--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thing I can remember I ever…" description: "\"The first thing I can remember I ever wanted was to go to the United States. And for reasons that are as conventional as you can imagine: I wanted to k..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/christopher-hitchens-117_conventional_the-first-thing-i-can-remember-i-ever-wa_2489066.jpg" --- # The first thing I can remember I ever wanted was to go to… ![“The first thing I can remember I ever wanted was to go to the United States. And for reasons that are as conventional as you can imagine: I wanted to know if it was really true that it was the land of opportunity, of democracy, and individual liberty.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/christopher-hitchens-117_conventional_the-first-thing-i-can-remember-i-ever-wa_2489066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/christopher-hitchens-117_conventional_the-first-thing-i-can-remember-i-ever-wa_2489066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/christopher-hitchens-117_conventional_the-first-thing-i-can-remember-i-ever-wa_2489066.jpg) > “The first thing I can remember I ever wanted was to go to the United States. And for reasons that are as conventional as you can imagine: I wanted to know if it was really true that it was the land of opportunity, of democracy, and individual liberty.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The desire to test the American Dream reflects a quest for freedom and opportunity, driven by curiosity and idealism. **In simple terms:** He wanted to see if America truly offers liberty. Key Takeaway Explore societies before forming judgments. Themes freedom opportunity idealism Mood inquisitive optimistic Type political personal When to use this quote - travel - education - career decisions Key Concepts political philosophy personal aspiration Questions to Reflect On - What does “land of opportunity” mean to you? - How do you verify national myths? A Different Perspective Idealized views may clash with reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-liberty/) [Land of opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-of-opportunity/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [Under democracy, individual liberty of opinion and action is jealously guarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/under-democracy-individual-liberty-of-opinion-and-action-is-jealously/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We need to get beyond the politics of the moment, the deficit of the hour, the military count of the day, the numbers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/we-need-to-get-beyond-the-politics-of-the-moment-the-deficit-of-the/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [I do think that the U.S. has an opportunity as a democracy to really exemplify what a religiously diverse society can be when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-l-eck/i-do-think-that-the-u-s-has-an-opportunity-as-a-democracy-to-really/) [Diana L. Eck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-l-eck/) > [The Seventeenth Amendment serves not the public's interest but the interests of the governing masterminds and their disciples. Its early proponents advanced it not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-seventeenth-amendment-serves-not-the-public-s-interest-but-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a democracy, the individual enjoys not only the ultimate power but carries the ultimate responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/in-a-democracy-the-individual-enjoys-not-only-the-ultimate-power-but/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The worst thing that can happen in a democracy - as well as in an individual's life - is to become cynical about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-in-a-democracy-as-well-as-in-an/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If democracy is control by the people, as it is supposed to be, it is the right form of government. 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I think about her all the time while I'm getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/as-recently-as-fifty-years-ago-my-grandmother-was-picking-cotton-with/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [This country would not be a land of opportunity, America could not be America, if the people were shackled with government monopolies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/this-country-would-not-be-a-land-of-opportunity-america-could-not-be/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [When they say America is the land of opportunity, it's true. If you work hard, people appreciate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-singh/when-they-say-america-is-the-land-of-opportunity-it-s-true-if-you/) [Vijay Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-singh/) > [America is the land of opportunity. We need to be vigilant in ensuring that each and every American has the opportunity to acquire the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/america-is-the-land-of-opportunity-we-need-to-be-vigilant-in-ensuring/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [I think that 9/11 is a greater loss if we do not change our behavior in some way. I think that if we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-davidson/i-think-that-9-11-is-a-greater-loss-if-we-do-not-change-our-behavior/) [Doug Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-davidson/) > [“There are amazing stories of people who made it from the bottom to the top. But what happens on average? What is the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sokolove/there-are-amazing-stories-of-people-who-made-it-from-the-bottom-to/) [Michael Sokolove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sokolove/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. 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Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Conventional quotes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. 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We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-think-you-will-learn-to-be-natural-with-me-as-i-find-it-impossible/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [The vision of extraordinary achievement is,by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/the-vision-of-extraordinary-achievement-is-by-definition-a-few-steps/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [“Can you make me remember the conventional way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/can-you-make-me-remember-the-conventional-way/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. 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