Americans Don't Recognize Their Country Anymore

Something has shifted in the place millions of Americans call home, and the gap between what they were taught to expect and what they're actually living through grows wider each year. This isn't about politics or nostalgia — it's about the slow erosion of institutions, communities, and promises that once felt reliable. We've been travelling full-time as a family of four since 2023, watching these changes from both inside and outside the country. If you feel like you're reaching for something familiar and finding empty space where it used to be, you're not alone in that recognition.