What It’s Like to Have a Medium Article Go Viral and What I Learned from It

When I hit publish on Eight Ways to Say ‘I’m American’ While Traveling Without Saying ‘I’m American,’ I knew it was good. I knew it had some of whatever is between your thumb and pointer finger when rubbed together. I knew there were some original ideas inside. I knew there were some well-known truths pulled apart and laid out to examine. I knew dunking on Americans would appeal to those from every other country on earth. I also knew it would be nearly impossible not to read for the Americans who found it. Like trying not to…