"In 1938, when I had decided that the only way to see the country was in a trailer, and I built the trailer which I still have and lived in it for eighteen months, and learned America from San Diego to the Canadian border, from Miami to New Jersey, and east to west in between"

Leslie Charteris recounts a transformative period in his life, choosing the unconventional route of living and traveling in a trailer to gain a deeper understanding of America. Instead of relying on fleeting or surface-level experiences that traditional travel might offer, Charteris commits to an immersive journey, constructing his own trailer and dedicating eighteen months to living on the road. The physical act of building the trailer represents not only a practical solution to mobility but also a symbolic declaration of independence and self-sufficiency. It suggests a hands-on approach to exploration, where the journey is as significant as the destinations.

His route traverses immense distances: from San Diego on the Pacific Coast to the Canadian border, from Miami in the far southeast to New Jersey in the northeast, and countless roads running east to west in between. Naming these points sketches the vastness and diversity of the American landscape, hinting at the countless environments, cultures, and social realities encountered along the way. These travels expose Charteris to a wide cross-section of American life, transcending regional stereotypes or isolated perspectives. Such a journey cannot be compressed into a series of anecdotes or touristic highlights; instead, it implies a slow, authentic absorption of people, places, and stories.

Underlying these details is a spirit of curiosity and a restless desire for genuine understanding. Charteris’s decision to live in his trailer for a year and a half shows profound commitment to experiencing America firsthand, unconstrained by schedules or commercial hospitality. There is an element of humility in placing oneself continually in unfamiliar circumstances, learning about a country not just through observation but through lived experience, adaptation, and direct engagement. Ultimately, what he learns is not just about geography, but about the fabric of American life, its underlying humanity, and the multiplicity of its landscapes and cultures, a knowledge earned only through movement, patience, and openness.