Digesting Pop Culture Junk Food

OK, so America is a neat place. We have a wonderful higher education system. Compared to the world as a whole, our laws are fairly progressive. We are the nation of Edith Wharton, jazz music, Langston Hughes, Barack Obama and countless amazing events in history and pop culture. However, in Spain, I don't miss any of those things. You know what I miss?

I miss American trash culture. I miss awful, lowest-common-denominator television, suburbs, mind numbing pop music and the Olive Garden. Therefore, when I get really homesick, I don't go searching to watch Gone With the Wind, I go for bootleg reruns of Ace of Cakes, The Soup and every single Andy Samberg video ever (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUjx4_X1qA). I suppose it could worse, I could be watching Gossip Girl, but even so, I think it is really ironic that the things I miss most about my home country are some of those that I considered most embarrassing while I was still there.

Bienvenidos A Madrid! (Welcome to Madrid!)

Overlooking the city of Toledo, about an hour from Madrid. This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

So, after months and months of planning, crazy suitcase shenanigans, and just about driving everyone I know crazy with details about residences and baggage allowances, I have finally (FINALLY!) made it to Madrid, Spain. This is, without a doubt, one of the most magnificent places I have ever been. I still cannot believe all this. I cannot believe how lucky I am to be able to spend a semester here, and I cannot believe I actually signed myself up to do it.

First of all, it must be said that this has not exactly been the exciting, carefree adventure that most people think of when they think of studying abroad. I do not think I realized this until I arrived here, but this is the first time in my life I've ever had to start a completely new life. Even when I went to college I knew a certain number of friends from home would be in Columbia with me. From the moment I stepped into my residencia, a large part of me wanted to just turn around and go home. Even now that I'm starting to settle in (I've been here for five days), I still miss my friends, family, pets, and, yes, country more than I ever thought was possible. I hope everyone back in the states is keeping happy and healthy and I will see you soon!

OK, so, all that said, I am starting to love this city and this experience! I've met some really amazing people from all over and I cannot wait to get to know them better! I have two American roommates who are both really nice as well as six other roommates from all over the world. The housing set up is a little different from what I expected, but it's really clean, comfortable and only a five or ten minute walk from the metro (we finally figured out how to get an unlimited monthly pass!), which can take you pretty much anywhere you want to go.

Yesterday we (my study abroad group) went to Toledo, the former capital of Spain, which has a rich history full of Christian, Jewish and Muslim influences. They have amazing little shops that specialize in, among other things, swords - I plan on taking my brother there. Seems right up his alley. : )

Even in the short time I've had between orientation, unpacking, and generally freaking out about the upcoming semester, I've gotten to see a fair bit of Madrid. I love it so far! We live in a busy residential neighborhood full of interesting little shops, restaurants and tapas bars. I'm always only a metro ride away from unbelievable amounts of shopping and nightlife. The people of Madrid (called madrileños, pronounced "Ma-dril-AIN-yos") do not mess around when it comes to going out at night, which makes this a really exciting place to be a twenty year old! Today we went to this open air market called el Rastro, and later I might check out the Museo del Prado (free on Sunday nights). I've already become addicted to cafe con leche (basically amazing espresso with hot milk, I do not think I'll ever look at Folger's the same). The Spanish people I've met so far have all been helpful and, while everyone stumbles a little bit at first (literally and metaphorically), I think Madrid may very well be one of the most wonderful places in the entire world. I am so excited to see what else is out here! All I need is my suitcase to arrive and I'll be right at home.

My first glass of sangria! Salud!

Another thing Toledo is famous for marzipan, this sugary confection that tastes alot like extremely sweet sugar cookie dough and is often made by nuns. This is, obviously, a scene of dolls dressed like nuns making marzipan. Don't ask. Just accept.


Toledo, Ohio is a sister city of Toledo, Spain. This is the "Calle de Toledo de Ohio," or "Toledo of Ohio Street." On a side note, most of the street signs in both Toledo and Madrid are made of similar painted tile. SO pretty.

This is a view off of the main plaza in Toledo, the Plaza de Zocodover. Note the Muslim arch. Or don't. Either way this city was just really, really pretty.

I finally made it to England!

After twenty years of being a diehard Anglophile, I finally made it to England! I flew in through Manchester and stayed two nights with Beth (another USC student), who is spending the year in Leeds. It was so nice to see all the people and places she's been talking about for the last few months! Even then I was getting really, really homesick, but seeing how much she's enjoying studying abroad helped me get excited for my own European adventures! Leeds is an amazing city with a great student atmosphere, and I'm really glad I got to see it for myself!

In Leeds, I was introduced to two things that seem VERY important to the British: takeaway food and Primark. The former consisted of wonderful, delightfully greasy food that was generally well under five pounds (1 pound = $1.48). Primark, on the other hand, is something like the British (or, rather, Irish) Old Navy: cheap, fairly stylish clothing that generally falls apart within the year. They only exist in Ireland, England, and Spain. I'm stoked.

That Friday, after yet another train ride through rolling countryside dotted with sheep (SHEEP!), we (Beth, her friend Alison, and I) finally made it to London! It was SO nice to see Sarah, who had been off on an adventure of her own.

OK, so London is both one of the coolest cities in the world and a constant chance for the hardcore geek in me to blossom! Everywhere I went reminded me of Harry Potter. Or Mrs. Dalloway. Or Alan Rickman. Prince Harry, Nick Hornby, Bend It Like Beckham. I half expected Sherlock Holmes to pop out of every side street, or someone to sell me an illegal dragon egg in every dodgy pub. I loved it, and I cannot wait to go back. Soon.

I suppose we did the normal touristy stuff (Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, etc.). However, it was my first time staying in a hostel, so THAT was an experience! The Astor Hyde Park (where we stayed) was lovely, clean, and had wifi, which was nice. My stay there was the start of two themes of the semester: 1.) The metro is your friend. 2.) Keep your friends close and your purse closer (I slept with mine).

My favorite attractions, by the way, were the Tate Modern, the Tower of London, and the National Portrait Gallery. I got to see where all the Tudor family squabbles went down, modern art that, whether or not I understood it, made me think, most of the famous paintings of British kings and queens, and this really beautiful portrait of Virginia Woolf by Vanessa Bell (her sister). I am now also the proud caretaker of a stuffed Henry VIII. He says hi.

Everything we did on the entire trip, however, was probably overshadowed by one thing: SNOW!!!! I NEVER see snow (something Beth, Alison and Sarah quickly tired of me saying). It was SO pretty and, even though it made traveling a nightmare and seeing some sights impossible, I think it was totally worth it. Then again, none of my flights were cancelled (Sarah).

I suppose, instead of this really long blog post, all I really needed to say was that I went to London and had an amazing time, so there it is. It was so worth it and I can't wait to go back!

IT SNOWED!!!

Apparently these things actually exist.
Sarah modeling our lovely room.

The lovely ladies I traveled with on Tower Bridge. Miss you!

Peace, Love and Airport Security

Greetings from a lovely London hostel! It's around one thirty here, and I'm too excited to sleep. I love this city and I cannot wait to tell everyone about it, but I feel like the events of the last week, at least when compared to my typically mundane life, are too exciting for one blog post, so I'm just going to take a few minutes to catch you up on all the shenanigans that got me to number 191 Queen's Gate, London, England.

Random Kathleen fact number 674: I love airplanes! Maybe it's the novelty, maybe it's the mystery of flight, I don't know, but I was really excited for my flight, and it did not disappoint. Getting from sunny Mt. Pleasant, SC to Leeds, UK was a 20 hour ordeal (25 if you count the time difference) that included two flights, my first-ever train and a my first experience hailing a cab. The seven hour plane ride was the most relaxing time I've had in awhile: I got to watch some thoroughly mediocre Alan Rickman movie about wine, feed my virtual fish (shut up) and fall back in love with one of my favorite singers of all time (Jenny Lewis) and one of my new favorites (Frightened Rabbit). I got in some wonderful magazine time. In the Philadelphia airport I got to drink my last sweet tea for awhile, window shop, and see some really interesting art installations. The train ride to Leeds was so pretty! I know these mundane details might not be the type of thrilling tidbits typical of a European adventure, but each of them meant the world to me, and since I left my aunt and father at the Charleston security checkpoint I have experiences countless firsts. I would much rather preserve what sense of wonder I have left than go out of my way to avoid looking stupid or naive. Sometimes, getting there is half the fun.

Anyways, I made it safely to Leeds (where Beth from USC is studying abroad) and, two days later, so did my luggage! If the rest of my semester is as much fun as my travelling, then I'm in for something serious!

This is why I had so much trouble packing - Chester seemed determined to sleep in my half-packed suitcase. At one point, I even packed a spare suitcase full of dirty clothes I wasn't going to take, but he wouldn't budge. Bye, buddy. I miss you!

My last views of the Holy City!

Super cool art installation. It's an eagle made out of a bunch of tiny eagles in the Philly airport.

Oh, Columbia!

I went to Columbia this weekend to say my temporary goodbyes to everyone at USC! Some highlights, in no particular order:

* I got to sleep in my old apartment! The sofa - scary gashes in upholstery and all - was just as comfortable as I remembered.

* I saw Katie's glorious new apartment. She's back from Italy and all settled in!

* I visited my old friends at both the school and state parking ticket offices. Next time you see a new playground or roadwork project, you can thank my inability to properly park my car.

* Six words: Hashbrowns and coffee at Cafe Strudel.

* I was, as always, amazed by the five minutes it took Mr. Computer Tech Man to fix my computer at the USC iCare center. Also, as always, I saw they were showing some shametastic Rachel Bilson film and wondered who on Earth picks the random movies they show there (that same unlucky computer tonight almost died when Chester knocked diet Sprite off the counter onto my keyboard).

* I had coffee at the Colloquium with Becki "I'm all grown up and have a real job now" and the two of us marveled at the sights of actual students taking actual classes.

Besides that, I spent time with some really phenomenal students, and I will seriously miss USC next semester! To all my favorite Carolina students, in Columbia and abroad, I hope you all have a wonderful semester! Keep in touch and I'll see you in Fall 2009!

I now have the rest of break to get ready to leave and I am so behind schedule. This time next week I'll be on a flight somewhere over the Atlantic, and until then I'll be in Charleston, running a bunch of little errands, spending time with friends and family, and packing (by the way, does anyone know the baggage allowances for Ryan Air?).

Katie luxuriating in her exciting new apartment.

What are we going to do without the Colloquium next semester?

The lovely Sarah in the equally lovely Cafe Strudel.

Rainy Day Charleston - Two Weeks Left

Greetings Information Superhighway!

Hi, for those of you who know me, this is Kathleen. If you don't know me, I'm not sure why you are reading my blog, but my name is Kathleen and I am a junior at the University of South Carolina.

I am officially leaving for Europe in two weeks! I'll be spending two days with my lovely ex-roommate Beth before we take the train to meet Sarah in London. After that, in exactly three weeks, I will be moving into a 10-girl, 2-bathroom apartment in Madrid (wish me luck!).

I know that I'm really, really lucky and this is a great oppurtunity to learn, explore and have fun in one of the most exciting countries in the world! Hopefully I'll be pretty good about keeping up with this blog while I'm abroad, but you never know. I finally have a camera - it's tiny and pink and fits oh-so-snuggly in my bag! I have a Skype account (Skype name: kathleenikins) for anyone who wants to get in contact with me while I'm gone.

In the mean time, I'm hustling around town getting ready to go and spending as much time as possible with my family and friends. It's quite daunting trying to fit my entire life into two suitcases that meet airline weight requirements (Chester will not fit - I tried). In a few days I'm going to go say my epic goodbyes to Columbia. Thanks for taking the time to read this and check back for updates!

- Kathleen

P.S. If anyone thinks of a clever, snappy blog title, I will reward you with a packet of salted airline peanuts.