I’m currently sitting in an airplane, one that’s been delayed, as I make my way back from Madison, WI. My weekend trip to visit my sister has been splendid up to this point, but hopefully all will go accordingly and I won’t have to get a new connecting flight to Columbus. Fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I thought I’d write a quick post about my trip since it was so lovely and I’m bored and stuck for another 30 minutes on this plane. First off, Madison is a hidden gem and a hipster’s dream, and I don’t think I’ll ever be cool enough to live there.
After getting picked up at the Milwaukee airport and driving to Madison, Tara and I made our way to the terrace. In Madison, “terracing” is a verb, and while I love Oval Beach dearly, this tops Ohio State on all fronts. The community and campus are integrated almost seamlessly, which makes hangouts on campus also feel community driven and utilized. The terrace represented this integration. Right on Lake Mendota, the terrace is a scenic site full of trademarked, perfect patio chairs, good beer, students sunbathing on the dock, and boats casually sailing right next to the student union. It felt as if everyone in the entire city was there at 3 pm on a Friday enjoying the sunshine, while still not feeling too busy to walk or enjoy oneself. While “terracing,” I found myself proclaiming that I was going to move to Madison for grad school, but that I probably wouldn’t get a lot done with all of the outdoor temptations to pull me away from studying.
After terracing, my sister introduced me to fried cheese curds, which I still do not quite understand. In Wisconsin, they are all the hype, while in reality they are basically just mozzarella and tater tots combined. The food overall, in Wisconsin, is delicious and local and a little unhealthy if you do it right.
The next day, Tara and I traveled to the farmer’s market located at the capital building in Madison. We got up fairly early, yet it was still overtaken with people. Shops selling local produce, flowers, and baked goods lined every side of the state building and were all amazing. Except potato donuts– I do not recommend. It was a beautiful sight, having so many people care about freshness and building community. I’m definitely jealous Columbus doesn’t have quite as strong a presence on this front.
Current flight update: delayed another hour (have already boarded) and everything is horrible.
But back to Wisconsin, Tara and I admittedly spent some time inside the apartment watching Netflix because it rained two out of the four days I was in town. We managed to watch all 8 episodes of Broadchurch, which I am now convinced is one of the best television series I’ve ever seen. Seriously, go watch it. The next rainy day, she took me to Sephora for the first time and I cried from happiness and from spending all of my money. The price of beauty, I suppose.
Our last night together, we drank locally brewed beer and ate delicious appetizers, and then worked it off with a nice walk around her neighborhood.
So here I am, waiting to go home. Sad to leave this beautiful place but not entirely convinced that I won’t be back to live out my hipster dreams. See you later, Madison! Also, thanks for the memories in the form of the most ridiculous badger shirt. No regrets.
Sincerely,
Caroline
caroline with culture 