Home Sweet Home

Well, my inabilities to keep up with my blog have inevitably shown through again, as I am now back home in the U.S. My last few weeks were great and were a much needed relaxation and goodbye. I got to soak up some of what little sun Brussels had to offer (though it was inevitably rainy on the day I left), and spend some time in my second home abroad (the Netherlands). In addition, I took one last trip with Gerard to Krakow and Budapest, which really topped off my traveling experiences in Europe. That doesn't mean the list of must see cities has gotten any smaller however - we'll save those for another day.

But, now I'm home, and despite my concerns in the past few weeks that things wouldn't seem the same anymore they are surprisingly no different. I don't want to undermine my readiness and excitement to be home, because that going back to "normal" really is a great feeling. The warmer weather has been an adjustment, but there's really nothing better than sitting in my backyard with an ice tea and a good book (perhaps a Lipton Ice Tea Bruillant would have made it complete, but you can't have it all). Having a car to drive isn't so bad either, and you can bet I'll be hitting all my fav food spots within the next few weeks. Overall, I think my first few days back have been a testament to the value of having a true home, and a place you can always come back to no matter what. Though Brussels became another home for me as it was a major part of my life for 9.5 months, there's nothing like really, truly coming home.

I think over the next few weeks as I process my experiences in Europe I may begin to miss more things, but that remains to be seen. The biggest thing I struggle with now is trying to answer the obligatory, "so, how was it?!" question. I don't know, you tell me how to sum up almost 10 months of my life in one answer. I certainly don't think my experience abroad has fundamentally changed me as a person, but it has taught me a thousand more things than I ever could have imagined to experience back here in the midwestern United States. It broadened my understanding of the world, and has given me more opportunities to look toward in the future. I have closed one chapter in my undergraduate career, and in one year as I complete the book, maybe those experiences will better help to lead me into the wild and crazy "real" world. But, until then, it's home for me.

Live it up, one last time

So the epic journey draws nearer and nearer to a close. I've struggled a lot in the last few weeks trying to both deal with the fact that I'll be leaving in a little more than a month and how I'll feel once I'm finally home. 9 months abroad is no minor detail as it marks a relatively large time in my life, and one that I hope will have lasting impacts.

I think the biggest thing I'm struggling with is the fear of having regrets. I'm not ready to go home and realize there were so many things I should have done, seen, or experienced. I realize I sound like quite the negative nancy, but I think it's a valid concern. This worry is compounded by the fact that my last month here is half way filled with papers and exams and all the concerns that go along with them. How the heck am I supposed to uphold my commitment to my academics while at the same time make the most out of my last month here? I'm sorry I can't be like some of you who fully understand how short life is, and how much that one paper won't matter 10 years from now. I guess my biggest flaw is that I just (sigh).. care too much.. ha. ha. ha. But really, I care about the work I'm supposed to be accountable for, and that's the biggest thing keeping me from going all out this last month.

On the upside, once all this hellish work is over with (seriously, for those of you looking to party abroad.. this program maybe not the best one), I'll have a solid three weeks to take some time to say goodbye to Brussels and Europe. This time won't be filled taking some gigantic Eurotrip.. as I know I've already mentioned, that's not what this experience was about for me. Brussels will have been my home for 9 months, and that's a feeling that is definitely not going to leave me very easily - I'll need all the time I can get to say goodbye to such an amazing city. Nevertheless, with all the sadness that goes along with saying goodbye to a place like this, I can say with almost certainty that I will be back, someday...

Dresden? Yes, Dresden.

Okay SO, I'm gonna try this whole posting a blog as I'm actually traveling thing. Currently I'm on spring break for my classes, which is two weeks long. Most people decided to take advantage of this unheard of amount of time and do some crazy euro travels, but I chose to take it easy. To be honest, I'm glad I did.. even being gone for a few days now makes me realize how much traveling stresses and wears me out. Not to mention, the expenses can really add up.

Anyways, my spring break travels initially took me to Paris to see some friends from home. It was a really great weekend, but as I've already posted about Paris before, I don't feel I need to go into much detail. My second phase of spring break travels brought me to. . . Dresden. "Ummm okay, what?" is what you're probably asking yourself. To be honest, I didn't exactly choose the destination; it was chosen for me through a blind booking option, and lo and behold, I got sent to the one city choice I was less than ecstatic about. So initially I was being kind of a bummer about it, but I'm now very happy with how things turned out. First of all, I'm traveling alone over these 4 days, and Dresden is quite a manageable city to be on your own in. Second, how many students studying abroad can say they've been to Dresden? As I've discovered, it's not exactly catered to those kind of tourists.

No, on the contrary to what I initially imagined, I've found Dresden to be a very refreshing experience. The day I spent seeing all the touristy sights was actually quite gloomy, but it didn't necessarily detract from the atmosphere of the city itself. The city is comprised of the Neustadt (New City) and Alstadt (Old City) sides, separated by the Elbe River. The Alstadt side is where one can find all the tourist spots conveniently located in a cluster together. For those that do not know, Dresden was bombed in a 1945 air raid by the Allies, leaving the city itself utterly decimated. This had a lot to do with its plethora of historical and architectural riches, and unfortunately this means many of the buildings one sees today are only replicas of the originals. However, it is amazing to think about the amount of painstaking effort that has gone into giving these buildings the same atmosphere and look as they were originally meant to have. For example, in order to give the Semperoper (Opera House) the same feeling the original architect, Semper, intended, the same materials and ancient methods were used to give the building the same character. Though this meant an extraordinary amount of extra time for labor and higher costs, it exemplifies the lengths at which the city of Dresden has gone to resurrect their charming, Baroque style monuments.

Apart from the sites, I have only encountered one other American, and that includes any Americans I may have simply heard passing me by on the street. English is rarely heard, and as I found out, this is because Dresden is a major tourist attraction for Germans themselves. Even more difficult to come across it seemed, were people who actually spoke english. A majority of times I approached someone by speaking English, they told me politely in German that they did not know any English. After taking a look at a note written on my map, I realized that Germans in the GDR learned Russian, not English growing up. I think it is a common assumption we make that all Germans know English, and though those that do know it speak it quite well, this assumption is simply not true; it depends entirely on the region and age group one is dealing with. Despite this aspect sometimes being a challenge, I really like being in a city where I almost feel special because I'm such an exception. This is completely the opposite in Paris, where Americans can be spotted everywhere, and from a mile away (it's the shoes that do it, I completely swear by that).

Hopefully this post will make up for my lack in descriptive details about my travels. I've really enjoyed my time traveling alone (though at times it does get a bit, well, lonely) and discovering places I never had in mind.

The Remarkable Unimportance of Things

Okay, so if there's one thing any of you that still bother to read this thing should know by now, it's that my ability to stay up to date with my blogging is seriously lacking. Over a month since my last post... oops? Sorry everyone! Anyways, I find that my true inspiration comes from random thoughts that pop into my head about my time here. This post definitely being one of them..

I've been thinking about this post for more than a week now, and I can't exactly say what happened to trigger so many thoughts about it. Maybe it's the apparent lack of consumerism in Brussels that made me realize how truly silly it is that people get so worked up about such a thing as clothes. The more and more I think about going back home and being bombarded with tv ads and sale signs the more and more it makes me nervous. What is it about American society that promotes this constant obsession with things? I'm sure many people have their theories, but the purpose of this post is not really to discuss that. I'm more so trying to bring to light one of the stark contrasts between life on both sides of the Atlantic. This belief will really only be confirmed once I return home, but somehow I can't imagine things will have changed much the 9 months I've been away. Overall, it seems to me that here people are much more content to live within their means... Wait, you mean they don't feel the constant need to impress those around them with their shiny new cars and technological contraptions? I realize this is a broad generalization, but I also recognize a significant difference in cultural attitudes when I see one. Europeans just don't have the same kind of frenzy, freaky mentality to buy, buy, buy. Sure, they go shopping and sure, they buy expensive new things, but the way consumerism is approached is on an entirely different level.

Now, I love a new pair of Uggs as much as the next girl, and I'm not saying I'm above any of the mindless consumption. This year, however has been different for me than it would have been in the states. I've gotten through this past 7 months with a few trusty pairs of shoes, one coat, and not a very big 'going out' collection to choose from (no more room 2 walk-in closet for me). And after it all I've found that, remarkably(?), I'm fine. So going home to a wardrobe that's 5x multiplied, frankly, is going to be a little odd and frustrating at first. I certainly hope that the perspective I've gained here will stick with me, and make me change some of my consumerisitic habits while back home. Because let's be honest, who wants their life to be ruled by such silly little things?

Time is a Funny Thing

Well, somehow not surprisingly, I managed to fall through on another promise to update this thing more frequently. I am already heading into my 5th week of my second semester here in Brussels, which is frankly a really frightening thing to realize. It all means I'm heading closer to another round of midterms, massive term papers, and final trips to cool new places. But, first things first, a few updates on the semester so far.

The beginning of this spring semester was filled with hopes and promises that I would take more time to get to know the city of Brussels a little better, and that I would be able to secure an internship through my school's program. After a successful interview and falling in love with a cool organization, I was bummed to find they could only take someone full time (umm hello, this is a student you're talking to?!). After that relatively rough start, however, I was able to secure an internship (along with a few other fellow students) with one of my professors. The institute he works for is relatively new, but the opportunities and experience sound promising. I am hoping to aid the peace and security component, most specifically doing research concerning the UN's effort at DDR and peacekeeping in Libya. Still haven't heard much from him, but hopefully things will get rolling along with that within a week or so.

Otherwise, I've been doing my best to explore my city a little more. As I've probably already mentioned, one of my biggest problems is getting out of my daily routine, and once classes get going it becomes even harder to do so. However, as it is always in the back of my mind, I have made more of an effort to get out and find new things, at least on a weekly basis. Brussels truly does have a wealth of things to offer, but many of them are things that take an effort to find and get to know. 3 euro cinemas, tucked away Beer museums, and bars where you dance on tables - all can be found with a little bit of exploration and initiative.

As a tribute to the time I've spent here already, I'll leave all of you with a few things I've learned this far - both about myself and about the experience in general.

1. Routines are dangerous. If you're like me once you get into a groove with classes and all, it's really difficult to get out of that daily routine. Wake up, get on the tram, go to class, come home, make dinner.. etc. etc. The one thing I can say to remedy this is take the time to EXPLORE. I can't stress how important that one little word is, and though I preach it I'm still having trouble doing it myself.
2. Worry less. If you're young living in a cool place, why stress? In my opinion, there's plenty of time for that once we don't have the freedom to do whatever we want (well, to an extent). This, along with #1, is probably the hardest one for me to tackle. I have a tendency to stress about my classes and school work as if my life depended on it. While you certainly shouldn't forget about school altogether, you need to leave room to learn some lessons outside the classroom too.
3. Get outside your bubble. Yes yes, I know.. the fabled "comfort zone". As much as we hear this piece of advice more than we'd like to, it truly is one of the best rules to live by. I have a hard time being in a situation where I feel uncomfortable, but the truth is it's probably the place you'll learn the most. To go along with it, let's take the advice from #2 and worry a little less about what others think of us.. Cus those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
4. Do What you want. Especially in a context where so many people are discussing their plans to do so many great things while abroad, don't let it get to you. This time is for you, so decide what you want out of it and follow that path. Just because you're here doesn't mean you need to travel every weekend and do tons of crazy things. Even if your plans for yourself change along the way, embrace it, and keep on living.

Siestas, Fiestas, y Playas

Well, lately my blog posts have been a little bit outdated so I'm sorry for that. Within the next few weeks I'll try to use my free time to keep you all up to date and fill you in on the newest developments on my continuing life abroad.

In the meantime, however, I'll be devoting this post to the beautiful, sunny city of Barcelona. With my outrageously long winter break, I figured I should spend at least some time exploring a different piece of Europe. Since my good friend from Wisconsin is currently studying there I figured Barca would be my best bet, and I certainly can't say there were any second thoughts about that idea. Who wouldn't want to turn down sun, beautiful people, and the beach? Regardless of the fact that it still wasn't quite sunbathing time, I'll take the continued presence of the sun over getting bogged down in the grayness of Bruxelles any day.

Once Lindsey finally found me standing practically smack dab in the middle of Passeig de Gracia, we made our way to a cute Tapas place near her housing. We ordered a few small plates, fried fish being one among them (sounds... normal, right?). We were.... well.. unpleasantly surprised to find ten minutes later a full plate of little baby fishes staring us in the face (literally... eyes and all included). We tried them out, but needless to say the waiter seemed a bit disappointed in our ability to stomach the little guys. Fortunately the rough start was not a bad omen for the week to come, which was filled with more delicious tapas, desserts, and plenty of paella.

One of the things I was most impressed by in Barcelona (aside from the remarkably clean public transport) was the architecture, specifically that of Gaudi. We started our little tour of his creations by visiting Parc Guell, a neat little place that boasts lots of green space, a great view of the city, and fabulous examples of Gaudi's work. We then went on to la Sagrada Familia, one of his last big works which is still in progress today. Hands down, this place is one the most phenomenal churches I have yet to see in Europe. Forget Notre Dame, this place is just overflowing with architectural singularity and overwhelming detail. Much of Gaudi's inspiration came from nature, and this could be clearly seen in the tree like resemblances in the columns and ceilings. Unfortunately he died a tragic death before his work could be completed, so the newer side is a bit of a disappointment, but still worth the entrance ticket nonetheless.

When I had some time to myself I went strolling along the beaches... stopping along the way to play with the sand and even take a little snooze. As I sat and took it all in I began to notice some of the habits of these Southern Europeans. One pronounced detail was the amount of young men coming to get their gym on - just along the beach was a little area that looked almost like a child's playground. However, this was not a place for children, but for dudes doing all sorts of odd exercises, looking to get ripped on the monkeybars. The best part for me though was witnessing the group of older, out of shape men in their speedos hangin' out on the rocks. Despite their massive (beer,food, both?) bellies, they still made some effort to do some exercises, whether it be stretching or running just on the edge of the water. Though they may not keep up their bodies like some northern Europeans I've seen, they certainly still seemed to care about staying active.

Spending some time along the beach also brought a lot of differences into perspective. One might see the Spaniards' inherent 'disrespect' for time as some fundamental flaw, but how could one not share that kind of mentality if one lived in a place that was ALWAYS sunny and offered not only the beach, but mountains too? Though understanding that late lunches and late dinners were very much the norm (oh, and don't mess with that 2-5 break for siestas) was a little difficult for me, it's all apart of their culture so why mess with it? I certainly don't see it as laziness, as current opinions may suggest, just a different way of life. If anything, it only highlights the difficulties in trying to bring so many nations together that, in the end, don't really have all that much in common. Not trying to start a political debate here, just putting forth a perspective that dawned on me (but certainly not one that should hold very much weight :) ).

Though Barcelona may be an exception to the other cities in Spain (or so I've heard), I still had a wonderful time and if the opportunity ever posed itself I would certainly go back in the future. Any of you fellow travelers looking for a good deal on hostels should definitely check out Equity Point Centric. It's located right on Passeig de Gracia, is a great deal, offers extremely helpful service, and breakfast is included! Can't really go wrong with all of that. Aside from that I would encourage anyone to explore Barca - it truly is a city you can get lost in, whether it be at sea level or far, far above :)

La Vie Parisienne

Well, after 4 months abroad I finally made it to the city of lights, wine, cheese, and tourists: Paris. I have to say my expectations were not high as I heard from many about the unending hordes of tourists; my experiences this far have taught me that tourist destinations are not exactly my favorite. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a city that is constantly moving and full of new sights and sounds around every corner.

I spent the week with my mom and dad, and we were lucky enough to have the insight and recommendations from his good friend who now lives in Paris. The first evening was spent enjoying a 5 hour Christmas meal in true Parisian fashion: champagne, fromage, foie gras, wine, macaroons, wine, and more champagne (the real stuff, mind you!). One thing is certainly true, the French really know how to enjoy a meal, especially around the holidays.

Though the night of the 25th was relatively quiet on the streets, we were able to enjoy a sunny first day walking around our neighborhood, eating lunch in a park facing Notre Dame, and spending some time exploring the infamous church. We ended the day walking along the Seine and enjoying the last bit of our sunny weather. One of the most wonderful things about Paris is the atmosphere; unfortunately it's hard for me to describe because it's really something you have to experience on your own.

The rest of our week was filled withsome of the typical sights (Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay among them) and evenings of wonderful meals spent in great company. I’m lucky enough to have spent that time with my parents; I am just now appreciating the kinds of differences one sees in traveling with members of different generations. While of course at my age it’s always fun to travel with friends, stay in a hostel, stay out late and do risky things, I realize the wisdom and insight we learn from our parents is truly a blessing.

So my trip to Paris was overall a great success, and only showed me that there’s still a lot more I want to experience there. I foresee at least one more trip within the next 5 months, if not more. In the meantime, it’s on to Barcelona…