Dear Reader

The light is different here in the Republic of the United States of America.

The way its soft hues dance across the eye contrasts so sharply with the direct and at times harsh Australian sun.

It speaks to me of the veneer of politeness that covers American society, yet it also betrays the simmering tension beneath the surface.

As many of you would know, I'm here to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL.

Now many of you want to mock a man with a dream.

You once mocked Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt and look who's laughing now.

We'll it’s you guys, but they've made a lot of money in that time too. Let's say you're all laughing but for different reasons.

You know who else had a dream to play in the NFL? Tim Tebow. He made it and so will I.

Life really begins with a dream. It's what started these United States.

It was the dream of beating the French and Spanish to land that could be used for religious sects, slavery and growing cotton and tobacco.

Not a great dream but a dream nonetheless.

It then became the dream of getting rid of taxation by a bunch of aristocrats back in England and giving this 'democracy' thing a whirl amongst white people.

Martin Luther King, Jr. also had a dream and somebody shot him.

Actually, this dream stuff seems to not always be such a good thing.

But back to my point, I believe in dreams and so does America. Today, Americans continue to dream.

Some dream of bearing arms and not have universal healthcare, while other Americans wish those sorts of people would go away.

While I'm here, I'm also keen to explore American culture up close.

While much has been made of my knowledge of NFL coming from the computer game 'Madden', my love of American history owes a lot to 'Assassin’s Creed III'.

On the plane over, I re-read Shelby Foote's three volume set on the American Civil War. While a little pro-South for my taste, it really helped to crystallise some of the themes that continue to shape the U.S. body politic in my mind.

Of course, what really underpins American society today are broad demographic trends which are reshaping the way this country is organised.

Just as Bill Walsh's 'West Coast' offence reshaped the NFL, America is changing with the rise in Hispanic communities and the growth of rich white people who only want to eat kale and go to improv classes.

Quite simply, the Chinese are going to eat this country alive but not before I play some NFL. I figure I’ve got two years.

Anyway, I better run, I'm meeting Terrell Owens to workshop touchdown celebrations.

Warmest Regards

Jarryd Hayne