What's green and crosses America?

It usually takes a lot to admit I'd be lost without my hairdryer, even though it's true, but apparently, camping is "good for the soul", so what choice did I have? In a lot of ways, the 25 strangers on the bus were just like me. Almost all of them had got a bit bored of their coupled up friends sacrificing summer adventures for a two-week all inclusive with the other half. Almost all of us had booked this solo - an east to west coast adventure on a big party bus called the Green Tortoise.

Much like the real creature, the vehicle is more like a moving home, complete with pull out mattresses, a fully functioning, unloadable kitchen and room for up to 38 people. Basically, it's like traveling in the camper van you secretly want to retire with, only you're still young and you don't have to drive. And no, there's no spare plug for the hairdryer. You'll be lucky if you even wash your hair, actually!

Ruined beauty regimes aside, we couldn't wait to see the glitz and glamour of New York, taste the food in Chicago, soak up the beauty of Utah, Arizona and Colorado's national parks, blow a little dosh in Vegas, celeb-spot in Hollywood and finally stop, 14 days later, for some fun in San Francisco.

Our two drivers, Josh and Eric, took turns driving, sleeping, informing and dealing with a thousand "Are we nearly there yets". They seemed to know absolutely everything about America, including which Indiana Jones scenes were filmed on which rock in Arizona's national parks. Impressive! Sometimes they'd shout out with as much excitement as us at the things we saw roaring past the windows. The company's been running trips for over 30 years but some things, I suppose, never get less beautiful - unlike us - we were getting more disgusting by the day.

Walking to my mattress, perched on a rock in the deserts of Utah, I felt like I was in a horror movie, but actually, there was something kind of nice about being so alone. Watching the sun come up over the Grand Canyon was a moment I'll never forget, even though I clung to my hot coffee like a life raft, and chatting around the campfire before sleeping under the stars is something everyone should do when the stress of city life gets too much. There's nothing like getting back to nature to make you realise how much we all worry about such insignificant things, sometimes.

It's nice to finally know how hard you can press a prickly pear before getting stung, how long it takes to chop a hundred tomatoes in near darkness, and how many constellations you can count, depending on the altitude of your mattress. It's also nice to know my prayers were heard when I found myself running through the desert in a thunderstom, as lightning crashed down all around us!

A ride on the Green Tortoise is far more than a trip out of the Middle East, or even a holiday to America - it's an experience that will probably change your life and make you think about things a lot. Spending time with strangers in wide open spaces (without your hairdryer) kind of makes you do that.

See www.greentortoise.com for more information and trips.

Fly to America with Emirates - www.emirates.com/usa