there's no place like home...

It was a perfect Madtown weekend, in every way possible.  Though most of my college crew has spread their wings and followed their dreams down different roads, on certain occasions the winds of Madison call us all back together again.  The sun shines down on the lake, we bring pitchers of Spotted Cow and Babcock ice cream out to the iconic yellow, orange, and green terrace tables, and it is as if a mere matter of weeks has passed since we were last together.  

After deciding a few months ago to run the Madison Half-Marathon, it turned out that several friends - both runners and non-runners - had the same idea, and several reunions fell into place.  Others drove to town for the day from Chicago, the Twin Cities, and West Bend, making the weekend even richer.

The race was a memorable one for me.  I ran with Simon and Liz and the memories flooded back as we passed the Camp Randall Stadium, the Lakeshore dorms.  We saw friends' old apartments and campus buildings where we had spent countless hours in classes.  Liz and I remembered many runs together as we turned down the Lakeshore path and around the Union.  The course went up Langdon, we laughed and pointed out different frat houses that we had partied at.  A couple spectators handed out beer along the course, and the three of us had no intention of turning it down - I love Wisconsinites.  Zach was cheering for us near James Madison Park, Jackie at Tenney Park.  The final 5k curved around the Monona Terrace and the sun shone on Lake Monona.  The last couple miles were tough, but as I turned down the final stretch and pushed my way to the finish line amidst the cheering, I knew that I would PR by several minutes.  

In just one long weekend, I saw many, many close friends, wandered up and down State Street, visited some of my favorite cafes and bars, and soaked up every ounce of Madison goodness that I could.  I may not return often, but Madison will always have a place in my heart, will always call me home.

Madison: Experiences for a Lifetime 

Best roommates, best friends.

hanging out with the guys on the terrace

PR 2:19:45

my "little sisters"

AIESEC love: Erin's first Marathon

Les Parisiens: Joe's first Half-Marathon

The day is fresh, I'm coming home again...

Leave Saturday, May 23, 2009

Delta AirLines 2894

Depart 8:25am New York, NY (LGA)

Arrive 10:30am Minneapolis, MN (MSP)

Delta AirLines 2787

Depart 1:10pm Minneapolis, MN (MSP)

Arrive: 2:14pm Madison, WI (MSN)

Return Monday, May 25, 2009

Delta AirLines 6630

Depart 4:10pm Madison, WI (MSN)

Arrive: 7:30pm New York, NY (LGA)

Not just a Wisconsin thing...

I just discovered this week that they use the world "bubbler" in Rhode Island.  I got kinda excited.

for my fellow cheddarheads...

What's your cheese soulmate?

I love my alma mater

One more reason why Madison is simply the best university around....

Take me home tonight....

They can tear down Ogg and University Square, close Yummy Buffet and Laundry 101, but Brothers holds more memories for me than any other Madtown bar.  I cried a little when I saw this.

University will take over Brothers for new theater

Here's to FAC and the 610, the dance parties and all the priceless memories.

rivalries run deep...

Watching ESPN GameDay right now... Got a slight sense of satisfaction when the commentator mentioned that Michigan is going into the season unranked for the first time in about a quarter century.  Wisconsin, on the other hand, is 18 on BCS and 13 on AP.  Just an observation ;)

I'm off to MadRiver, the official UW Alumni bar, as my roommate is making fun of the fact that there is a "Wisco bar" in NYC.  Whatever - they serve Spotted Cow, Cheese Curds, and Brats.  Sounds like a winning combination to me.  Let the college football season begin!

nostalgia...

I'm putting together a trainee resource guide for Madison and decided that the Badger Herald Shout-Outs were an essential part of Madison culture for anyone arriving to the city.  It's been two years since I graduated, and they still make me smile.

otra vez...

If I'm not mistaken, Liz marks Badger numero seis who is on her way to Colombia for a traineeship in the past two years. Me, Jess, Jason, Molly, Erin, now Liz. From one amazing city to one amazing country. I'm excited to follow her story over the next year.

I wanna go where the wind calls my name...

But if you ever come back around
This sleepy old town
Promise me you'll stop in
To see an old friend
And until then...

All these places I remember, with lovers and friends...

Over the past year, I have come home for the weddings of two incredibly important people in my life. Last November, one of my Paris girls got married. This weekend, it was one of my roommates.

In a day, I pulled on my running shoes, retraced my footsteps down the lakeshore path to Picnic Point, up Observatory Drive, where I paused on Liz Waters hill to take in the view of the lake, before finishing strong down Bascom. Jack and I went to Barriques, my old coffee shop on the Square, and sauntered through the farmers' market for breakfast, running into two old friends on the way.

The wedding was picture perfect, planned to the minute, as everyone joked about, knowing that Emily would have it no other way. Our group came back together and the years that have passed slipped away. I caught up with my roommates' parents, who wanted to know all about my crazy adventures around the world that they had heard about. Lunch at Amy's and beers on the terrace until reception time. It's good to be back. Wisconsin has been flooding so much over the past week that the piers off the terrace are nearly submerged in water. We ducked into the Rathskeller when the rain started, refilling our pitchers of Spotted Cow and catching up.

At the Monona Terrace, the tears gathered in my eyes a few times, but didn't start to fall until Lauren's speech when the memories of our college days came flooding back to us who had shared such priceless times together. We danced the night away, as our group is known to do, much like the countless nights that we spent at Bros. over the years. I know of no place other than Madison where a DJ will get as astounding of a response for playing Build Me Up Buttercup, House of Pain's Jump Around, and a certain polka, that ends with a resounding When you say Wisconsin, you've said it all.

Wisconsin. What more is there to say? I looked around at the faces I knew so well and realized that these were the people who made my experience at Madison what it was. We grew up together, shared the experience that brought us to where we all are today - living our dreams, as art teachers in Minneapolis, accountants in Chicago, engineers, med students. I remember watching these people struggling though the courses in pursuit of their dreams and realized that we have all made it. Melissa joked that I won the Most Traveled Award for the distance I had flown to come back to the wedding. We both knew that it applied not only to this weekend. Those were my dreams. This is the place where I learned how to make them come true, these are the people who stood by me. They mean more to me than they could possibly know.

We moved the party to a bar near on the Square. I paused as we walked toward State Street to take in the sight of the capitol dome illuminated against the black sky. The evening finished with a slice of pizza at Ian's. Because when you're in Madison, is there really any other way to finish off the night?

Madtown or bust...

It has been way too long since I spent some quality time back in the heart of Wisconsin, chilling on the terrace over a pitcher of Spotted Cow, too long since the Chadbourne girls were reunited, too long since I escaped Up North to spend the day doing nothing but jet skiing and water skiing and catching up with my best friend.


I'll be back in a week.

INSPIRED.

Besides passion, that is the one word that I have always associated with the organization and the people involved. We throw around the catch phrases - challenge your world view, impact others - and people honestly never cease to amaze me in the way that they carry this out to the fullest.

Nomadlife has always been my comfort zone, a connection to those who I have considered to be an inspiration in my life, whether they were across the table from me in good old Helen C or thousands of miles away. Lately, the discussions that have been going on across several blogs, the explosion of comments, linking to others' opinions, full of as much emotion as critical, strategic thinking is incredible (the nomadlife-as-a-coffeeshop conversation has been sparked).

It has been over a year and a half since I was involved on a local level and it blows my mind to think of what my community has achieved since I graduated. The organizational conversations that we engaged in around recruitment, member criteria, growth, and integration were intense, but nowhere close to the level that currently exists.

Madison has always pushed harder, farther, faster. Work hard, play hard was not something that you merely said, it was a way of living. The leaps that have been taken in just a few generations are phenomenal and I tingle with pride every time I hear someone around the country looking to Madtown as a leader in our organization.

Amongst all the comments that I have skimmed, as I have spent half of my work-day following this discussion, one stood out - most student/non-profit organizations would kill to have this dilemma. I am excited to see where further discussion leads and how other communities across the nation can look to each of you as an example to follow.

It is challenging sometimes to play an extremely different role in the organization, one that is much less community driven, and retain that same level of passion that I once identified so easily. A small piece of me looks back longingly on my days as a member of the most inspirational community I have ever been a part of. I may no longer fully understand the intricate, complex LC-reality, but I know that even from far away, they are still working toward the same goals that I am. I have been given an incredible opportunity to work for our organization, full-time, doing something that I am passionate about every single day. I continue to be challenged and inspired by those around me.

I am not going to make an argument about the best strategies for sustainable community growth or the potential implications of recruitment size and integration challenges. I believe that those conversations are best had by the individuals who do fully understand the current LC reality. Many excellent points have been raised to support a multitude of different opinions. I can only hope that an equally healthy debate is going on in person back in Wisco.

I am excited to see what legacy this next generation of Badgers is able to leave inside the halls of Grainger.


All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.
- Albert Camus

Can you feel the hype...

Flight details:

Friday, November 2, 2007

Depart: New York, NY - LaGuardia (LGA) 6:00am
Arrive: Atlanta, GA (ATL) 8:22am
Flight 359

Depart: Atlanta, GA (ATL) 9:25am
Arrive: Milwaukee, WI (MKE) 10:26 am
Flight 452


...cannot even begin to explain how excited I am. Wisco, here I come.

QUACK

Apparently in this teeny-tiny closet sized apartment that I am currently subletting, running the AC and the microwave at the same time is too much to handle. I blew a fuse and spent my Friday evening playing phone tag with my roommate who is down in DC for the weekend and trying to track down the super so that I didn't have to pack in the dark because I had no idea where the fuse box was in the unit. QUACK.

As the early 6:45 am flight looms closer, the never-ending idea of what is HOME rolls around in my head once again. After about 9 months away from my beloved Madtown, I cannot wait to spend the afternoon chilling with some of my best friends in the world on the Terrace. Sunday in the WB will be a different story, but hopefully I can make it through that without any major hiccups. Monday morning, off to Chicago for my FIRST US AIESEC national conference.

Recommendation: The Devil Came on Horseback. Very well-made, moving independent film about the genocide in Darfur.

Take my breath away...

La tierra, las montanas, los paises.

Everytime that I return to this city, it's as if a weight is lifted from my shoulders, as if I am seeing it for the first time, as if it casts some sort of magical spell over me. I love Bogota, but when it comes to Colombia, Medellin is, and always has been, my city. I honestly didn't think that I would make it back to Medellin again before I left the country, but as the rolling mountains gave way to the valley of the city and my bus arrived to the terminal this evening, I couldn't have been happier.

Next step: track down two crazy Badgers.

The clouds drifting through the blinds, A half a million thoughts, Are flowing through my mind

Sometimes when you feel as if absolutely everything is going wrong, it's amazing how the little things make such a huge difference. I've been enjoying my time in Bogota since my traineeship ended, but the feeling of putting my life on hold, being in limbo, unsure how long until I know which direction my future will take has been frustrating. Last weekend was rough for another reason, probably one of the worst that I've gone through since I've been in Colombia.

My roommates and the rest of my adopted Bogota fam has helped me stay strong and get through everything more than they could possibly realize. Our Sex in the City marathons, Asian fusion week, long Sunday morning runs when Carrera Septima is closed down for Cyclovia, bienvenidas, despedidas, trainee nights, visits to the MC office to work on the Social Entrepreneurship project, have helped me maintain some sort of normalcy.

I am excited about one last unexpected travel excursion that came up in the past 24 hours. Two Badgers (Jason - start blogging!!) arrived to my favorite Colombian city last night, and two other gringo trainees from Cornell and Denver will be coming in to Medellin next week, all to work as part of the Experience Social Entrepreneurship project. Missy, Bee, Lucas, and I have spent so much time putting this together over the past few months, and it looks like I am going to be able to visit after all. It will be great to meet all of them after the billion emails/msn chats/conference calls, see how the reception process is going, and meet up with some old friends as well. Exactly what I need right now. Change of scenery, change of pace.

newbie blogger headed to the City of Eternal Spring...

Shout-out to Molly, who hasn't even left the country yet, but rocks because 1) her blog is hilarious 2) she was one of my first matches to our Experience Social Entrepreneurship program 3) she's going to have a kick-ass summer in Medellin, and 4) she thinks that I have magical powers.

Keep an eye on her blog for some crazy Colombian adventures this summer...

Badger Invasion

I just found out that 4 fellow Madtown AIESEC'ers are on their way to Medellin. Brett is on his way next week (!!) to visit, Jess is going to be working at EAFIT as part of the GoinGlobal PBOX, Molly and Jason are both part of the new Experience Social Entrepreneurship initiative - Molly with UNDP and Jason with Corporacion Grupo Vida. I'm grinning like a fool, so excited for all of them to experience the country and culture that I have grown to love as if it were my own over the past year.

casi-colombiana...

Andrew: WHAT
Andrew: for real?
Andrew: where you going to be?
Me: heading back to Madison for a month or two
Andrew: i like forget you're american a lot

not the first time I have heard that...

I'll find my day, maybe, far and away...

I miss Wednesday nights at Brats and Thursday nights at Bros.
A-bars. shisha.
Snowstorms.
Unlimited coffeeshops.
My roommates. Rollerblading.
Late night drives. Late night runs.
The passion that an entire university feels for a football team.
Complaining about walking up Bascom Hill.
My Paris girls and our reunions.
Spending afternoons on the terrace. Babcock ice cream.

I know that when I leave I will miss salsa dancing.
Crazy bus drivers.
Our pool at the Prado. Llamada guys.
Fresh exotic fruit.
Spontaneous excursions all over the country.
Living close enough to a beach to go whenever I want, even if I don't always have time.
Learning phrases in Portuguese, Polish, German, and Patois.
Complaining that it's TOO hot in Barranquilla.

Leaving bits and pieces of my heart all over the world.
Bittersweet. I haven't even left yet. Caught between somewheres.

It's a small world after all...

I love the connections, the way that people are brought together through this organization that we have all made a part of our lives.

Scenario uno:
Xiomara - member of my LC in Madison, from Medellin. I spent New Year's Eve with her family in Buga, small town in the mountains north of Cali, she left shortly afterward to attend the same study abroad program in Paris that I did Spring 2004.
Ivan - former LCVP X in B'Quilla, matched my traineeship, currently doing a CEED for AIESEC France.

A couple weeks ago, I was chatting with Ivan on msn and he mentioned that he had met a friend of mine. As I searched my brain trying to think of any AIESEC'ers who I knew in France (none), he said that Xiomara had stopped by the MC office in Paris to visit and meet some AIESEC'ers there, realized that there was someone from Colombia, figured out that they both knew me.

Scenario dos:
Katy - my AIESEC twin, took over as LCVP Event Coordination, just returned from AXLDS, and *hopefully* doing a traineeship in Colombia sometime in the near future.
Camilo - one of the UNINORTE @ers who I met at AXLDS last year who everyone remembered for sleeping onstage during opening plenary, recently elected LCP UNINORTE.

me: i hear that you met camilo from uninorte?
Katy: we were roomies on the study tour!! he has a video for you from me, he was like..SAY HI TO SARAH
me: did you meet a lot of the colombian delegates?
Katy: ooomg yes..i fell in love with them, they were first ones i latched on to

make the world your comfort zone? DONE.

If you wanna be a BADGER...

My LC makes me proud to call MADTOWN home. Keep up the good work, guys!

Your laughter's still ringing in my ears...

Dozing in and out on my beach chair in Pto. Colombia, relishing the idea of not returning to UNINORTE for nearly a month, an all too familiar scent caught my attention. The sweet subtle mixture of smoke and apple. I whipped around and quickly spotted it behind us. Time to go make some friends.

"Donde compraste esto? Me gusta mucho, pero nunca he visto aca en Colombia."
"Hay un restaurante arabe, aqui en Barranquilla."
"Que sabor tienes? Manzana?"
"Si."
"Podemos fumar con uds?"
"Claro."

Thus began the afternoon of shisha on the beach. They laughed when I told them they weren't packing it right and asked with doubting expressions if I knew how to do it better. They were impressed with the Madtown shisha knowledge. The barn would have been proud.

SHOUT OUT to Madison

Gotta love the Badger Herald for keeping me occupied at work and updated on all the important news from Wisconsin...McDonald's is closing? the Ugg trend still hasn't died down? facebook still rules our lives? the pickup lines via the student newspaper are getting even more creative and ridiculous?

yeahhhhh shoutouts :)

Home, home, where I wanted to go...

I use the word "home" very interchangably. While back in the States, within the same conversation, I would say that I was "going home to hang out with my roommates", referring to my old apartment where I crashed for a couple nights, followed shortly by "when I get back home" meaning Colombia.

Coming back home to Barranquilla was welcomed just as much as going back home to Madison. I couldn't stop smiling when I landed at OHare a couple weeks ago, and I felt exactly the same way when I arrived to Bogota late Thursday night. I love Bogota more and more each time that I visit and was happy to be able to spend a few days there chilling and going out before I headed back to the coast.

I had missed drinking wine with my roommates in my hammock and fresh juice any time, day or night. I missed speaking broken Spanish and all the seemingly insignificant oddities that I have come to know and love about B'Quilla. I missed the coast, seeing palm trees out my office window, being able to wear skirts and sandals everyday, and going to the pool to tan after work. More than anything else, I missed the music and I missed the dancing.

Everyone knows everyone in this city and everyone's business, and while that may be annoying at times, it was welcoming to have the porteros (doormen) at our apartment, the cleaning ladies who work at the university who always chat with Alex and I, and the owner of the Dulcerna (the bakery that we have become regulars at for their free wireless and delicious milkshakes) all ask where I had been because they hadn't seen me in a few weeks.

Welcome back. Welcome home.