Blogs from Madison, Wisconsin, United States, North America

We're leaving in a few days for our 5 week adventure to New Zealand and Australia. We will try to post some photos and stories throughout our journey to keep our family and friends updated. Thanks for reading! Love, Briana and Brian... read more

Some say the grass is greener on the other side. Others say there’s no place like home. I’d say that two cultures are better than one. Of course that is more easily said now that I am home, sweet home, but I really do believe that something beautiful emerges when the best of many worlds are brought together. Coming to this realization is tough when you are 6500 miles from home (or about 10,500 kilometers to “do as the romans do”) but looking back I can now see that there are some things I will definitely miss about Chinese living and culture.But there are also things that I am thankful for here at home. Culture Shock #1: Traffic, Traffic Everywhere With a population of about 10 million people, Shanghai has as many people as New ... read more

First travel blog ever! Will be posting further entries in the future as I embark on my trip to Bible school in the UK and Austria in the coming year.... read more

The bear photo workshop was a total blast. There's no way words and photos can adequately describe my time at the sanctuary. I learned much about black bears and have a new appreciation for them. For 4 days we walked among the bears photographing them and learning about their behaviors. Some of the bears there are 20-30 years old, all the way down to cubs born earlier this year. The yearlings - around 2-3 years old were the most inquisitive. It was amazing to watch the mothers send their cubs up a tree when other bears came to close to them or something else startled them. The bears are preparing for hibernation so they were eating a lot. Yes they feed the bears at the sanctuary, but it's because Vince Shute fed them for three decades ... read more

Hello from Madison. Yesterday was smooth sailing so I drove further than planned. In the summer I have a hard time stopping in the middle of the afternoon when I feel like diving further. I drove an extra 100 miles and was still settled in well before dark. That made for a short drive today which led to my 2nd bonus attraction of the trip. When I stopped at the WI welcome center, I learned Frank Lloyd Wright's home - Taliesin - is located just west of Madison. To top it off, they are celebrating Taliesin's centennial this year. So... I got set up at the campground and headed out for a tour. I was able to take in the Highlights Tour and got to see both the house and his Hillside Studio. It was nice ... read more

I am experiencing serious dairy withdrawal. I just returned to Beijing after three wonderful weeks spent in America's Dairyland (also known as Madison, Wisconsin). My pangs of longing for dill cheese curds, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream and skim milk cannot be satiated with the processed American singles and freezer-burned ice milk found on the shelves of Beijing's imported food stores. This is an affliction that can only be truly understood by those who have had the fortune of tasting the exquisite gastronomy of Wisconsin. Am I being too dramatic? I say nay . . . Per usual, my annual pilgrimage to the American midwest passed by in a flash. Relaxing Saturday mornings spent strolling languidly around the Capital square tasting fresh produce and cheeses at the farmers' market have been replaced with crowded grocery stores testing ... read more