the St. Lawrence in St. Lawrence Island Siberian Eupic people, you know, they've never seen a tree before. >> It's just too far north, right? And then you have the Chucos, you know, East LA. And if you tap into Chuco culture, it's its own thing. You'll meet guys that have a Spanish accent that don't speak Spanish. >> Yeah. like they're speaking English with a Spanish accent. >> And then the Amish, I think, is the class, you know, top example of, you know, beaten to their own drum. >> I remember I was I was given a talk to a baseball team and I was just asking all these questions. This guy was telling me one of the faux paws is like if you assume one of the black players speaks Spanish. >> Uhhuh. >> Because like in that world, it's different than other parts of America. Yeah. Right. Like like you're Oh, right. Because this is such a global game, you're drawing different distinctions, boundaries, inroups, outroups, whatever that I'm even clocking is happening. >> Mhm. Yeah. I'm excited about Texas. >> Texas. I'm going to do I don't know much about Texas. When I was living in Lake Tahoe in my young 20s, >> where in Lake Tahoe? >> I I lived in King's Beach. I lived in Homewood. I lived in Tahoe City. >> Grew up in Homewood every summer. I worked at Do you know Obexers? >> Of course. >> I My first job was at Obexers. >> I started a business off the Obexers uh community board. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> That's amazing. >> When I I was hammer drunk one night and stoned with my buddy and we're we're young Tahoe guys snowboarding all winter and summer's coming around. What are we going to do for work? This was >> 2000 probably. >> Okay. And I and I and I roughly then it would have been 200 the summer of 2000 maybe 2001. So maybe maybe I made you a sandwich. >> I I got those sandwiches all the time. Huge sandwiches. >> I loved it. PDQ was better half of the time. >> PDQ was better than Oxer's sandwich. >> PDQ was better. So I went I was with a buddy late night and we're like what are we going to do? How are we going to stay in Tahoe? We're just didn't want to have anything to do with getting a corporate job or anything. >> There probably isn't one. >> There isn't. You'd have to move off the hill. You'd have to go to Sacramento or the Bay. >> There's all these wealthy people here. They need their cars cleaned. >> Autodetailing. I I posted something at the PDQ. >> Get a call the next day. And we My buddy and I tore it up all day. This is This is when I drank many years ago. Get a call the next day and the lady's like, >> "I'm calling about the autodetailing." And I'm like, "What are you talking about?" >> You [laughter] hit your first customer already and you don't understand. >> I I had no clue. And then I'm like, "Uh, she's like, "When can you get in the schedule?" I'm like, "Hold on one second, ma'am. Let me let me check the calendar." I'm like, "Oh, should I do this or not?" And then I and then I said, "Yeah." So, my first job came out of there. >> There you go. >> Yeah. >> Nice. >> But West Shore, what a what a place. >> It's the best. >> I lived seven or eight years up there. >> But you you know, if you want to further your life, unless you're in real estate, construction, I guess, own a restaurant. Yeah. >> There's not much. >> Yeah. Or you're a tech billionaire or something. >> You're a tech billionaire. Now, Incline Village is take I mean, it was always wealthy, but it's really taken off. >> Well, and then the point about you think it's one thing, it's the other. It's like right cuz you cross a state border and the taxes are different. Yeah. >> So, it tracks a different clientele and so it's just different worlds. The borders are made up and arbitrary, but one side of the line versus the other can mean a totally different experience, conception. Yeah, I do miss that part of the country because you have >> you're in Tahoe in the winter and there's eight eight feet of snow out your door. >> Yeah. >> In in the same county there are palm trees. You go down to Auburn. >> I moved to Grant Bay when I was in high school >> and our house was in Plaster County and my parents little cabin in Tahoe was also in Plaster County. So, it was like as suburbs as suburbs get. and the the mountains at you know probably I guess we're closer to the lake but anyway you know what's the lake at 3 4,000 ft 62 >> yeah so so like that much elevation climb in one county >> and then different worlds different climates >> and then you go to Reno it's dry high desert 8 in of rain a year >> and then you got the bay San Francisco >> my my heart's there I love that city of >> course >> and then obviously the coast >> it's It's really spectac. I do miss it a lot. Do you miss it back there? >> Of course. Yeah, >> cuz this is totally different. >> It's totally different. >> What What do you like here? Just the big open spaces. >> I like the big open spaces. I For me, as I travel, I was in the middle of the country. It's nice. >> Yeah, sure. >> Yeah. I think I like the space. I like the I kind of like the heat. >> People are nice. >> People are nice. Yeah. You you b you bounce around and you find your your place, you know? Yeah. >> I was ready to be done with California. So, >> okay. When when did you move out? >> 200 11. >> Okay, >> it's been a while, but I've lived all over. But this is like not compromised, but this checks a bunch of different boxes that I wanted >> and then, you know, then you laid then you set up roots and then you're like, oh, this is where I live. >> Yeah, that's cool. >> Which is the interesting thing. You meet people and you're like, why are you here? And they're like, I don't know. You know what I mean? Like sometimes I think you think people have an affinity for why they're there. And it could be the most people are there because they're taking care of their parents. people are there because their car broke down at 40 years ago and they were like this is where I live now. You know what? Like it's not always like Nate Baretti has a joke about, you know, he grew up in this town and it was named after Andrew Jackson and people go like he was a bad guy and he's like we didn't know him, you know, like that's not why we live there. >> Jacksonville. >> Yeah. But his point is like we just put so much on people about where they live and why they live there and what it means >> and people live there because >> I mean I was talking to there's a a woman she is a dermatology clinic down the road. She's a dermatologist. She went to Harvard. I'm like why are you here? You know she's like >> because if I set my clinic up here I got my student loan debt compensated and if I did it in Austin I didn't. So that's why I live here. you know, like you just realize like people live in different place for all and and that when you're open and you're curious, it gets so much more interesting >> than when you think you know what it says about somebody. >> Yeah. And there's a big uptick in people moving to rural areas. >> I mean, depending CO was big for that, but >> and it also shows you, you know, we we have a housing crisis in this country and housing's expensive in so many areas. >> Yeah. >> And then it's not. >> Yeah. in like do you want to live there though? That's the question. But I was just in Little Rock. I did a video there. I met this young couple. They bought a really cool home for 182,000 with land. Nice ranch style. And you can go way cheaper. Even California, if you want to go up to Crescent City. >> Yeah. >> And buy a I mean, it's not dirt cheap, but I think you get something for like 250 >> or anywhere in central California. Central Valley. >> I remember I was driving from where were we driving? We were driving from 3A to Orlando. So down the panhandle into Florida. I was like I feel like just this 6-hour drive you could solve the entire housing crisis in this country. You know, you're just passing through nowhere with nothing in one of the >> now more expensive states, right? And you're just like how, you know, you just realize like the one thing we do have is lots and lots and lots of space. >> We're so lucky. >> I just I think we're just a hundred years behind Europe. >> Yeah. >> With that, right? Europe's tapped out. Western Europe. If you go to Switzerland or Italy, it's like >> in a way every square inch is sort of taken. >> I mean, there's plenty of nature. >> Yeah. But as far as housing, if you're in Switzerland, they don't have the opportunity as a young person in America who could like again, you got to be the have the right mindset, but like >> they're not building and developing a thousand houses like they're doing down the street anywhere in Europe because how where >> exactly when I moved out of Tahoe, I so badly wanted to move to San Francisco. >> Yeah. >> Like so badly. And I just was I was very practical with the numbers. And I'm like, [snorts] [sighs] man, if I moved to Reno, which sounded a it sounded awful when I said that to every everyone gave me >> gave me a hard time on that one. They're like, "What are you? You're ruining your life. >> Why would you go there?" I'm like, >> "Yeah, but I want to own a house." >> And so it's 45 minutes down the hill. >> That mortgage was cheaper than rent in San Francisco. and I wanted to go back to college and I'm just I had to pay my way. So, University of Nevada, no it's not Harvard, but hey, I could I could have the opportunity to go and I was paying. So, I was like, "All right, crunch the numbers. Could do that." That time, Reno is cheap. Reno's not not cheap anymore. >> Yeah. >> Like, that blew out. And so, there's always this next place where like, how do you see it before >> the thing gets expensive? >> Yeah. >> And there's still plenty of places in this country. >> That's the energy of America. There's still places to go and >> people are able now to go back like it was Detroit for a while, right? You could go to places. Yes. >> You go back to places that were once nice and that sort of that's your point about cities being in different points in the cycle. >> Yep. Detroit downtown when I was there last, it was actually pretty nice downtown, but yeah, the the population cleared out. >> Yeah. >> Uh common story. I mean, that's a theme I get into a lot. I think about, you know, I want my videos not just to be a travel video. That doesn't interest me. I would do something else. >> But is there meat on the bone? Is there substance in there? Can we learn something? Like what's the culture doing? >> And a theme I just see a lot is industrial town, industry left, jobs left. >> Yeah. >> Thing collapses. >> And how that cycle repeats. I mean the reason this area is booming between Austin is because Tesla is here and SpaceX is here >> and the Boring Company is here >> and then all the adjacent things are coming around and it's like >> I don't know where that is in the cycle but it doesn't last forever you know Studebaker seemed like it would last forever and you know all these companies did that's and now we refer to that area as the rust belt right it so it is it's a cycle and it might be your lifetime it might be two generations or it could be a really fast cycle there is booms and busts you know you see that in the Old West that this was a metropolitan city and then it's tombstone Arizona, right? >> Or the fact we still have company towns. >> Mhm. >> In Arizona. So the company town was huge what 80 100 years ago lot in West Virginia got paid in script company money. Go to the company store and I've done a lot of those videos >> and then I I I was looking late night on Google Maps. >> I'm like Baghdad. >> Yeah. >> Baghdad Arizona. What? And so I I go in on it and I start researching the town and it's like, "Oh, Freeport McMorren owns this town." >> Yeah. >> Okay. It's a copper copper mine. And so they still have that old school structure as in my company owns all the real estate. Everyone that lives there works for the company. And I went in thinking, look, company towns don't have a great reputation in the past. I mean, they were >> basically >> almost slaves like an indentured servant. indentured servants, right? >> And you're stuck there and then if your your husband dies in the mine, the wife has to leave the housing immediately. It was awful, right? In many ways, I get out there to Baghdad sort of with that in the back of my mind and I just talk to as many people as possible. What's it like living out here? And that starts into something else because Americans are great at opening up and wanting to talk if you take interest. >> And so I'm getting into the story like, oh, average salary, I believe around 90,000. My rent for my threebedroom, two bath home is $350. All health care taken care of. My kids are taken care of with summer camps. School's great. No crime because if someone if someone's out of line, the company kicks them out of town. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's good while it lasts. >> And I It's good while it lasts. Copper's good right now. >> Not for me. >> I'm guessing not for you. I don't want to be in that mold. >> But for somebody, >> but I totally get it in this time now where it's like, where's your job going? Where's inflation going? How expensive housing is getting? I saw just like tamp down on the pressure. >> Yeah. >> of modern life. I was like, that's pretty cool. >> And there are two of those towns. There's another one, Moreny, which is bigger in Arizona. And these open mine pits are insane. >> Have you read Nomad Land? >> I haven't. I've heard of it. I haven't read it. >> She talks about that. That's the That's the dark side of the company town is Amazon sets up a temporary Christmas fulfillment center or these people that travel from sort of temp job to temp job in campers and RVs. And by the way, >> that's a video also, right? >> It's a movie also. It's a movie. I've seen the book incredible. The movie is also good. But just like you realize like the company town isn't isn't always so permanent because it's seasonal, right? all the people that work adjacent to national parks or this tourist season or this, you know, big shipping or fulfillment or, you know, mineral season like and the you're temporarily here and then we're all going here and we're chasing and it's you're never setting up roots. It's there's a there's a sadness to it also. >> Oh yeah. Yeah. So I was out I believe it took place there. Quartzai, Arizona. >> Yeah. They're living on BLM land. >> And a lot of people are sold, >> hey, live cheap, live a cheap retirement. Yeah. >> Live out of your car, live it out of your van. That's all great until the summer comes around. >> And a lot of people die out there. >> Yeah. >> It's pretty hardcore. Out there. People should spend some time in some RV parks and get a different slice of what what America is for some people and has become because of >> the screwed up nature of our social safety net, income inequality, you know, it's the how expensive stuff is. >> Yeah. There are a lot of retirees suffering >> and they never retired from the financial crisis. >> Their social security isn't keeping up. >> Yeah. And for example, my mom's, she her property taxes just went up 25% in two years. She's on a fixed income. >> Right. Right. >> And there's a lot of those situations. I remember being in Charlotte, North Carolina. That's a boom town. It's really taken off. >> And this old woman just been there since the beginning. Tiny home and her property taxes were nothing, right? and now because of the comps around her gets reassessed and she can't afford >> to live in her home, which property tax is an interesting one because look, I'm all for doing my part. I paid quite a bit of taxes. I'm sure you do, too. But the property one's interesting because if you you own your home and then you want to go monk mode, you're old, you don't have any m you don't have any money, >> it's not your home. What's who who is the tax code favoring? Is it people who make lots of money? Is it people who make lots? You know, and you realize like the part of the Texas Florida dream is that it's actually quite hard on the low end of not only do you not get the social services, but you're if you own your own home, retire or whatever, you're just getting slaughtered on these property taxes every year. >> Yeah. I didn't I didn't >> they go up every year in California. They don't go up. >> Yeah. I didn't think the conversation would go into that, but it's a good one because I I think about this a lot because everything gets oversimplified, right? Yeah. >> The 1%. >> So, the 1% could be that surgeon in Irvine >> making 2 million a year. >> Yeah. >> Earned income, ordinary income. Not to bore your audience, but it's like you you're making money from an employer. That guy's paying over >> 50%. >> Yeah. >> Right. And so that's in the same group as Jeff Bezos, >> right? the 1%. >> Yeah. Somebody who somebody who sold a company for $200 million might pay less taxes than the surgeon who makes $2 million. >> And that one never opens up clearly. >> Yeah. >> Because the way it's set up for the uber wealthy, >> take out loans against your assets. >> You're not getting ordinary income. >> None of them would live in California if they're getting ordinary income and paying the full RIP, right? And you depreciate X, Y, and Z. >> Yeah. And at that super high level, your effective rate is not much. >> And then also on the other end of the spectrum, there's the people who are renting and then the people who maybe they've had this house in a, you know, not so great part of town that's been in the family for a couple generations. Yeah. Right. You know, a black family in the segregated part of Austin. They've had it for, you know, the parents gave it to the kid and maybe a grandkid lives in it. But now the the property taxes which were low even 10 years ago are now 10$20,000 a year. Crazy. >> Yeah. >> So that >> So I I've I've uh >> it's complicated. >> It's complicated, but the property tax thing when it's too much is out of line. Now in Hawaii, they have the lowest property taxes. And I think it's because look, Hawaii became a state in what, 1950? >> Yeah. >> They all the natives would be booted off, right? If they had to keep up with those tax rates. A lot of them would. My brother lives in Kauaii. Until recently, he rented from a native Hawaiian. There aren't many natives left. Truly natives. like native native because everything gets mixed eventually. And his guy he's like right in uh Honlay. The place is probably worth I don't know 5 million. It's not nothing much of a home but because of location if you had to pay the tax bill >> sure it'd be crazy. >> He'd be smoked. Or you can go to native reservations and that's a whole different story. 576 federally recognized tribes in this country. All different. >> Yeah. You drive through and you're you realize just how big some of these reservations are. No, I mean a fraction of obviously what their ancestral lands were. >> Yeah. >> Uh which was the whole country. >> Navajo Nation is the size of New Jersey. >> Yeah. >> Size of Israel basically. >> Okay. So, as we wrap up, >> I loved your book because it's an introduction to >> your fellow Americans, but we live in such radically different universes, different countries. I thought I'd recommend some of my f We're in a bookstore. I'd recommend some of my favorite books that will also help people meet their fellow Americans, maybe more in a historical sense. >> Do you know who Frederick Law Olmstead is? >> Have not read it. >> But do you know who he is? No. He's the designer of Central Park. Okay. >> Oh, cool. >> Ottoan Park in New Orleans. Uh, so one of our great designers, but >> lead up to the Civil War, >> he rides a horse through all of Texas. Several months just all over Texas. One of my favorite things is he complains that Austin is getting too expensive. But he does this journey through Texas on horseback and it gives this enormous glimpse of America at that time. He's meeting his fellow Americans right before we go to war with each other. Tony Horowitz wrote another book where he recreates the journey. It's his last book and it's called Spying on the South. Also amazing. So take that. >> Thank you. >> Have you read The Warmth of Other Sons about the Great Migration? >> Have not. >> Okay. So this is obviously coming out of the Civil War, the the reemergence of Jim Crow and segregation. Black people are like, "We're majority, but we're always going to be a minority. They've kept us out of political power, so we got to go somewhere else." So, where do they go? They go to New York. They go to Chicago. They go to Detroit. They go to California. That's what we call the great migration. That's what changes the the the the face of the country, right? It ch because millions of pe it's like this great immigration >> to the industrialized areas. Exactly. They're going up to Detroit South. All cops, chasing family. This is like 10 books in one. Thank you. >> Uh oh, here's this is this is a recreation of Journey through Texas. So you like that uh life on the Mississippi builds a Mississippi flatbo. >> Okay. >> Gets in in Illinois and recreates Lincoln's journey >> to New Orleans. Okay. does all of the big American rivers as they would have done it 150 years ago. You will love this. I think I think there's a book in there for you. Ghost Rider, >> of course. I'm seeing them. I'm seeing them in two weeks. Me, too. Me, too. I'm going to see them. I think they're in San Antonio. I saw him on the 30th anniversary tour, so I got to see Neil Pur and then now the >> my first show, Montreal, 16 years old. Rush counterparts tour. >> Wow. >> Yeah. [sighs] Neil Per was the best. >> Have you read this book, >> Professor? Yeah, >> I think it's the best road trip book ever written about. >> And Nika Niles is doing a pretty good job. She's not Neil Per though. >> I'm not going to watch any videos. I'm not going to listen anything. I just want to be surprised. >> No, they're they're doing well right now. >> I'm also seeing Iron Maiden in a couple weeks. Nice. >> And they have a new drummer, too, because their drummer retired, so I'm excited about that. Okay. So, great road trip book. And then Joan Ddian, this is her table, by the way, does a road trip book. She's from Sacramento, but she does a road trip book through the South. It was supposed to be a a larger book, but this is all that survives. You'll love this. >> Here is The Small and Mighty by Sharon. Man, you'll love her. Great. >> She's great. What else would I add to this? I would add, have you read How to Hide an Empire? >> No. >> Okay. It's a history of the greater United States. >> So, it's a history of all the territories, provinces, >> you know, like America doesn't see itself as an empire. America sees itself as as the contiguous United States. And then and then Alaska and Hawaii are down here even though they're way as far as you can imagine. At one point, America was a hundred other territories. >> I mean, we saw this with the Bad Bunny nonsense, right? It's like, why do you have an American perform? So, I thought I thought maybe that's your sequel is the greater, >> right, >> American experience, >> right? >> Because we don't see those people as Americans, but they are. >> I haven't gone into territories. >> Yeah. >> And that's on the list for sure. >> I thought of that book when I was reading your book. I think you'll like it. Like we don't even think like when Japan attacks >> Pearl Harbor, they're attacking America >> even though it wasn't an American state yet. And then when they were attacking the Philippines, you know who they were attacking? Not Filipinos, us. Because we were still in the process of being transitioned into home rule. But like it would have been like >> Germany attacking Australia, >> right? Like that's a blow of Great Britain. That's not another country, right? But we we so didn't see oursel as a colonial power and we've never seen ourselves as a colonial power but we are and we have been. >> Is it because we we weren't as bad as the Brits with that? >> We weren't as bad. Although the Spanish, the Portuguese, >> what we did in the Philippines was heinous and horrible. But I think the more interesting thing is coming out of the Second World War, >> how we cobbled together an enormous empire that wasn't inherently colonial, that was about cooperation and collaboration and hey, we'll lease a military instead of owning your country, can we just have this little bit of land and we'll have a military base here and we'll have and and and now we're in the middle >> of dismantling that. not deliberately, but in a form of suicide, I guess. Like now we are in the middle of destroying and undermining that in a way that I don't think because we didn't fully appreciate who we were, we don't fully appreciate where we're going. And you'll love this book. I I'll give it to you next door.