I began the day using aerial views of the North Yorkshire Moors and Dutch coastal lagoons as a distraction.  By the time we descended through castellated clouds laced with evening light past the tiny boats and clapboard houses along the American east coast I started to understand a little of why my pilot friend loves to fly.  Although we experienced our fair share of turbulence, sometimes over considerable periods of time, my overall response, particularly to the transatlantic flights was boredom.  For me boredom and fear are mutually exclusive.

The massive engines on the BA 777 due to depart Denver nearly touched the tarmac.  Watching the wings stretch into infinity I did fleetingly wonder how something so huge could possibly leave the ground.  North West's fleet ranged from modest but functional DC10s to various smaller, flimsier looking jets.  My reaction to this variety underlined the notion that size equals security.  Aircraft age also affected my response.  A comrade and I covered our nerves with a joke about whether to trust the rivets on a dodgy looking flight to Denver.

The crankiest plane, which fuelled my exhaustion-induced fears about never reaching home, slewed from side to side across the Gatwick runway on take off.  Bumping from cloud to cloud in its struggle to reach 10,000 feet, it repeated the whole performance on descent before lurching to a skewed standstill at Newcastle.  Thank goodness for clear views of Pennines.  I admit, I was petrified.

We All Speak The Same Language - Don't We?
The majestic open spaces of Montana and Wyoming provide about as big a contrast to the soap and TV comedy toted image of life in America as it's possible to imagine.  Vast areas of spectacular wilderness support a formidable array of wildlife but, outside the main centres of population, only a few isolated settlements, many little bigger than an English village.  This is the heart of the cattle country so accurately portrayed by Nicholas Evans, particularly in The Loop.  Opinions are strong, uncompromising and ultra right wing.  The emphasis is on the extended family and religious values.  Here vegetarians are hungry heretics.  Many of the attitudes I encountered were in direct conflict with the non-judgemental and liberal atmosphere that I am used to in both my professional and personal life. 

Ironically, pre-trip, I hardly considered cultural differences, although they had haunted me elsewhere.  After all I found the Canadians warm, friendly and helpful and in any case we all speak the same language.  After a few days in Montana I began to wonder whether we actually did.  Practically every time I opened my mouth the result was a misunderstanding or summary humiliation, sometimes both.

Depending on my mood I ranged between a belief in genuine misunderstandings and the notion that I was being deliberately and routinely humiliated.  I even began to question my communication skills until I met a Canadian family and a couple of English people.  I had no difficulty what so ever talking to them or an American girl from a different part of the country I met back in England the week after my return.  Likewise tourist industry officials in Yellowstone and at the airports and retailers in Cody went out of their way to be polite, courteous and helpful.