In the 1830s, the French nobleman Alexis de Tocqueville traveled through the United States and returned home Democracy in Americaan in-depth analysis of a community marked by dynamic voluntary organizations and a restless entrepreneurial spirit.
Tocqueville liked what he saw, but his decision was not complicated. Towards the end of the book, he wrote“I feel full of fear and full of hope.”
Two centuries later, another European traveler offers a picture of America. Freddy (@FreddyLA7), a German soccer fan who is on a cross-country trip to the 2026 World Cup, has become an avid writer of American life.
Where Tocqueville wrote volumes about institutions, Freddy posts pictures and exclamations about Buc-ee’s, Waffle Houseand big houses. He also writes about the kindness of strangers.
Freddy arrived in the United States in early June on a shoestring budget and planned to attend the World Cup games in Germany. As he blogged about his travels this summer, his online following grew from about 10,000 people to more than 700,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter).
Freddy’s passion for giant gas stations and cheap dinners caught people’s attention. He seemed disillusioned with so much of ordinary American life, like the malls that felt like amusement parks.
Freddy certainly counts the purchasing power of American wallet. But he also seems impressed by the peaceful, kind, and tolerant society. Strangers have invited him to barbecues and given him behind-the-scenes tours. Former NFL defensive end JJ Watt saw Freddy’s post and arranged for a comfortable stay at a Houston hotel. The mayor interviewed him at a baseball game. Along his journey, Freddy often meets Americans who want to welcome him.
Could this be a little evidence that Tocqueville’s worst fears have not been realized, and that at least some of his hopes for America were justified?
Like Tocqueville, Freddy holds up a mirror. Americans naturally focus on our national divisions, policy failures, and cultural anxieties. We know where the holes are. But an enthusiastic outsider can see the road.
Freddy’s unfiltered enthusiasm makes something like the work of Tocqueville’s notebooks. His comments invite Americans to see mainstream institutions and cultures through outsiders’ eyes.
Tocqueville hoped that America would show that equality once and for all freedom can exist together. He hoped that democratic citizens would remain independent and involved in their communities rather than becoming free but powerless subjects of a growing paternalistic state.
There are good reasons to retain Tocqueville’s fear. There are also good reasons to remember fear of the American founders. Patrick Henry and others were very concerned about concentrated power, and those warnings should not be dismissed just because modern life is prosperous and comfortable.
Remember: Tocqueville was not only fearless. He was hopeful.
Freddy’s visit does not prove that the American experiment will succeed forever. However, it offers a happy reminder of what is still worth preserving: material abundance, freedom of movement, and openness to strangers.
Meanwhile, Freddy the World Cup guest gives us reason to share a little of Tocqueville’s optimism.
Freddy he wrote on June 16, 2026:
“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone following our trip. You make it possible for us to have the most American experience imaginable on this trip. Not only do we drive across the country, but we also get to see things behind the scenes and meet so many amazing people.”
