Waking Up on a Different Continent
22. Sep, 2008 
11 Comments
It’s cold outside. I drank my morning coffee on the porch and watched the fog lift. The trees are already turning and I can’t hear people, cars or anything except the cackle of some crows. I’m definitely not in Madrid anymore.
We arrived in Vermont on Saturday, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I tried to think of a way to encapsulate the last three months, like some kind of mad lib. Madrid was (adjective). I like the (favorite noun) and the (another noun). If you go there you should try (active verb that ends in -ing).
Thankfully no one asked me to give my mad lib version of Madrid.
We’ve been staying in my sister-in-law’s house, and I have been working in their office during the day. The internet connection is so strong, I could weep. The coffee on the other hand, not so much. I’ve been permanently spoiled by European coffee and lesser varieties will forever be held in comparison. Don’t get me started on what passes for a baguette here.
The change between living in Madrid and now staying in Vermont, is like diving into cold water. It’s a shock to the system, even colder than you expected, but after a while you get used to it. We left a city for a small town. Europe for New England. Brown for Green. Hot for Chilly. I hadn’t planned on such a large change, but in a way I’m glad it worked out this way. It’s a clear defining line between chapters. There was Madrid, and now Vermont. There is no confusing the two. Soon there will be Mexico. (Maybe I’m creating my own seasons by country.)
I’ve already taken advantage of being back in the States. I bought my favorite shampoo and conditioner, after months of using generic Spanish brands. I did laundry and used a dryer– a real live dryer (which they don’t seem to have in Madrid). I watched American TV and even caught the premiere of Heroes. I didn’t actively miss these things, but I do enjoy them when available.
So it’s good to be back, it’s the perfect time of year in New England. I plan on diving into the “local” culture: apple picking, making pies and snuggling up with a hot cider. After a summer of traveling, even these creature comforts seem foreign.
I love your travel mad lib — “Madrid was (adjective). I like the (favorite noun) and the (another noun). If you go there you should try (active verb that ends in -ing).” LOL! The irony is that sometimes this is all I can come up with myself, because those aspects of traveling that are most meaningful to me are most difficult to put into words. So thank you for putting your travels into words so skillfully!
Donnas last blog post..Our Favorite Travel Links, 9/22/08
christine, i can totally relate to the jolt of culture shock you get upon returning to the states after a long time away. i’ve been traveling since january and recenty returned to stay with my parents in hawaii. i stopped along the way in the mainland US, so coming back to hawaii sort of does seem like a different country because the culture is so different. it makes me look at my own culture with a fresh perspective.
i also loved your idea of NaTraWriMo in August. i had just taken a month-long travel writing workshop in July, so it came at the perfect time for me. i’d like to say i submitted something every day, but i found it hard to keep up my discipline while still traveling! always a work in progress…
love your blog, love your photos, and thank you for inspiring me to continue writing and traveling. =)
malias last blog post..living in paradise
Christine: Better you than me. After nearly 4 years in Asian I am too spoiled to ever return to North America. I’m afraid to even try. Maybe I’ll pump myself and try briefly next summer. The idea of a decent pizza is appealing, though.
Stevos last blog post..rooftop interloper
Oh, dryers. We have dryers here in Stockholm. I had a dryer in Germany. I had a dryer in Greece. But none of them, none I tell you, worked. They spun and they spun and they spun, and then my clothes came out still wet. And when eventually they would dry—after eternal spinning or being hung to dry—they would be crunchy. I completely feel you on this one. It’s funny what you miss the most. And why working dryers have not yet made it to the rest of the world is just incomprehensible.
American clothes dryers are heaven, pure and simple.
Tanyas last blog post..Fitting In While Sticking Out
Waking up on another continent is nice, just as long as it isn`t the one you live in. Or maybe with this cold I`m developing I might want to change my mind…
Anthonys last blog post..No Reservations in Buenos Aires
You must have had a different European coffee experience than I did. Strong, yes but I like it plentiful too…..
It is interesting how the photo change at the top of your blog completely changed the mood of your blog (not in a bad way).
Personally, I love this time of year and the picture you painted sounds like my parents house in the fall.
Chad @ Sentient Moneys last blog post..Nike
Changing places can be so strange.
I remember once coming home from a month-long camping trip through the national parks of Utah, walking into my house, and feeling like a giant. Everything looked so small. It was kind of like the disorientation you feel when you first step off a treadmill.
Looking forward to Mexico!
jamies last blog post..New Series! Sidetracked
Fall in New England. Beautiful. I love apple picking. Mexico will be different than Madrid and Vermont. Life is surreal.
Going back to America after being in Europe for so long will be strange for me as well. The funniest thing is, I do get off the plane and look around and think, “Whoa, people are fatter here!” It is so true. When I go home, I also stock up on beauty products, and somehow I love watching commercials. I don’t have English TV here, so sometimes I just want to sit there and watch whatever is on – and know that I will understand it all. =)