Home Away From Home

So I have a feeling it's going to get harder and harder to write these blog posts... way too much has happened in one week! Orientation started on Sunday, and was a very full three days of instruction, getting to know the city, and meeting lots of really great people.

One of my highlights of those three days was a visit we took to a local brewery called Le Cantillon. My knowledge on beer (and how it's brewed) was certainly not extensive, so I'm sure most of what I learned was way beyond me. Yet, I was still very appreciative of the integrity this place has; they've been keeping up the brewing business for more than a

century and have made little to no changes to the process along the way. It was

quite refreshing considering the corporate, greed driven world we live in today.

On the subject of beer, I've already gotten a few chances to get a taste of the night life here. As I was warned it is nothing close to scenes in the U.S. of skimpy dresses and huge keggers, and the differences may take some getting used to. Things do move at a much slower pace

here (how many people can say they've experienced a five hour meal?) which I am definitely starting to appreciate. I'll take enjoying a beer in front of the Grand Place over a frat party any day (no offense to my sisters back home - I'm definitely going to miss the apartment crawls and themed parties!).

So now that all the craziness of the past week is finally over, I now have the chance to relax in my own room in Europe. . . now there's something I never thought I'd be saying. I finally moved into an amazing house just south of downtown that I'll be sharing with a Moroccan, an Austrian, a Frenchman, and a Belgian - talk about diverse roomies in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to start my year in Belgium.

Classes start on Monday, so maybe you'll be hearing from me a bit less. Good luck to all my friends back home starting up the rigors of university life once more! We will share the same pain soon, I promise. But before all the stress comes, be like the Belgians: have a beer, relax, and eat some good food :)

In Love

Well, after all these months of it never feeling very real, I'm finally here and I have to say - it's really not such a big deal. I mean that in the best way possible: the second I stepped off the plane things felt as if they were all in place for me. Sure, the wooziness of getting off an 8 hour plane ride was not a pleasant feeling, but in the few hours I've been here I already know these 9 months will be nothing short of amazing.

Clue number one: While standing near the baggage tram waiting for my luggage, I was approached by a woman who asked "parlez-vous le francais?", an instance that might have intimidated me greatly had I imagined it happening in my head, but in reality went quite smoothly. I replied "un peu" as my usual response to any such question, but was then able to help her understand whether or not this was the right tram for the baggage coming from Montreal. She was quite grateful, and this initial interaction only moments after getting off the plane was a great bolster to my French speaking abilities. Not to mention, do I already look so European as to get approached with such a question?! Okay, I'll try not to get too far ahead of myself...

After the taxi ride from the airport with a female driver (seriously, how common is that?) I found myself at the door to Hotel des Colonies, a charming little place where I'll be staying the next few days. It's in a quiet little nook of a street, just outside of a major shopping district in Brussels. So, naturally, I just got back from looking around a few hours... I think these next 9 months will be a goldmine for my wardrobe, but quite bad news for the bank account (I only kind of mean that, dad). So I end my first outing in Brussels at a nice little lunch place with a beer (at 10:30 am ..but who's judging?) and some tuna salad while I witness the first of I'm sure many, many sudden rain showers in this beautiful city. Long story short, I can't wait to get to know this wonderful city. . . its everything I ever could have wanted so far! Pictures to come :)

DSM - ORD - BRU

Just 10 days remain between me and what is sure to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Despite the lack of legitimate packing I feel 100% ready to get the heck out of the U.S. and find my way to the land of beer, waffles, and most importantly - chocolate. 9 months abroad certainly sounds like a long time, but I have a sneaking suspicion it might just fly by.

My decision to study abroad in Brussels wasn't one that took a whole lot of thought, but once the decision was made I knew it was the right one. My original thought was to find a program in a Francophone country, with the goal of eventually becoming fluent in the language I've been taking classes in since freshman year of high school. No need to get into the nitty gritty, but I landed on UW's academic year program in Belgium - a terrific place for an International Studies/Poli Sci major as it is the capitol of Europe and a truly Cosmopolitan city. Though Brussels may not be on the radar of most tourists' destinations, I am sure it is a place I will grow to love and know very well.

So I'm clearly Gung-Ho about packing up a suitcase (or two...) and living in Europe for 9 months, and maybe I haven't put enough thought into the things I'll really miss about home. A good burger, friendly midwestern smiles, the convenience of having a car - all things that any respectable Iowan might miss. Yet, I'm ready to see what the other side of the pond has to offer even if it means some unease and discomfort at first. I already know that the experiences and life lessons I will get out of my time abroad will be well worth it in the end. A la prochaine fois, en Bruxelles!