"Roads are made for journeys, not for destinations."
 

Internet Research 1.0:The State of the Interdiscipline 
 
University of Kansas 
Lawrence, Kansas

• each 18 F equal 10 C
• 59 F equal 15 C
• 68 F equal 20 C
• 77 F equal 25 C
• 86 F equal 30 C (observe the ten-digits going 5, 6, 7, 8, and the single-digits going 9, 8, 7, 6)

Clothes are fairly casual in the US.  Even when lecturing not all professors wear suits.  Dress pants and a nice shirt, or a pants and blouse or a skirt will do just fine, unless you feel too casual that way.  If you decide to wear khaki pants or jeans, you'll fit right into Campus.  Most students wear khaki shorts and, for the girls, tank tops, or even sports clothes to class.  Cotton is definitely a plus.  Silk and linen are not recommended because you will sweat outside, and freeze inside.  Bring a sweater  or a light jacket with you whenever you plan on spending more than 5 minutes inside any building.  Air-conditioning is running in full force.  From experience I can tell you, after the first refreshing chill you will get quite cold, and many people even get sick.
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Money Issues
I recommend that you get some US currency before coming here.  Most major banks have US Dollars in stock, smaller branches usually only need a few days warning.  Check the current exchange rate here. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost anywhere here, and you actually get the best exchange rate that way, but it won't help you with leaving tips, or to get a coke from the machine.  Traveler Checks are accepted at banks and at major stores, but I don't recommend them for daily use.  You can also bring your country's cash and change it here.
Here are a few tips that may help you calculate how much money you will need:

• Every advertised price in the US excludes tax.  Taxes wary depending on what you buy, but to make it simple, just add 10% for yourself.  This becomes important when you buy more expensive items.
• Tipping is big in the US.  Not to tip means being very rude.  Tip a cab driver about 15%, a waiter 10-20% (depending on quality of restaurant and quality of service) but never less than $1.  If you go to a restaurant and different people show you to your table, bring water, and take your order, just leave one tip for the person who brought the food.  You don't have to tip people who give you directions, or sales clerks in stores.  Don't forget to tip the bartender if you go to a bar or club.  The same rules apply than with a waiter.
• You can take the Campus busses to get around a restricted area (including downtown) in Lawrence.  Each trip is $1.
• Most lunches are between $5-8, most dinners between $5-12.  There are some really good restaurants that are a bit more pricey.  A good dinner including drinks for two can run $80.  There are also lots of cheap-eats, such as fast-food restaurants (a whole meal for $2-4), or bagel shops (plain bagel $0.65).  There are two European style bakeries, but don't count on getting cheap rolls or anything like that there.  You will be provided with a more detailed restaurant, cafe, and bar guide when you come to Lawrence.
• The prices for drinks vary greatly, depending on specials.  A beer can be anywhere between $1-4. 
• University of Kansas souvenirs are fairly pricey.  T-shirts can be around $20.  Other clothes are reasonable.  I. e., Levis 501 cost $30-35 per pair.

(Not) getting a visa
I am not familiar with regulations for countries of the former east block.  However, citizens of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other western countries do not need to apply for a visa in advance.  Just make sure your passport is valid preferably a month longer than your intended stay.  Your visa will be issued as a stamp when you go through customs.  If you are unsure whether you need a visa or not, check your local consulate.
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Getting through customs
Getting through customs starts when you pack, continues on the airplane, and for (depending on how busy the airport is) 20-90 minutes after you get off the airplane.

On the airplane, you will be issued a (most likely) white card, called I-94.  Be honest when completing it.  Half of it will remain in your passport after passing customs.  Do not lose the I-94.  It is your permission to leave the US again, and if you don't have it, you may be deported, and that's nasty business.  The I-94 will ask if you have perishable items, such as fruits, meats, vegetables, but also seeds (including sunflower) or nuts.  Do not bring any of these things.  If you brought an apple for the flight, eat it, or leave it on the plane.  As with most countries on international travel, the US is trying to protect itself from viruses, parasites etc.  If they find perishable goods even though you checked no, again, it means nasty business.  You can, however, bring cookies, chocolate, or anything that is sealed or in cans.  Also on the I-94, you will be asked for the purpose of your visit.  Check "personal," because if you check "business" you will need a special visa, and may be asked to show letters of employment from US corporations.

Most of you will arrive through Los Angeles and Chicago, some maybe through Atlanta.  As you get off the airplane, you first get through the visa customs, where you show your passport and the I-94.  Then, you go to pick up your luggage.  You go through luggage customs.  You will be asked to show your documents again, possibly to two different people.  then you need to check back in.  Again, you will need your documents.  Only then you are released into the greater airport. Now you can store your documents.  Depending on time of day, checks are more or less thorough.  In general I have found Atlanta to be most annoying because you get asked the same questions so many times.  They also tend to pick people out of the "green" lane and check their luggage, sometimes just by X-ray.  Do not worry if that happens to you.  It doesn't mean you've done something wrong.  Unfortunately, Chicago has the reputation of targeting black women for more in-depth checks.  I don't know why.
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Duty Free tips
For most travelers, international travel spells D u t y  F r e e.  I don't remember much about LA, but the Duty Free shops in Chicago and Atlanta are sparse and not very well stocked.  I recommend to buy the items you want when you leave your own country.  Just lug them around for a few days, and bring them back through customs on the way back.  Should be no problem.  Depending on country, the regulations on what you can bring are different, but the clerks in the stores often can help out.  You can also find information on this on the US Customs site.
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Renting (and driving) a car
Renting a car is fairly easy here.  When you arrive at MCI (the Kansas City airport), there will be phones to call the renting agencies, and free vans right outside to bring you to your agency.  I recommend, however, to make an advance reservation.  Prices are not fixed, and the earlier you reserve, the cheaper it will be.  Here are links to the sites of some of the rental agencies at the airport: Hertz, Avis, Dollar, National, Budget
You can also rent a car in Lawrence. Here are the links: Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz   
If you want to wait till you're here,  there are a few more local places that may be cheaper, but don't have web sites: Rent-a-Wreck (785) 832-0800, Ford (785) 843-3500
To rent a car you will need a driver's license and a credit card.  Most major companies such as Hertz and Budget also prefer that you are at least 25 years of age.  The rental car agencies will be able to describe the way to Lawrence. There are two options, I-70 (includes $1.25 toll) and I-435 that turns into K 10.  There's no real difference time- or convenience wise.

Driving 
Even though a large part of today's US used to be British, a fact most Americans don't like to be reminded of, people here drive on the right side.  The rules are pretty much the same as anywhere else I've been, and since this is not LA at rush hour, people drive quite well here, to too crazy or wild.  You need not be worried.  Highways have wide lanes, the speed limit is 70 miles per hour (about 110 km), and within Lawrence the speed limit is usually 30 mph (about 50 km), except for Iowa Street, where it is 45 mph (about 70 km).  I recommend that you adhere to these speed limits, even if everybody else gets pulled over.  Police radar controls everywhere at all times of day and night.  Lawrence has plenty of stop signs to help you drive slowly.  Orientation is simple.  See getting around Lawrence.
Most cars here are automatics.  P is for park, R for reverse, and D for drive.  Don't concern yourself with N, or D2 etc.  You won't need them. 
You do not need an international driver's license.  You can drive on your own country's for 90 days.  And actually, I did that for 5 months.  I just made sure I never was pulled over.  
Check cultural observations for some peculiar driving tips and rules.
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Shuttling to Lawrence
If you decide to take the shuttle to Lawrence, you have two options.  You can make reservations by fax or phone for both companies.  They pick you up at your terminal, and on the return at your hotel.  

Superior Airport Shuttle

One way: $24, Return: $45
Fax: 1-785-838-3441
Phone: 1-785-838-4500

Lawrence Bus Co.
One way: $25, Return: $50
Fax: 1-785-842-9766
Phone: 1-785-842-0544

Surviving Jet Lag
First of all, don't worry about fashion while flying.  Wear comfortable, loose clothes, avoid white or light colors.  Pack your toothbrush in your carry on.  don't worry about bringing water or snacks, you will get lots of stuff.  Do bring, however, a book.  Most of the time, flying is like waiting at the doctor's office, boring, and uncomfortable.
The time difference between Europe and Kansas is 7 hours.  If it is 10 a.m. (in the morning) in Kansas, it is 17.00 (five in the afternoon, or 5 p.m.) in Paris, Berlin, or Stockholm.  The time difference between London and Kansas is 6 hours.  The time difference between Australia and Kansas depends on the time zone you are coming from, but between Sydney and Kansas it is 15 hours.  Attention here, there is a day change!  If it is 6 p.m. on a Tuesday in Lawrence, it is 9 a.m. on a Wednesday in Sydney.
Coming from Europe, most of you will arrive in the late afternoon or early evening.  To battle jet lag, stay up as long as your usual bedtime the first day, even if it's hard.  Don't read, but go out and do something if necessary, such as taking a walk downtown.  Then, sleep until seven or eight the next morning.  The second day, take a nap of no more than 1.5 hours in the afternoon, around 3 or 4 when you get really tired.  Get up, and do something active.  After that, it shouldn't be so bad anymore.
Coming from Australia, I personally was so happy to get out of the airport/airplane that I really didn't care anymore what time it was.  Somehow, the time difference is so big that it doesn't matter anymore.  I was a bit tired in the evenings at first, but not too bad, much less than when traveling from Europe.  Try to sleep as much as possible on the plane, because most likely you will get to Los Angeles early in the morning, and to Lawrence some time in the afternoon.  If you fly United Airlines/Air NewZealand, they do show three movies between Auckland and LA, but they show them in a loop.  If you miss one, you can catch up with it half a day later.
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Getting around in Lawrence
Lawrence is a typical US city in that it was built, and did not grow out of itself.  That makes finding your way really easy, because everything (except for Campus) works in squares, or blocks.  In addition, in Lawrence orientation is especially easy because the streets are numbered north to south.  Everything takes place between 6th Street and 31st. Street.  Most of what will  concern you will take place between 9th Street and 23rd Street.  Campus is approximately on 15th Street.  You can't miss it, just go uphill.  East west all the major streets have names of US States until you get to west Lawrence.  Most important to remember is Mass Street (short for Massachusetts Street), which is downtown.  Also important is Iowa Street, because it is the largest north/south connector. If you took I-70 from the airport, you will come in on Iowa.  If you took I-435 and K 10, you will come in on 23rd Street.

The University of Kansas is located in the middle of Lawrence on Mount Oread.  You can walk there from downtown (about 20 minutes), or take a Campus bus (each trip $1).  The busses also go to some other areas, but they don't cover the entire city.  Taxi cabs are relatively cheap.  At night, call 864-SAFE, the so called safe-ride that exists so you don't have to drive drunk.  It's really cheap, sometimes even for free.  You cannot drive on Campus.  The parking lots are often full, and for most of them you need parking permits.  So, the closest you can park is often a 15-20 minute walk anyway, huffing and puffing up Mt. Oread with the 30,000 KU students.

Here are a few online guides on Lawrence: Lawrence.com, the Marketplace, Lawrence Cyber Village, and the Lawrence Visitor Bureau.
Ask your hotel for driving directions or check MapQuest.
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Cultural Observations

• Peculiar driving tips: If you come to a red traffic light, but you want to turn right you can do so, even if the traffic light is still red.  Really.  I promise.  If you want to turn left, you may do so even if there is a straight line.  Some of the traffic lights hang in the middle of the intersection, so be careful not to advance all the way to them, you'd be in the middle of the road.  The yellow light is fairly long here.  People don't use indicators (blinkers) a lot here, so be prepared for people turning even if they don't show it. If you can, avoid driving on Mass Street.  It is always packed.
• Eating and drinking: If you go to a restaurant, you will be given ice water for free.  Then they ask what you want to drink.  Soft drinks and ice tea are made by filling the class with ice cubes, and then filling up the remaining space with the drink.  Usually you get free refills.  Appetizers are starters, and main courses are Entrees. 
• Women: Women are treated equally here.  There is, however, the US habit of calling a group of people "you guys" even if the group consists entirely of women.  Don't be offended by that. 
• Conversation: Americans are usually extremely fascinated by everything that is not American.  They'll talk to you, and everyone will ask the same three questions.  Everyone will also tell you that they are really Irish, Italian, British, German, etc.  That doesn't mean they were born there, but that their heritage is from these countries.  Often, these "Italians" don't speak a word Italian, or have ever been to the country.  After you get over that, Americans in general  are very friendly people.  Don't be shy to ask anyone a question. People are usually very patient, even if you make a mistake in English.  They may, however, speak louder, as if you wear deaf.  It is better to ask them to repeat something slowly than to pretend to have understood.  Don't be mad if Americans think Lyon is a country in Africa, or ask if you have cell phones where you come from.  You probably didn't know where Kansas was before you came here either...
• What's in a word (name)?  Most people here are on a first name basis 30 seconds after they meet.  Calling someone Mr. or Mrs. can even be rude, other than in most countries where it is considered respectful behavior.  If you are not sure, don't avoid saying the person's name, because that also is rude.  Simply ask what you should call them. 

That's all I can think of right now!  I hope it helps.  If you have specific travel or culture questions, please contact me at ulla@ukans.edu.