What a crazy/ridiculous/amazing/super fast 4 months this has been! It still hasn't completely hit me that I'm really leaving to go home in 6 hours. I've met so many amazing people here, and I get to go home with new friends not only from all over the United States but also the world. The people I've spent the last 4 months with have really made the experience everything that it was, and I'm not sure how I'm going to function at home without a lot of them. Fate stepped in when I had to live with Casey for my first week, and "The Tribe" was created. I refused to say goodbye to anyone, goodbye is permanent and I AM going to see them all again!
When I first got here I never could have predicted how amazing this semester was going to be or all the amazing adventures I was going to experience. In the past 4 months, I've been to 7 countries and seen parts of the world I didn't even know existed, but the one thing it's made me realize more than anything is there's no place like home. The world is a huge place and I intend on seeing as much of it as I possibly can, but talking to people here about American culture and seeing their culture and experiencing the differences and similarities between the two worlds has made me so proud to be an American, and I truly mean that. I had a very long conversation with an Austrian woman at a wine tasting we all went to last night, and she had everything negative in the world to say about American politics, but when it came down to it, she admitted she had applied for an American green card 10 times and has been denied every time. People here still see America as the land of opportunity, and I never believed it before but the American dream is very much still alive. It's amazing the perspective you get when you just take a couple steps back and look at everything from the outside. This has been such an eye opening experience for me and I'm so grateful for every second I had here, the good and the bad.
It's so weird that this is all over, but I'm taking so much more home with me than just a few suitcases. I have new amazing friends, new experiences, new perspectives, and I can really speak French now! I've dreamed of studying abroad since the first time my parents took me to Europe, and I've finally accomplished my dream, but there are so many other places I have to see now. If I didn't have the travel bug before, I definitely do now. But as as of right now, the only place I want to go is home.
So I guess "Mary's adventures in far far away land" have finally come to an end, and it's very bittersweet to say, but...
pour maitenant, mes adventures sont finis.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Joyeaux Noël!
It's finally here. My absolute most favorite time of year, and even with finals looming around the corner I couldn't be happier. How anyone could be unhappy at Christmas is beyond me. Not to mention, it's been snowing for the past 2 days and it's suppose to continue until the end of this week. I've never had a snowy Christmas season before, but it just makes everything even more wonderful. I started playing Christmas music today and I probably won't listen to anything else until after New Years.
The Christmas market opened in Brussels last weekend. Downtown literally looks like a Dickens Christmas Village. Every where I look reminds me of the little buildings my grandmother sets up on the buffet in her dining room every Christmas since before I was born. It also makes me a little home sick, but I'm going to soak in all of the Brussels Christmas magic I can for the next week and a half!
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| Grand Place at Christmas! |
DJ was here last week so he got to see the Christmas market with me. We spent Saturday drinking vin chaud (spiced hot wine, delicious!), Christmas shopping at the little chalets, watching the ice skaters, and looking at the lights. It was really cool because earlier in the week when he first got here they were just setting up the tree and thatching the roof for the nativity set- yes that's right, I said thatching the roof, and when we returned at the end of the week we got to see the finished product. It's absolutely beautiful, and pictures definitely don't do it justice. Saturday was also DJ's last night in Brussels and of course I couldn't let him leave Belgium without eating mussels and frites, so we went to one of the super touristy mussels places and then ended the night with the Christmas light show in the Grand Place (I posted a video of it on facebook if anyone wants to check it out).
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| The ice skating rink and ferris wheel in St. Katherine |
I think the nativity scene is one of the coolest parts of the Grand Place decorations. They have live animals (donkeys and sheep), statues of Mary, Joseph, the wise men, and baby Jesus, and a star of Bethlehem on top. I was so impressed with their inclusion of a religious aspect to the decorations (even if Mary does have blonde hair...), especially considering that the majority of Belgians and other Europeans I've met here are not religious at all. America tries so hard to leave religion out of Christmas so as not to offend anyone, but it's a religious holiday! Christmas is meant to be a time of happiness, joy, and cheer for everyone as we celebrate the birth of Christ (hence CHRISTmas). If a nativity scene was put up by a public group in a public place at home, it would become of a matter of national attention, which leads me to another observation about Europe in general. Everyone here is so much more willing to speak their mind here. P.C. is not a term the Europeans are familiar with and I like it so much better that way. People have conversations about what they really think and no one takes it personally or gets offended. Definitely a trait I'm hoping to take home with me. |
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| nativity scene Friday, DJ and I went to Amsterdam. I had been once before, but it was with People to People so I didn't get to see much besides Anne Frank's house and the canals. Deej and I toured the Heineken brewery, which was actually really cool. They teach you how to do a proper beer tasting, you get to see how beer is brewed, and then they basically brainwash you into thinking that Heineken is the greatest thing ever made, but I guess that's their job... We spent the rest of the day just walking around Amsterdam. It's a much prettier city than I remembered it being or thought it would be, but that could partially be due to the fact that last time I was there I was being shuffled around in a big group and it was pouring rain. This time it was sunny all day.
 The highlight of the Amsterdam trip, though, was definitely the 2 guys that sat across from us on the train on the way home, Angelo and Armando. The train was set up so that seats were in groups of 4 with two facing forward and 2 facing backward. We sat down and then shortly after 2 Italian men sat down facing us. The first incident with the Italian men occurred when they came to collect tickets, and the Italians tickets wouldn't work because they were bought at a different station. They didn't speak any language other than Italian so the ticket taker got very frustrated with them as he was yelling in English and they were yelling in Italian, and DJ and I were cracking up. Eventually, the ticket taker drew them a diagram and explained why the tickets were no good and they bought new ones. After he left, Angelo looked at me and DJ and started ranting in Italian, which of course we didn't understand and Armando started smacking him in the head. Apparently, Angelo is some type of racing driver and Armando is his Moroccan manager. They were back and forth on the phone the rest of the trip and yelling at each other in Italian about something really important that Angelo had clearly screwed up and Armando was trying to fix. At one point they ordered a can of pringles and offered some to DJ and I. After they finished the pringles, the can became Armando's new tool to hit Angelo with and he would squeeze the can so the top would pop off and hit Angelo in the face as he repeatedly told Angelo how stupid he was. I seriously felt like I was watching a sit com about the Italian mafia. It was hysterical. Angelo kept trying to talk to us while Armando kept making signs calling him crazy. We couldn't do anything but laugh because we had no idea what he was saying. We thought we were getting somewhere when Angelo asked if we spoke French and I told him I spoke a little he said he didn't speak any at all except "Je m'appelle Angelo," so we were back to square one. DJ and I eventually gave in and just started nodding and saying ci. After what felt like a very long game of Italian cherades, we understood their life story and parted ways in Brussels. It was a very entertaining 2 and a half hours. I wish we had taken a picture of those two. But on a completely different note, I'll be home 11 days from today. It still hasn't really sunk in with me that I'm leaving Brussels. I'm beyond excited to get home to see my family and friends, but I'm going to miss Brussels so much. I've met so many amazing people here and had such a wonderful experience! It's going to be so strange not to be able to just hop on the bus and go wander around downtown or to a museum when I have free time, and I'm definitely going to miss the city in general. There's always something to do or see here, and unfortunately that is far from the case at home, but all the people I miss at home make up for all of that. 11 days left, and finals or not, I intend on making the best of them! |
Friday, November 19, 2010
Go, Go, Go!
What a busy 3 weeks this has been! I've been a little behind on the blog, but school work calls. As my roomie Devi said yesterday I really don't like the study part of study abroad, but I guess I had to take a break from the trips at some point...
So week before last was fall break and my mom and grandmother came to visit me! I was so glad to have a little piece of home in Brussels for a little while! I absolutely love it here, but I would be lying if I said I don't miss my friends and family at home like crazy!
My mom and grandmother's plane arrived at 7:30 Sunday morning, so I picked them up at the airport and we hopped straight on a train and headed to Cologne, Germany. Needless to say, after 9 hours of flying and an hour and a half on the train, they were more than a little out of it by the time we got to Germany.
I really didn't know much about Cologne other than that I'd heard it was an absolutely beautiful city, so I was very excited to see what all was there. When we arrived my grandmother decided to take a nap at the hotel and my mom and I went out to explore the city. Amazingly, my mom still remembered a little German from when she lived there a long time ago, which proved to be very helpful in getting around. While we were out we saw the Dom Cathedral and decided we would go back the next day to check out the inside, and instead opted on sitting at a cafe for a little while and then going back to get my grandmother at the hotel for dinner. My mom was determined to find authentic German food that night, and that is exactly what we did. Saturday night was schnitzel for all and it was absolutely delicious!
Tuesday morning we hopped on the train early for our ride to Paris! As soon as we got there my mom and I knew we had to head to Montmartre! It's our favorite place in Paris, and since my grandmother had never been before, We were very anxious to show her the beautiful mountain that is Montmartre! We stayed there for a few hours, walked around, and had dinner and then we began our decent back down the hill....
Wednesday was our busy day. We had to fit all the sites of Paris into one day. First stop was the Champs Elysee and Arc de Triomphe. We walked all the way down the Champs Elysee and decided we would just walk over to the Eiffel tower. After the Eiffel tower we made a quick stop by the Louvre just to see the outside and then headed over to Notre Dame. When I was in Paris a couple months ago, the line to get into Notre Dame was ridiculous and I had been inside before so we skipped it, but this time it was night so there weren't many people there at all except for the people attending Mass. I had forgotten how absolutely stunning that cathedral is. The stained glass really is immaculate. After Notre Dame, my mom and I were on a mission for escargot so we found a place to eat and had dinner then went back to the hotel for the night.
Thursday we returned to Brussels. My mom and grandmother got to meet Carmen and Jose Thursday night so that was fun for everyone and then I had mussels for the first time in Brussels. I still can't believe I managed to live her for a full 3 months before ever having mussels. (FYI, mussels and frites are pretty much the national dish of Belgium... and waffles too of course!)
Friday, I toured my mom and grandmother around downtown and showed them all of the tourist sites (the grand place, mannekin pis, etc.) and we pretty much hung out there all day. It's weird how accustomed I've become to seeing things like the Grand Place all the time. I loved getting to see their expression after seeing the Grand Place for the first time. It really is gorgeous.
Saturday, we went to Bruges! I'd been to Bruges before but it was on a bus tour and I was only there for a few hours so I didn't get to really see the city, but it is such a cool little town. It was a medieval fortress, and most of the old buildings and gates are still standing, along with the canal that flows through the city. There really isn't anything else like Bruges.
Sunday, was back in Brussels. My mom and I got up and went to Mass Sunday morning and then I took her to some of the antique markets. We met up with my grandmother later and I showed them my school, the palace, and a few other parts of the town.
Then Monday, they had to leave... I was quite sad to see them go, but I'll be home in 3 weeks! I still can't believe how fast this semester has flown by. I love love love Brussels, but it will be nice to be home. I turn in my last assignments this week, and after that all that's left is finals, but DJ will be here tomorrow so of course I'm incredibly excited about that. We're going to Amsterdam on Friday and just hanging out in Brussels for the week. I'm going to get better about blogging my last couple of weeks here, and I'll update again after he leaves.
So week before last was fall break and my mom and grandmother came to visit me! I was so glad to have a little piece of home in Brussels for a little while! I absolutely love it here, but I would be lying if I said I don't miss my friends and family at home like crazy!
My mom and grandmother's plane arrived at 7:30 Sunday morning, so I picked them up at the airport and we hopped straight on a train and headed to Cologne, Germany. Needless to say, after 9 hours of flying and an hour and a half on the train, they were more than a little out of it by the time we got to Germany.
I really didn't know much about Cologne other than that I'd heard it was an absolutely beautiful city, so I was very excited to see what all was there. When we arrived my grandmother decided to take a nap at the hotel and my mom and I went out to explore the city. Amazingly, my mom still remembered a little German from when she lived there a long time ago, which proved to be very helpful in getting around. While we were out we saw the Dom Cathedral and decided we would go back the next day to check out the inside, and instead opted on sitting at a cafe for a little while and then going back to get my grandmother at the hotel for dinner. My mom was determined to find authentic German food that night, and that is exactly what we did. Saturday night was schnitzel for all and it was absolutely delicious!
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| They're here! Monday was All Saints Day, which is a big holiday in Europe so of course most of the shops were closed. We spent most of the day wandering the city and we toured to Dom. Such a beautiful cathedral and it's absolutely gigantic! |
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| German lederhosen in Germany! |
Wednesday was our busy day. We had to fit all the sites of Paris into one day. First stop was the Champs Elysee and Arc de Triomphe. We walked all the way down the Champs Elysee and decided we would just walk over to the Eiffel tower. After the Eiffel tower we made a quick stop by the Louvre just to see the outside and then headed over to Notre Dame. When I was in Paris a couple months ago, the line to get into Notre Dame was ridiculous and I had been inside before so we skipped it, but this time it was night so there weren't many people there at all except for the people attending Mass. I had forgotten how absolutely stunning that cathedral is. The stained glass really is immaculate. After Notre Dame, my mom and I were on a mission for escargot so we found a place to eat and had dinner then went back to the hotel for the night.
Thursday we returned to Brussels. My mom and grandmother got to meet Carmen and Jose Thursday night so that was fun for everyone and then I had mussels for the first time in Brussels. I still can't believe I managed to live her for a full 3 months before ever having mussels. (FYI, mussels and frites are pretty much the national dish of Belgium... and waffles too of course!)
Friday, I toured my mom and grandmother around downtown and showed them all of the tourist sites (the grand place, mannekin pis, etc.) and we pretty much hung out there all day. It's weird how accustomed I've become to seeing things like the Grand Place all the time. I loved getting to see their expression after seeing the Grand Place for the first time. It really is gorgeous.
Saturday, we went to Bruges! I'd been to Bruges before but it was on a bus tour and I was only there for a few hours so I didn't get to really see the city, but it is such a cool little town. It was a medieval fortress, and most of the old buildings and gates are still standing, along with the canal that flows through the city. There really isn't anything else like Bruges.
Sunday, was back in Brussels. My mom and I got up and went to Mass Sunday morning and then I took her to some of the antique markets. We met up with my grandmother later and I showed them my school, the palace, and a few other parts of the town.
Then Monday, they had to leave... I was quite sad to see them go, but I'll be home in 3 weeks! I still can't believe how fast this semester has flown by. I love love love Brussels, but it will be nice to be home. I turn in my last assignments this week, and after that all that's left is finals, but DJ will be here tomorrow so of course I'm incredibly excited about that. We're going to Amsterdam on Friday and just hanging out in Brussels for the week. I'm going to get better about blogging my last couple of weeks here, and I'll update again after he leaves.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Ciels Gris et Plus de Pluie
I have most definitely gotten use to the on the go lifestyle, but this weekend I stuck around Brussels and planned on getting some work done before fall break begins. The plan was to wake up this morning, go for a run, start on some papers, and maybe do a little exploring, however, mother nature seemed to have an entirely different plan for me.
I woke up at 11:00 ready for my run, but then I looked outside and surprise surprise, it's pouring in Brussels. I swear, its literally impossible for this country to go a week without rain. And I'm pretty positive if you asked a Belgian what color the sky is, they would respond with "gray." I feel like my complaints about the Belgian weather have become a central theme for this blog. I love Brussels, I really do. It's an amazing city with so much to offer, but this weather is really killing the experience for me. I've definitely been spoiled by the sunny southern United States. Before this semester, I always thought despite the cold I would have no problem moving up north after I finished school. Living on the east coast would be a ton of fun. I love snow, so I could totally handle the cold, right? Wrong! I am now convinced the east coast winters would turn me into a human popsicle in a matter of seconds. I guess this is just one more thing to add to the list of things studying abroad has taught me.
School has really picked up over the past week. When I first arrived, Vesalius seemed like it was going to be nothing compared to BSC, and I was really looking forward to a very lax semester. I mean anything above an 85 is an A so surely it couldn't be TOO hard, however, midterms definitely proved to me this is not the case. Instead of having assignments due throughout the semester, most of my classes have 1 paper, a midterm, and a final. Meaning, if you don't keep up with the readings and studying throughout the term, when midterms and finals come around, you're done. So now I'm playing catch up and trying to get ahead on things before the break. I have 2 very important papers due right after break and then just a few short weeks after that is finals.
Speaking of finals, I can't believe the end of October is already here. It seems like a million years has passed since I got off the plane at Brussels International, but at the same time, it feels like just yesterday I was sitting in the caf with my friends at school talking about how great my semester abroad was going to be. Now, it's a little more than halfway over. With school picking up, traveling to Cologne and Paris with my mom and grandmother for break, and then DJ coming to visit soon after they leave I know this second half of the semester is going to fly by even faster, and right now I'm ok with that. I'll probably regret saying that as soon as I get home, but for right now, a color other than gray would be much appreciated.
I woke up at 11:00 ready for my run, but then I looked outside and surprise surprise, it's pouring in Brussels. I swear, its literally impossible for this country to go a week without rain. And I'm pretty positive if you asked a Belgian what color the sky is, they would respond with "gray." I feel like my complaints about the Belgian weather have become a central theme for this blog. I love Brussels, I really do. It's an amazing city with so much to offer, but this weather is really killing the experience for me. I've definitely been spoiled by the sunny southern United States. Before this semester, I always thought despite the cold I would have no problem moving up north after I finished school. Living on the east coast would be a ton of fun. I love snow, so I could totally handle the cold, right? Wrong! I am now convinced the east coast winters would turn me into a human popsicle in a matter of seconds. I guess this is just one more thing to add to the list of things studying abroad has taught me.
School has really picked up over the past week. When I first arrived, Vesalius seemed like it was going to be nothing compared to BSC, and I was really looking forward to a very lax semester. I mean anything above an 85 is an A so surely it couldn't be TOO hard, however, midterms definitely proved to me this is not the case. Instead of having assignments due throughout the semester, most of my classes have 1 paper, a midterm, and a final. Meaning, if you don't keep up with the readings and studying throughout the term, when midterms and finals come around, you're done. So now I'm playing catch up and trying to get ahead on things before the break. I have 2 very important papers due right after break and then just a few short weeks after that is finals.
Speaking of finals, I can't believe the end of October is already here. It seems like a million years has passed since I got off the plane at Brussels International, but at the same time, it feels like just yesterday I was sitting in the caf with my friends at school talking about how great my semester abroad was going to be. Now, it's a little more than halfway over. With school picking up, traveling to Cologne and Paris with my mom and grandmother for break, and then DJ coming to visit soon after they leave I know this second half of the semester is going to fly by even faster, and right now I'm ok with that. I'll probably regret saying that as soon as I get home, but for right now, a color other than gray would be much appreciated.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Busy, Busy, Busy!!
My goodness! What a crazy week this has been. I'm sure this post is going to be a little all over the place and probably a little long, but I promise lots of pictures!
Paige and I returned from Bologna on Monday and then Thursday left with a group of friends for Lanzarote, Canary Islands! I have to admit, before this trip I didn't have the slightest idea where the Canary Islands were... But they're a chain of islands off the coast of Morocco that belong to Spain. We stayed in a tiny town called Famara, and it is literally the most beautiful place I've ever been. The island is made up of volcanoes so when you're on the beach you're looking at the Atlantic Ocean in one direction and HUGE volcanic mountains to the other direction. It's absolutely breath taking!
The town of Famara is so tiny, there are only 2 bars (Lenny's and Sunset) and they are both very much local dives. They have 1 grocery store, a couple of surf shops, and that's really about it. It is honestly the least materialistic place I have ever been. Upon first glance at this little town, you would think that everyone must be really poor, but that's not it at all. Really, they just don't care. As long as they get their sun and surf the people of Famara are happy. I'm actually more than a little jealous of their lifestyle. It's just so simple!
Friday, we hung out of the beach all day and that night we grabbed some baguettes and cheese for dinner at the bungalow. For some reason, the police had shut Lenny's down so Sergio and Gerry told us the place to be was Sunset. A Spanish band was playing and one of the British guys from the night before attempted to teach me how to salsa dance, soooo much fun, even though I was definitely horrible at it.
Saturday, the woman who rented us the bungalows, Isabelle, was nice enough to also let us rent her car. We drove out to the national park where the volcanoes are and hung out there for a couple hours. The volcanoes aren't active now, and in fact the last time they errupted was A.D. 48, but it was still so cool to see the volcanic rock and craters. There were a few little green plants, but mainly just volcanic rock. It felt like we had landed in the middle of the moon or Mars. Definitely unlike anything I've ever seen before.
Then a couple days after we got back was my 21st birthday! Considering I'm in Europe where they start drinking before they can walk, 21 isn't really a big deal, but I have some amazing friends who refused to let my big 2-1 go unnoticed! After a fabulous birthday dinner with my host parents, Carmen and Jose, and my lovely roomie Devi, I met up with my friends downtown and headed back to the Tequila Bar for round two of the mojito fishbowl and then we ended up hanging out Delirium for the rest of the night. I had the perfect 21st with some amazing people, and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!
Paige and I returned from Bologna on Monday and then Thursday left with a group of friends for Lanzarote, Canary Islands! I have to admit, before this trip I didn't have the slightest idea where the Canary Islands were... But they're a chain of islands off the coast of Morocco that belong to Spain. We stayed in a tiny town called Famara, and it is literally the most beautiful place I've ever been. The island is made up of volcanoes so when you're on the beach you're looking at the Atlantic Ocean in one direction and HUGE volcanic mountains to the other direction. It's absolutely breath taking!
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| I'm in love with this island |
When we arrived Thursday afternoon, we were greeted at the airport by Sergio, the owner of the surf shop (Zoopark) that helped us set up all of our accommodations. Lucky for the rest of us, Will really did his research and we couldn't have found a better place to stay. We rented two beach bungalows and got an AMAZING deal on both of them! Sergio took us to the bungalows from the airport where we dropped our stuff off and then we headed over to Zoopark to begin our surfing adventure!
 Sergio! |
Six of us spent Thursday afternoon taking surfing lessons from our Aussi instructor, Gerry, but Will being the pro that he is, rented a board and took off on his own. Surfing is something I've never really had the desire to do, but while I had the opportunity there was no way I was going to pass it up! It turned out to be a lot of fun and something I would definitely like to try again. |
The town of Famara is so tiny, there are only 2 bars (Lenny's and Sunset) and they are both very much local dives. They have 1 grocery store, a couple of surf shops, and that's really about it. It is honestly the least materialistic place I have ever been. Upon first glance at this little town, you would think that everyone must be really poor, but that's not it at all. Really, they just don't care. As long as they get their sun and surf the people of Famara are happy. I'm actually more than a little jealous of their lifestyle. It's just so simple!
Gerry and Sergio told us Lenny's was having a free barbecue that night, so of course we heard free food and knew we definitely had to check that out. The barbecue was a ton of fun! It turned out that the owner of Lenny's is actually one of the best surfers in Europe, but he decided to open a bar in Famara and was bartending that night. The only other people at Lenny's besides my group was a bunch of locals, Sergio and Jerry, 2 guys from Britain, and an Italian music group called Sud Soundsystem. It was really cool just hanging out with the locals. The people really are huge part of what makes Famara so great. After just being there for a few hours, they immediately accepted us and were incredibly friendly! There's definitely no such thing as a stranger in Famara.
Friday, we hung out of the beach all day and that night we grabbed some baguettes and cheese for dinner at the bungalow. For some reason, the police had shut Lenny's down so Sergio and Gerry told us the place to be was Sunset. A Spanish band was playing and one of the British guys from the night before attempted to teach me how to salsa dance, soooo much fun, even though I was definitely horrible at it.
Saturday, the woman who rented us the bungalows, Isabelle, was nice enough to also let us rent her car. We drove out to the national park where the volcanoes are and hung out there for a couple hours. The volcanoes aren't active now, and in fact the last time they errupted was A.D. 48, but it was still so cool to see the volcanic rock and craters. There were a few little green plants, but mainly just volcanic rock. It felt like we had landed in the middle of the moon or Mars. Definitely unlike anything I've ever seen before.
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| playing in a volcanic field of lichen Needless to say, when Sunday finally rolled around no one was ready to go. We all very reluctantly packed up and headed back to the airport, but I can say for certain that this was definitely not my last trip to Lanzarote. |
Then a couple days after we got back was my 21st birthday! Considering I'm in Europe where they start drinking before they can walk, 21 isn't really a big deal, but I have some amazing friends who refused to let my big 2-1 go unnoticed! After a fabulous birthday dinner with my host parents, Carmen and Jose, and my lovely roomie Devi, I met up with my friends downtown and headed back to the Tequila Bar for round two of the mojito fishbowl and then we ended up hanging out Delirium for the rest of the night. I had the perfect 21st with some amazing people, and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!
My mom and grandmother are coming to visit next weekend and I get to celebrate all over again with them, but for right now I'm pretty sure my life is as close to perfect as it can be. In just a little over 2 months I've been to 4 countries and before I leave I have trips planned to two more. Life is good.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
A Little Piece of Heaven
I'm pretty sure that last weekend I discovered heaven on earth. I'm very fortunate to be able to say that I've seen a lot of Italy, but for me, nothing else has compared to Bologna. With it's 400,000 inhabitants, I can honestly say this little city is the definition of perfection. The people are by far the friendliest people I've ever come across in Europe, the food is delicious, and we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather. High 60s and sunny, every day. I literally fell in love with Bologna the moment I stepped foot in this wonderful city.
The whole town reminded me of something out of a movie or a book. The oldest university in the world is in Bologna and most of the other buildings are very old as well, and the traditional Italian architecture is very prominent. Every time I turned a corner, I felt like I was staring at a post card. There's no other way to describe Bologna other than simply perfection.
Our first night in Bologna, Paige and I found this wonderful little Italian pizza restaurant where I got the biggest piece of pizza I have ever seen in my life, and it was absolutely delicious. The pizza was followed by the best gelato I've literally ever had in my life: vanilla gelato with green apple and pistachio pieces, and a little honey mixed in. I'm telling you, it was heaven on a cone. We also got very lucky and found a GREAT deal on a 4 star hotel. And when I say GREAT deal, I mean the hotel was cheaper than the hostel. Absolutely nothing could have been more perfect about this trip.
We spent day two just roaming the city. It was Sunday, so when we first went out that morning mass was just ending and as we walked down the streets, I could hear church bells ringing all over the city. The sound of the bells mixed with the warm Italian sun and the picturesque architecture of Bologna really made me feel like I was in a dream. I kept telling Paige she was going to have to drag me on the plane the next day, because there was no way I was leaving such perfection on my own terms.
That morning for breakfast we stopped at a bakery and had fresh baked croissants and espresso. I don't know if it was the location I was in or the food itself, but I really think that was one of the best meals I've ever had. The day only got better from there. Once we walked into the city, we stumbled upon some type of procession of people playing music, waving incense, and carrying around a statue of a saint. Perfectly Italian. I'm not sure exactly sure what the procession was for, but it was beautiful. The whole scene made Bologna even more dream like to me; I really was living in a movie. Paige and I kept running into the procession as we winded down the tiny streets of Bologna, and every time we ran into them, we had to stop and stare because it was really just that mesmerizing.
We ended the day with a nice dinner at an outdoor Italian cafe. Having already had pizza and gelato, there was one Italian staple still left on my list: spaghetti. So dinner was of course, the best spaghetti I've ever had in my life. Paige and I split a bottle of wine at the cafe and decided to call it a night. I've never been so sad for a day to end.
This may have been my first trip to Bologna, but it definitely will not be my last. The 2 days I spent there were by far the most I've felt at home since arriving in Europe. Everything I already knew and thought about Italy was once again solidified in my mind. I know I will be returning some day, and hopefully for much longer than 2 days.
Next stop: Lanzarote, Canary Islands. (I live a rough life, I know.)
The whole town reminded me of something out of a movie or a book. The oldest university in the world is in Bologna and most of the other buildings are very old as well, and the traditional Italian architecture is very prominent. Every time I turned a corner, I felt like I was staring at a post card. There's no other way to describe Bologna other than simply perfection.
Our first night in Bologna, Paige and I found this wonderful little Italian pizza restaurant where I got the biggest piece of pizza I have ever seen in my life, and it was absolutely delicious. The pizza was followed by the best gelato I've literally ever had in my life: vanilla gelato with green apple and pistachio pieces, and a little honey mixed in. I'm telling you, it was heaven on a cone. We also got very lucky and found a GREAT deal on a 4 star hotel. And when I say GREAT deal, I mean the hotel was cheaper than the hostel. Absolutely nothing could have been more perfect about this trip.
We spent day two just roaming the city. It was Sunday, so when we first went out that morning mass was just ending and as we walked down the streets, I could hear church bells ringing all over the city. The sound of the bells mixed with the warm Italian sun and the picturesque architecture of Bologna really made me feel like I was in a dream. I kept telling Paige she was going to have to drag me on the plane the next day, because there was no way I was leaving such perfection on my own terms.
That morning for breakfast we stopped at a bakery and had fresh baked croissants and espresso. I don't know if it was the location I was in or the food itself, but I really think that was one of the best meals I've ever had. The day only got better from there. Once we walked into the city, we stumbled upon some type of procession of people playing music, waving incense, and carrying around a statue of a saint. Perfectly Italian. I'm not sure exactly sure what the procession was for, but it was beautiful. The whole scene made Bologna even more dream like to me; I really was living in a movie. Paige and I kept running into the procession as we winded down the tiny streets of Bologna, and every time we ran into them, we had to stop and stare because it was really just that mesmerizing.
We ended the day with a nice dinner at an outdoor Italian cafe. Having already had pizza and gelato, there was one Italian staple still left on my list: spaghetti. So dinner was of course, the best spaghetti I've ever had in my life. Paige and I split a bottle of wine at the cafe and decided to call it a night. I've never been so sad for a day to end.
This may have been my first trip to Bologna, but it definitely will not be my last. The 2 days I spent there were by far the most I've felt at home since arriving in Europe. Everything I already knew and thought about Italy was once again solidified in my mind. I know I will be returning some day, and hopefully for much longer than 2 days.
Next stop: Lanzarote, Canary Islands. (I live a rough life, I know.)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Le Petit Chose
So this is a post I've been thinking about doing for a while now, but for some reason kept putting it off. I think after being here for nearly 2 months now, it time to post it. And it's kind of more for my benefit to read back on when I get home than it is for others to read now, but maybe it will give you a little more insight into my day-to-day life in Brussels.
I was coming home from school this afternoon and on the long, boring, monotonous walk I looked to my left and saw a person driving a car. Now of course, this is something I see on a daily basis and never think much of it, but today I saw the car and thought to myself, "Hey... I have one of those." Its weird. I've developed a routine here completely different from that of home, and at first I was a little thrown off by the differences, but now the differences are just normal, which I guess is good and bad in a way. Good in that I'm getting use to my life in Brussels, and the subtle differences in culture that once seemed so strange to me, I hardly notice anymore, but at the same time its bad in that when its time to go back home I have no doubt reverse culture shock is going to set in. Not having to either walk everywhere, or leave early enough so that I can catch the bus is going to be strange.
Over the past couple weeks I've compiled a list of just little things from home I miss on a daily basis (aside from people, my house, my bed, school, etc) that I never really thought about until they were no longer there. So here is just a few of them...
1. Internet. We all complain at BSC about how bad Apogee sucks, but let me tell you... Apogee is A MILLION times better than any internet service you'll find over here. Especially at Vesalius... In one of my classes we literally have to climb on chairs multiple times during class to restart the router that's attached to the ceiling b/c the internet died again. It's not fun. And also, internet use is regulated so watching TV on my computer when I'm at home isn't really an option because it uses too much of the internet. Also slightly obnoxious.
2. Clothes dryers. Have you ever put on crunchy, hard clothes? Try doing that daily. Home dryers are next to nonexistent here. I'm very VERY lucky in that my wonderful host mom, Carmen, does my laundry for me about once every two weeks and even irons my clothes after they air dry, but I miss pulling soft warm clothes out of the dryer or taking a shower and then wrapping up in a soft towel, but instead... everything is hard and crunchy from air drying.
3. My car. public transport over here is sooo much better than it is at home (well, it's pretty much nonexistent in Alabama so any public transport would be better than what we have.) but as nice as it is here, I miss being able to just hop in my car and go wherever whenever and not have to wait for the bus...
4. Time! nothing has been harder for me to get use to here than the crazy timezone switch. I always forget that when I get ready to talk to people at home, its normally REALLY early in the morning there. Being back in the same time zone and not having to subtract 7 hours from my current time will definitely be nice.
5. My cell phone. I have a phone here, but let's get real. Its teeny tiny, I lose it about once every 5 minutes, and if I picked it up to call/text people at home every time something happens that makes me think of them (which is quite frequently) it would probably cost me a small fortune.
But with all of that said, I do have to admit there are just as many things here I'm going to miss when I get back home. Just like coming over, a lot of them I probably won't even realize I'm going to miss until they're gone. It really is the little things...
I was coming home from school this afternoon and on the long, boring, monotonous walk I looked to my left and saw a person driving a car. Now of course, this is something I see on a daily basis and never think much of it, but today I saw the car and thought to myself, "Hey... I have one of those." Its weird. I've developed a routine here completely different from that of home, and at first I was a little thrown off by the differences, but now the differences are just normal, which I guess is good and bad in a way. Good in that I'm getting use to my life in Brussels, and the subtle differences in culture that once seemed so strange to me, I hardly notice anymore, but at the same time its bad in that when its time to go back home I have no doubt reverse culture shock is going to set in. Not having to either walk everywhere, or leave early enough so that I can catch the bus is going to be strange.
Over the past couple weeks I've compiled a list of just little things from home I miss on a daily basis (aside from people, my house, my bed, school, etc) that I never really thought about until they were no longer there. So here is just a few of them...
1. Internet. We all complain at BSC about how bad Apogee sucks, but let me tell you... Apogee is A MILLION times better than any internet service you'll find over here. Especially at Vesalius... In one of my classes we literally have to climb on chairs multiple times during class to restart the router that's attached to the ceiling b/c the internet died again. It's not fun. And also, internet use is regulated so watching TV on my computer when I'm at home isn't really an option because it uses too much of the internet. Also slightly obnoxious.
2. Clothes dryers. Have you ever put on crunchy, hard clothes? Try doing that daily. Home dryers are next to nonexistent here. I'm very VERY lucky in that my wonderful host mom, Carmen, does my laundry for me about once every two weeks and even irons my clothes after they air dry, but I miss pulling soft warm clothes out of the dryer or taking a shower and then wrapping up in a soft towel, but instead... everything is hard and crunchy from air drying.
3. My car. public transport over here is sooo much better than it is at home (well, it's pretty much nonexistent in Alabama so any public transport would be better than what we have.) but as nice as it is here, I miss being able to just hop in my car and go wherever whenever and not have to wait for the bus...
4. Time! nothing has been harder for me to get use to here than the crazy timezone switch. I always forget that when I get ready to talk to people at home, its normally REALLY early in the morning there. Being back in the same time zone and not having to subtract 7 hours from my current time will definitely be nice.
5. My cell phone. I have a phone here, but let's get real. Its teeny tiny, I lose it about once every 5 minutes, and if I picked it up to call/text people at home every time something happens that makes me think of them (which is quite frequently) it would probably cost me a small fortune.
But with all of that said, I do have to admit there are just as many things here I'm going to miss when I get back home. Just like coming over, a lot of them I probably won't even realize I'm going to miss until they're gone. It really is the little things...
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