Having lived in London for the past three years, I have become accustomed to narrow streets, small cars, and tiny flats. Millions use public transport for work around the clock. Recently, more people are being encouraged to cycle to work. Busy side walks, littered with pedestrians is a normal sight in London. Juxtapose that to Missouri, mid-west America, where you have wide, open country. Huge, gas guzzling SUVs fill the highways. A single bedroom in the average house is the size of a flat in south London. Ample amount of toilets and showers so family members need not queue for a bath. The back gardens could easily host a five side game of football.

Last summer I spent a few days in Columbia, Missouri, my first time in the Mid-west. Having arrived under the cover of dark, I was excited to see the place once day breaks. Some people prefer a long drive through a new place, I prefer to take a long early morning run. Whenever I go to new places, foremost on my mind is taking a long run to explore the space. Where I stayed is new housing development, the completed and occupied houses stood across from a vast area under construction.

On my first trip into the town, I was on the look out for a jogging route. To my surprise, there were no sidewalks leading into the town which was no more than five minutes drive from the house. Later on I would begin to realise that people do no walk to anywhere. Everyone drives. Out here, every thing is big. It’s like someone said, “go large with my order please.”

Going for a jog as a black man in America is a dangerous type of activity at any time of day. It needs a proper risk assessment before you set out. I couldn’t map a route as I was new to the neighbourhood. I informed my closest and nearest relatives of what I was going to do, the direction and distance to be overed. I deliberately wore white to increase visibility. This continued to be my practice for every run. Ever so often I would check my six to make sure there was no one following. Thankfully, I found the people quite friendly and cordial along my routes.

We took a few trips into Jefferson City, the state capitol, which is approximately 30 minutes from Columbia. On the last of these I got to properly tour the area. One cannot help but notice the very wide streets. A single lane would almost pass as a two lane street in Kensington, London. As with most major cities, there is a river nearby. The entire city is built on the banks of the Missouri River. As I stood looking into the distance, the last embers of the sun’s rays fleeting into the dusk, the lazy river almost standing still, there was a sense of calm and serenity like no other.

As for shopping, which is a must do on holidays, it could take upwards of 40 minutes to get to a proper store. All the major retail stores were a good distance away. You would need to a plan a trip just so you can get some shopping done. For someone like me, that’s a nightmare. I always eye shop before making actual purchases.

The next trip took me to St. Louis which is a two hour drive. Oddly enough, this city more looks like a capital than the former. It is much grander than Jefferson City and far more populated. There were quite a few attractions in the vicinity but we did not have enough time to explore them all. Two major attractions I visited were the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station and the Gateway Arch National Park. We wanted to get inside the arch but it was overbooked when we got there. Nevertheless, the view from outside was majestic.

This was a most memorable trip for so many reasons. Foremost in my mind is an appreciation for space. London is densely populated with these little matchbox apartments going for astronomical prices. Some flats are so small you can’t even change your mind in them. Would I live in Columbia, Mo? Maybe not, it is too remote for my needs at present. That aside, this is a beautiful state to live in and a perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle or modernity.