My former employer, Pfizer, has a major presence in Groton, a town just across the Thames River from New London. I was able to spend my first July 4th holiday as an American citizen with a former colleague who I knew while working in Lake Forest. He also agreed to be interviewed that day.

New London is a naval town and home to The United States Coast Guard Academy. It was once one of the three largest whaling ports in the world. That long gone industry was responsible for much of the building of the city. During the Revolutionary War, New London served as a primary port for the American Navy.

However, much of my time in New London was spent thinking and preparing for my next city, a little place called New York City.