Lessons Learned

1. I was thoroughly confused the other day when my professor gave me a syllabus, and it didn't fit into my folder. Naturally, I just assumed my folder had a weird pocket or something was stuck in it. Nope, it turns out Belgians (and possibly other Europeans as well) print on extra long paper. Who would have known?

-Belgians like the extra long printer paper.

2. While I'm packing for school or vacation or whatever it might be, my parents always laugh at me and say "You know they have stores in Greenville, or Brussels etc." aka You can go to the store if you forget something. I had that mindset while packing for Brussels and decided to buy my shampoo and face wash and things of that nature once I had arrived. I found some shampoo, but face wash looks different here, I am convinced. All of the labels are in French, and Dutch, and German, and no English. So, when I went into a beauty type store to find my face wash, I decided to just ask where to find it. The cashier only spoke French. I can understand some French and can speak some French, but I have to plan out my conversations in advance. "Bonjour! Est-ce que vous avez une chose pour menager mon visage?" I accidentally asked "Hello! Do you have something to 'to do housecleaning' my face?" No wonder the cashier stared at me like I was crazy. I thought I had used the proper verb for "to clean." Nosireebob.

No fear though, I brought some friends back into the store with me, and I used an app called "Word Lens" that translates labels or menus into English on the spot. I found the face wash, and I awkwardly smiled at the cashier as I bought it and tried to escape as quickly as possible. So much for any knowledge of French I thought I had.

-Everyone does not speak English.

3. Brussels has laws about recycling. In 2010, recycling was made obligatory, so we had to learn the rules pretty quickly upon our arrival. There are three trashcans with three different colored bags: white, blue, and yellow. Trash, plastic, and paper. We have been throwing away our trash in the proper trashcans, as far as I know, but the house cleaning person will apparently look through the trash and confirm that it is done properly. Brussels, props to you for being green and so eco. So eco.

-Recycle. Go green.

4. I literally can't see anything the light bulbs are so dim. Also, our refrigerator is barely cold. My yogurt and eggs are a nice room temperature. Also, they sell milk and eggs that don't need to be refrigerated. I, for one, was not aware that that was a thing. I will be putting all regularly refrigerated things in the refrigerator.  Lastly, the hairdryer is not heated at all.

-Europeans don't like to use electricity or power.

Day Trip to Gent

We were told this was the world's most beautiful tree and that we needed to dance around it.

Delhaize and Colruyt

I began my trip to Brussels at 4AM Saturday August 16. It was dark and early. 7 AM Flight to Charlotte. 9:20 AM Flight to New York. 5:55 PM Flight to Brussels.

Traveling was long. I love tiny seats with too many people all around me. We also didn't sleep until 8:30 PM Sunday night. Anyways, I am now here, living it up in Brussels, Belgium.

There is absolutely no way I could cover everything that I am getting to do and see, even just here in Brussels. Everything is new. I am at a new college, Vesalius, which is one building and only 300 people. I am living for the first time in an apartment, where I am attempting to feed myself three meals a day on a pauper's budget (you have to live cheap to go on weekend excursions to places like Paris and Interlaken). I am planning travel adventures for the first time. I am in a country that speaks a different language. However, I think my most new experience has been grocery shopping.

We tried a convenience-esque store on our first day here. Sustenance was really all we were looking for. But, the store made us want to cry. There were just a few shelves with very few options. Also, the cashiers only spoke French, so I attempted to converse with them. They couldn't understand my translation of 'brown sugar,' but aside from that, we really just couldn't find anything, or anything cheap. I ended up leaving the store with a box of oatmeal packets. Hey, breakfast for 8 days?

This store gave us very little confidence in how our shopping and eating would be for the next four months. A few days later we found the Publix of Brussels' grocery stores, Delhaize, just across the street. We found peanut butter, or something like it, and we found other regular foods.

One weird thing about stores here is that they charge based on flavor. For example, I can buy the strawberry yogurt for cheaper than peach, but I can buy a mixed assortment for even cheaper. That throws me off and just adds one more factor into my decision making process. I am an indecisive shopper to begin with, so French and Dutch labels, prices in Euros, and new foods all cause for long shopping trips.

However, after being satisfied with Delhaize, we found Colruyt. This store was the Costco/Aldi of grocery stores. It was very cheap, and also, I'm pretty sure everything tastes better when you buy it and make it yourself, despite the quality of food. We have a pretty good schedule planned where we buy a week's worth of groceries and then share meals throughout the week.

Also part of our grocery schedule: Buy drumstick ice cream cones and eat them on the way home from the store.

And, shout-out to Brian for recommending the pre-cooked Rotisserie chicken that lasts many many meals. We bought one of those, and 6 meals later, no more chicken.

Here's to my first glass of wine. So classy.

Morning Markets in Gare du Midi

Preparation

I've just completed 11 weeks of life in a cabin where I spent life making a fool of myself by playing the nose whistle, dressing up like a grandma, and playing weird canoe games in order to evoke the laughs of little girls. Time alone was not a thing-I woke up to little girls scooting across the cabin in their sleeping bags, completely nude, aside from some sunglasses. I went to bed, after tucking in each girl, by crawling into my very own, dirt sprinkled, damp and sunscreen scented sheets.

I am back home now after an exhausting summer. My sheets smell like fresh linen, and the house is quiet. 

Access to internet was limited this summer, and my focus was so camp oriented, that it is just now hitting me that I leave for Brussels in five days. Count them, five. 1,2,3,4,5. Bye bye America.

I will be studying abroad in Brussels, Belgium August 16-Dec 14. I will be traveling with 20 other Furman students and a professor. I will be taking 'European Communication Policies' and 'Business and Media Ethics' courses at Vesalius, the local college. With Furman, we will take a European Women, War, and Resistance course. I have an internship with a German MEP (Member of the European Parliament). Let's just say I have a lot to learn. I will be speaking on his behalf and hopefully getting a chance to work with the Press Service in the EU.

I have taken my shopping trips to buy the essentials. Super cool mini travel toothpaste, Cold Eeze to please my father, some business-y looking clothes etc. Who knows what I'll actually need, but
as long as it all fits into my suitcase and duffel bag, I'll take it. How am I supposed to compress school books and shoes though?! Magic is going to have to happen to pack everything in for a 5 month adventure.

Bye Camp. Bye America.