Writing this on the way to PARIS.

Sometimes, after I plan something and it goes really well, I think that I should be a travel agent. And then part of my plan goes horribly wrong and I rethink pursuing that profession. I am currently writing this on a megabus, destination: Paris. It wasn't an easy journey ending up in this seat. I thought that I had planned exceptionally well for this trip. When we had gone to Amsterdam, I had forgotten to save directions to the hostel, so we had to go to Starbucks when we got there so that I could figure out directions. I was certain that I could make things go smoothly this time around. I stayed up late saving directions to everywhere that we had to go for the next 24 hours. I shouldn't have bothered.

One thing that I haven't shared with my roommates yet is that when people give me directions, it never makes sense to me. I have gotten OK at reading maps... but visualizing a map when someone is telling me where to go... just doesn't work in the slightest. To be safe, I asked for directions from the international ticket booth just in case my map was wrong. Well, it turns out my map was wrong. I repeated the directions to my travel mates, but to no avail. We found no megabus station. I went back to the station and asked for the directions again. They still made absolutely no sense to me (even thought they were, "Make a right and then take your second right." That should have been a piece of cake, right? Not for me.). After the four other interns were convinced that we weren't going to make it (that thought hadn't crossed my mind... apparently I have a lot more faith in myself than they do), Mallory and I finally found a lot of buses that looked like they could be megabuses. 

In the directions that the lady at the train station had given us, she had said that we won't know if we are there or not. I kept asking for landmarks that would help us know that we were at the right spot, but she said that there was no sign, no station, no way to know. We were doomed for failure from the get-go. But after 30 minutes of searching, when it was probably about two minutes away, we found it.  If that had been Julia and I, I would've been a lot less stressed out about finding it... but knowing that I am our best chance of finding things... puts a lot of pressure on me. Thank God I work well under pressure. Maybe that's why I am doing so much better this trip with not getting lost. The fact that I, myself, am my only hope. It adds that sense of urgency that I never had traveling with older siblings.

Another reason to travel by yourself: you'll find out you're capable of things that you weren't aware of... simply because you're doomed if you don't find a way to be capable of these things.

In Bruges.

Venice of the North they say? Well, "they" are right. This city lived up to what people say about it. Each side street was beautiful and unique in its own way. The gables of each building and the way the reflections hit the canal combined into a beautiful serenity as we strolled along the bridges and canal. 

Not only that, but the ride into Bruges, with a beautiful layer of snow on the ground, was enough to keep our attention, even as yet another train conductor tried to scheme 60 euros out of us. We got him down to 3 euros. Every Belgian train conductor seems to have a different story about Belgian train law... I am now under the impression that it is all bs. 

We headed straight for the bell tower and climbed it for the best view I have seen since I have been here.

Unbeatable.

After the climb down, we ran into our friends, the Sweets and Kelsey. We made not-to0-precise plans to meet up later at some point, since Bruges is so small (clearly - we had already run into each other once!) Bonnie, Mallory and I then headed to The Church of Our Lady to see Michelangelo's sculpture of the Madonna and Child. The only part of the church that we had to pay for was the one corridor where the sculpture was held. This was the sculpture that Michelangelo worked on whenever he felt like he needed a break from working on The David. It was cool... a bit underwhelming after seeing his best work in Florence.

Mallory and I then made our way to De Halve Maan brewery for a much awaited tour. Everyone that I have talked to about  Bruges has mentioned this brewery and raved about the tour that they offer... They failed to mention that the tours fill up very fast. Mallory and had been under the impression that this brewery was one of those little unknown places, that a few people I knew had just happened to find. We were wrong. It is apparently a big deal and the 4 o'clock tour was full... This was a problem seeing as we were meeting up with Bonnie at 5:30. We headed across the street to a bar to devise a plan.

After about ten minutes of brainstorming, we came to the conclusion that Bonnie would be OK if we were 15 minutes late. We would just run over to meet her after the tour and we would be golden. I ran to tell the brewery that we would be there for the 5 o'clock... they had sold out. So, we enjoyed our beer and each other's company... we were in Bruges. No matter how much things don't go according to plan when you're traveling, it can only affect you so much. The best experiences are those that are unplanned. 

We grabbed some beer from the brewery and a waffle and strolled back to the square. We met up with Bonnie without any issues. She informed me that she ran into the Sweets (of course... Bruges is so small), and that they would meet me at the statue at 6:30pm. Perfect plan. Right while she was telling me this, I looked up because I heard my name and they were on the third floor of the castle in the square. I waved and then left to show Bonnie and Mallory how to get to the bus stop.

I came back to wait in the square for twenty minutes for the Sweets... they never showed... or so I thought. Apparently they came straight down from the castle after they saw me and searched through the square for me. I came back as they were searching the square for me... and began walking around looking for them. Bruges is not as small as we had thought. I never found them. But, I got some pretty incredible people-watching under my belt in the square... and some great pictures.

I then got a taste of what it will be like when I am traveling (starting next week!) by myself. I was starting to think that I wanted to get a beer somewhere near the square (at this point quite certain I was going at it alone for the rest of the evening). As I peered through one of the windows, I noticed that there was a lady sitting there drinking wine and reading a book. I thought... perfect! that can be me too! Nope. I walked in, happily noticing that there were many open spots... but was told that they could not serve me. I think that they had filled their "drinking alone" quota for the evening. 

It was just as well. I ended up exploring every street off of the square. I am much more adventurous when I am by myself because I don't have to stress about leading people astray. I put away my map and just wandered. It was wonderful. Which brings me back to this city being the "Venice of the North." The more I think about it, it really does make sense because that is exactly what you do in Venice... just wander! 

I tried to use my sense of direction to figure out which way the train station was (we had taken the bus in, so I hadn't made the trip walking at this point). I had been walking down one of the streets when I suddenly realized that the beer I had purchased at the brewery was back in the square. I booked it back to the square, certain that someone had snatched it, but no. There it was. I couldn't help but grin as I approached my big purchase of the day.

At this point I realized that I shouldn't really push my luck. I hopped on the next bus that came through and headed to the train. I ended up having to pay a fine on the way home too... these Belgian conductors are so predictably, annoyingly nice each time they describe to me their version of how the train system works. It's like the train is their little kingdom and some of them fall into dictatorship, while others remain a democracy. Some tax people just for being there... ah, enough of that confusing analogy. Bruges is awesome. Go! Explore.

On Antwerp.

I heard mixed reviews about Antwerp before we went, so I was not expecting much. It is an understatement to say that it blew us all away. Granted, we all know that it is because we went in with such low expectations... it's amazing what perspective can do to an experience. 

Expecting only a shopping and diamond district, we were blown away when the Rick Steves' walk led us to the most beautiful square. It had a historic church with a 400 foot "gothic rocket" as the spire, but even more than that, the square was filled with the most uniquely shaped buildings with just the right amount of light shining through. Suffice it to say, we went at the right time of day.

The journey to and through Antwerp was enjoyed with a lovely family that has become very special to my roommates and I. Ben and Julie, who are headed to Japan after Belgium, were the perfect family to travel with. They have the same trust and admiration for Rick Steves that I do. Not only do we both have his book for Belgium, but we read around from his book in a circle as we huddled in a grocery store to get warm. I didn't think that I could be happier until Ben made a toast to him at dinner that night. 

OK. So, you are starting to think I'm crazy because I think this guy I never met is so awesome. Just think though... because of him, I have followed my sister on several tours through countries and led (this time around) many people through some beautiful cities because he has comprehensive maps and great suggestions on what to do and where to eat. So yes, my day was made because Ben, Julie and I proudly toasted the man that made all of this possible.

Oh yes, we also got some melt-in-your-mouth waffles as we walked along the beautiful streets of Antwerp.

As the sun was setting, we headed to the water because Amy was dying to see some water... or something like that. To our surprise there was a beautiful castle that we happened upon as we headed to the bridge for a good look of the Scheldt River. Ben and I, both confused, looked frantically through our guidebooks to see if this was actually a castle or not, and as we both found at the same time, the walking tour pointed out that it was indeed "old castle." Rick said nothing else about it, so that is still all we know about it, but we got some pretty great pictures there!

Maybe it was the company, maybe it was the sights... Ok, clearly it was both. But Antwerp really took our breath away.

Pictures of the square that we loved and ended up having dinner on. Ben and I went out into the square during dinner to capture the beauty of the square at night!

As you can see, the "gothic rocket" is truly impressive... the 400 foot spire basically disappears into the clouds. We also went into this church to see three of Rubens' paintings... and of course to see the beautiful interior of the church. I can't even tell you how many European churches I have been into... 30? At least? But they never cease to leave me speechless. The confusing history and triumph that each church has gone through to be able to have visitors is astounding and just doesn't really make sense. Stories of bombs hitting everything surrounding a church, but missing the church itself are truly awe-inspiring.

Well, what can I say... I was going to recount many more tales from the day, but pictures speak a thousand words. You can now see why a trip should be planned for this city.

An attempt to describe the blur that was this week.

I like to think of myself as a realist... in my heart I know this is so false. I'm obnoxiously optimistic about most things. This is why I'm late ALL THE TIME. It's not that I'm a disrespectful person; I just have a lot more faith in myself than I should. "I can easily wake up at 8:20 and wash my face, brush my teeth, do my hair, put on makeup, eat breakfast and get coffee before 8:30. NO PROBLEM." ...What is wrong with me? For some reason, the way my mind works, the better I anticipate things to go, the better they will turn out. HA. That's the worst life lesson if I ever heard one.

That was a pretty accurate explanation of how every morning goes. One morning, Amy walked in just as I was throwing my hair into the daily ponytail, and said, "Mallory and I weren't sure if you were going to make it or not today..." They had every reason to be concerned. I had a meeting at 12:30pm on Thursday and Lydia goes, "Did you just come from watching the kids, or did you just wake up?.. You look really tired." (I had just come from watching the kids for four hours, but hadn't quite made it to makeup that morning.) I got several head turns and "you look really tired" comments that day. But hey, what can you do. 

I don't want to bore you with a daily synopsis of my life... and couldn't give one even if I tried. I'll hit the highlights the best I can and try to keep in interesting... Monday we didn't start watching the kids until 2:00 which was AMAZING. It had snowed the night before, so it was beautiful outside... I don't think I actually went outside because it was so cold, but everything looked gorgeous from the window! Tuesday, Kelsey (one of the missionaries, but same age as us!), Amy, Mallory and I headed into Leuven for the afternoon. Kelsey and Amy headed downtown for some shopping while Mallory and I headed to the bar at which we had found her favorite beer, Trappist Rochefort No. 8, a delectable, dark, "honey flavored" (in her words) beer, which is made by monks! It is definitely one of my favorites as well. That evening we had a delicious, home cooked meal from Olivia (she teaches the 4-7 year-olds). 

 

Working hard in Leuven!

Wednesday was the BAG (Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent) exercise. It is a team building exercise. The scenario we were given was that we had an afternoon to prepare for a team of 20 coming that wanted to take trips to all three while they are in Brussels. Amy and I immediately volunteered for Antwerp, the only one of the three that we had not yet been to. Little did we know that we were signing up to have an "observer" come along with us. Amy, Bonnie (one of the other interns), and I, as well as the observer, Carolyn, ended up being in charge of going to Brussels and Antwerp. Carolyn came along to report back on our teamwork skills, which she told us were fabulous. Our team won the "BAG exercise" based on how much we got done and prepared, but lost on a technicality: apparently one of the other teams had spent less money, by sending two people to Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. Not efficient if you ask me, but I didn't even get any of the "Victory beer" that our team got because, well, everyone else got to it first.

Thursday. Work day for Mallory and I. We headed to the Bru House so I could do some design work, she some writing and we collectively brainstormed on some ideas for business cards for her which I am making! Afterwards, we headed to the grocery store where we found the Trappist beer, and let's just say I stocked up... I didn't know if we'd find it again, so we now have many a beer sitting on our window sill.

We ended the day with a much needed beer (after dealing with screaming children that we were babysitting) and a movie <3

On Amsterdam.

Amsterdam. As charming and breath-taking in the winter as it is in the summer. Growing up, my parents would read us many stories about Dutch kids, and in so many of the stories they went iceskating in Amsterdam. Well, on this trip I got to do just that, and it was everything I always dreamed it would be.

But, I will get back to that. We got onto the train for Amsterdam after a morning of hard work and a stressful lunch of everyone trying to figure out how to print out their tickets. We each grabbed two seats for ourselves so that we could recline comfortably for the three hour train ride. I don't even know how to describe how homey it felt, to settle in to a train knowing I was headed to another country. I love to just put my headphones in and write, read or watch the beautiful scenery go by. 

For the second half of the train ride, a couple of my buddies came from the next car over and hung out with me. 

Elliot and Locksley, headed to Scotland with their parents after Belgium!

When we arrived at Amsterdam Centraal Station, my four fellow interns and I headed to the hostel that I had booked for us, which had, let's just say, mixed reviews (one of the elements that I did not share with them while planning for the trip.) I looked for a place for us to buy the tram tickets, but after seeing the angst in their faces as I searched for the right machine, I decided that we should just go for it. So, we hopped on the tram and made it to our hostel without a glitch!

Can I just say, I think someone snuck a horseshoe, or four leaf clover... or something in my bag before this trip. With the unavoidable minor glitch here and there, everything pretty much went fabulously. 

After checking into our super chill and wonderfully located hostel, we headed to a Mexican restaurant down the street. Here, our waiter kept talking to me about his baby. (He seemed to think we had this in common since the cover photo on my phone is of me and my nephew.)

We then headed to the Van Gogh museum which was less than 10 minutes away - walking! The main reason that I wanted to stay at the hostel we went to was because it got 95% for location. And they were not kidding! I was excited to go to the Van Gogh museum because I knew who he was and had seen many of his paintings in various museums throughout the years, and because I had also read up on the museum... apparently that's just what I do now. I was not prepared for how awe-inspiring a museum on just one guy would be though.

The main reason that we did the Van Gogh museum the first night was because Rick Steves sad that there would be no line. Also, one of the other guys, Aaron, who was also headed to Amsterdam for the weekend said, "Why do during the day [when it is beautiful out] what you can do at night?" But another awesome thing about going on a Friday night was the live music that we were able to enjoy as we perused through the museum. It was techno music, which is so not my thing... but something about techno music mixed with Van Gogh totally works!

After the museum, we took a relaxing stroll along the canal. Even though this was my third time to the city, I will never get used to the way the lights reflect off the canals at night. We also peered into windows, noticing the orchids and tulips in every window and bookshelves that engulf entire rooms. So serene. 

We got up bright and early the next morning, and after a stop at the Nutella shop, that gave Amy more joy than I could possibly describe to you, we hopped on a train and headed towards Centraal station. We dropped off our bags at the station so that we could experience Amsterdam hands-free. A canal tour was the next thing on the list, which was equally enjoyed by all. After the tour, we headed to Dam square which is one of my favorite things about Amsterdam. I love just sitting on the stairs of the monument and people-watching. I could do this for hours... and I have. No one else seemed to share my sentiment. Which is just as well. There really is nothing to do there, I just love the atmosphere of it. It was actually National Tulip day, so there was a band and approximately a trillion tulips in the square!

A stroll through the flower market and cheese shops was imperative. We sampled cheeses and decided on a smoked goat's cheese for dinner, at my urging of course. By far my favorite kind of cheese! After this, we headed to the Rijksmuseum, which Mallory and Jennifer went to, and iceskating right outside of it, which Bonnie, Amy and I did! It was so surreal.

Amy and I iceskating with the Rijksmuseum in the background.

I did my best to capture the beauty of iceskating in Amsterdam.

We all met up again and went into a nearby museum cafe to eat our bread and cheese. Right after we had gotten all of our food out and just received our hot beverages from the cafe... we were kicked out. Bread and cheese for dinner is a much easier dinner in the summer when the side of a canal is just as warm as any cafe. Not quite the same story in the winter. At Mallory's suggestion, we then headed to a McDonalds and were able to devour our wonderful meal without interruption there. 

I know it looks sketch, but it was such an amazing meal.

I had also just bought a to-go coffee cup which I was able to pour my drink into from the restaurant that we were kicked out of. So, I consider that a win for me for sure.

The Anne Frank House was our final stop. I am so thankful that I had read The Diary of Anne Frank before I went because it helped me to fully appreciate seeing her original diaries and the rooms in which she spent her final years. So moving.

We then hopped on a tram, paying for it this time, back to Centraal Station and, after me hitting up an info booth for help, got on the right train. We had a connection to catch in Rotterdam. I assumed that we would have a few minutes to figure out which train once we got to Rotterdam Centraal. We hit the train platform and I made straight for the stairs, wanting to find a screen that told us where to head. Thankfully, Mallory had her wits about her and pointed to the train right next to ours that was about to leave that had our destination listed. We all ran for it, and thankfully, somehow made it right before it sped away from the station. Apparently the way I had booked our tickets, we had approximately 30 seconds to switch trains... and we made it! Thank you, Mallory.

This is about the time when the horseshoe and/or four leaf clover must have fallen out of my pocket. We got off at Brussels Centraal Station, and seeing that we would get home sooner if we switched trains at the airport, we headed for that one. The conductor on this train ended up charging us about $10 EACH (for a five minute ride... even though we already had tickets) because we were going through a "private tunnel." 

We got to the airport train station and I did not know where anything was. I checked the schedule and, realizing that our next train was about to leave, started running and yelling that everyone should follow me... thankfully the conductors saw (and I'm sure heard) us running up the track and we all made it on... just barely. These very kind conductors then told us that their "colleague made a mistake," and we shouldn't have been charged at all on the last train. They jotted his name down and, I'm hoping he is now in a heap of trouble.

Suffice it to say, eventually, we made it home.

I also forgot to mention that in the past 24 hours I have spilled raspberries all over the grocery store floor, shattered a glass mustard bottle on a McDonalds floor and kicked over and shattered a glass of beer... that was on carpet. Luck - officially gone.

On this trip especially, I discovered a new-found love for maps. It's like a game. "Can I make it to the next street?!" Sometimes I win... Sometimes I don't. But hey, that's how every game goes!

For anyone worrying about the raids and such going on in Belgium, know that we are OK! It is something that we are praying about as it is so close to us, but you should know that we are out of harm's way! Here is an article on everything that has been going on. 

On where I write.

Today is Sunday. I walk into the Bru House and the owner, Allen, in his cheery Irish accent, asks me about church that morning. We then have a great chat about the sermon, which was on James. He then turns to everyone at the bar and tells them that everything James has to say will "really hit them in the balls." I don't know if I've mentioned this, but Allen became a Christian about six months ago, and as you can see, really has a way with words. He also loves to check up on me, with a "anything else I can get ya, little lady?" And then he'll bring me my beer and peer over my shoulder at my computer and read whatever I am working on. Let's hope that doesn't happen while I am writing about him.

I know I talk about this bar in almost every post, but I have never found an atmosphere that I have loved writing in more. My last post, "just the highlights," I wrote on a train... and all I could think of was the facts and a timeline of everything that happened. When I'm at the bar, listening to all of the talk on politics, sports and beer, I feel like I can describe things much more clearly. Usually when I am working on anything, I need headphones so I can focus, but not here.

"The Bru House" - taken at 3pm from my little table by the window.

Allen always recommends a different beer for me each time I order because he knows that I want to try as many as possible in my time here. I have yet to be disappointed!

Allen, owner of The Bru House.

In my corner by the window in the Bru House, applying for jobs. This picture, as well as the one of Allen, was taken by Bobbi Jo Brooks, one of the missionaries that I am staying with, who is also a photographer.

Just the highlights.

I honestly feel like, at this point, my main job when with the kids is wiping noses. Every single kid is sick in some way or another, from constantly running noses, to explosive sneezes to fevers and coughs... So as you may have guessed, we're all getting sick at this point. 

Tuesday afternoon, Mallory and I needed a little break so we headed into town to the Bru House, where the Irish owner, Allen, loves to hang out with us and give us a hard time about everything. He is quick to stand up and yell at any man that approaches us, even if it's someone we know. It's great.

After babysitting kids so some couples could have a date night (all we had to do was put the kids to bed and be there in case they woke up), we began planning for Amsterdam.

Wednesday, we discovered the university town of Leuven, which is just a short 20 minute train ride from our town - perfect for an afternoon trip. It was my first time going to a city this trip without my Rick Steves' book to guide my footsteps. I felt lost.

Thankfully, Amy had been there previously and led us to the breathtaking town hall, after stopping to check out some sales and H&M and Zara, of course! It was so wonderful to find a town so close that we can stop by for the day, shop, grab a beer and leave! Well, that is, after gawking at every turn.

Wednesday evening can be summed up by three words: beer, wine and trivia.
As we settled in with new beers to try and €4 wine, casual conversation with a trivia question from Amy every now and then, turned into half of us downloading this trivia app and collectively playing for hours.

I had wanted to stay out past dinner on Wednesday so I had switched dish duty with someone. This turned out to be a fatal mistake. I ended up with dish duty on Thursday afternoon... When the dishwasher just so happened to be broken. This disaster brought on two hours of washing dishes by hand, but hey, I got to know the guys I had dish duty with really well.

Thursday afternoon I went to Allen's to get some work done, where he helped me with my resume and cover letter. Who knew going to a bar would be so helpful?

Mallory and I, needing a good night out on the town (the town of Zaventem, basically meaning one of the 3 bars in walking distance), headed back to the Bru House that night for some R&R.

On exploring, stressing and planning.

I just placed a coat on the seat next to me because I realized that my lovely friend from the other night was not kidding when he said that he comes to this bar every day...

I would recommend traveling solo to anyone that has the guts to do it. There is so much that I have learned about so many people and places that I don't even know where to start. Also, it is amazing how much I have learned about myself. I didn't realize how important it is to me to know what I am looking at and exploring, until I went to Europe without my sister, Julia. In the past, she was always my personal tour guide that read up on every city before arrival and smoothly recited facts about everything we saw. 

Now, I spend hours reading up on cities before I visit them. I've realized how much I love it. I am totally now the annoying girl that spouts out facts at random, but hey, someone's gotta be that person, right? Like, I literally know that people don't care and still can't stop sharing my excitement about good deals and beautiful sights and good places to eat. Some people call me their personal "travel gnome," and others simply don't respond... And I just get way too excited when I find other people that love planning. 

That is definitely a problem I have run into. I am used to planning for trips with others who want to plan ahead and know what they are getting themselves into. But here, I have stumbled across some amazing people who don't want to plan and that trust me way more than I want them too. I ask help for picking a place to stay and the answer is... "I'm sure you'll make the right decision!" I ask where they want to go... "Well, where do you think we should go?" While I do love planning, I get so stressed out thinking that people are going to hate what I choose, but so far it has worked out OK!

Now that I'm done pretending that this is a diary, let me recap the last few days...

Monday. After lunch, we split into teams and headed into brussels for a cultural exercise. Without getting too into it, I'll just describe it by saying that we had to (in two hours) discover the history, sights, culture, nightlife and religion of the Belgian people... by talking to the people in Brussels. Thankfully, the day before, I had gone into Brussels and done that walking tour of the sights of Brussels, so I was prepared to report on the sights. The problem was that we had to take pictures with all of the sights. Thankfully, Amy immediately told the group that my iPad would be of better use with me using my Rick Steves' guidebook than me sitting at the Starbucks in town on the internet. So, her and I set out to take pictures with every single sight in Brussels that we had time for. Of course, we made time for waffles (with strawberries, bananas and dark chocolate. To DIE FOR). 

Monday evening:
All of the girls went out for Jillisa (one of the missionaries) 's birthday at the Italian restaurant across the tracks. The 18 of us enjoyed everything from pizza and salad to calzones and pasta. When I got back back to the Zav center,

thankfully someone was running out to get beer, so I was able to settle in with a Belgian brew while applying for jobs.

*Recap of the week continues in the next post..!

And this is what happens when I get behind on blogging... SO MANY WORDS.

Currently experiencing my first time drinking at a bar alone. I like to think that since girls do it in the movies all of the time, that it is absolutely normal. Already had a lovely conversation with some guy about only he knows what… I have definitely been implementing the smile and nod technique here. Still not amazing with accents.

The moment I stepped out to come here, I was overwhelmed with the sense of freedom. Not because I was leaving the “Zav Center,” the place I am living for the next month, not because I was on the way to a bar, but because I’m in Europe and I have my entire life ahead of me to do with whatever I wish. What that is… well, that remains to be seen.

Now let’s take a look at the last few days of my life. My life in Belgium, so far, has been so much more than I could have hoped for. I have two amazing roommates, Mallory and Amy, who provide sanity and a steady stream of comic relief. Today is Sunday, and I think the last time I wrote was Thursday, so I have a lot to catch up on and am clearly having a hard time figuring out where to start.

HA. That guy just came up and asked me if I’m alright… I guess maybe only sad girls drink at bars alone. For me, it’s a good place to think… I am soaking in the culture while I try to describe it to you, not really any better way to do it if you ask me.

We have settled into a comfortable routine. Weekdays we wake up at about 7:45 and prepare for 4 hours of screaming children, exploding diapers and just enough smiles and laughs to get us through to lunch. After lunch we are free to do… WHATEVER WE WANT.  So, Friday we set out for Ghent. I, of course, did significant research and was prepared. Of course, it was impossible for everything to go as planned.

Back to the bar I’m at: Everyone here is speaking English. Europeans are so much smarter than most Americans… I’m in a small town and they all know English.

Also, I might have skipped Thursday: as far as I can recollect, I explored Zaventem, relaxed, hung out with people... probably, maybe? Who knows.

Anyway, back to Friday, I wanted to leave at 1… We left at 2. There were just enough screams from the children for us to need an hour before we went off gallivanting. I ended up leading us to the train that took an hour instead of 30 minutes. OOPS. But it’s OK. WE MADE IT. I don’t think there was a moment in the first few hours where I didn’t have my head buried in my Rick Steve’s book searching for guidance.

First, we went to St. Michael’s Bridge. (This is after I got us on the RIGHT tram going in the RIGHT direction… my confidence is soaring. Maybe it shouldn’t be, but it is.) This provides a breathtaking 360 panoramic view of the town. Something about canals just never gets old. Ever. The way the buildings line up along them, the way they twist and turn under bridges and disappear… It is perfection in the rain and the sun, in the day and the night. Suffice to say, we took a lot of pictures here.

We gawked at St. Michael’s Cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Bavo and Belfry. It’s amazing how uninterested I get with anything built after 1600. But even the Neo-Gothic spire is beyond impressive and it was built in 1913 (which is 100 years old, but I feel like it was not that long ago, so weird!) We went into St. Nicholas’ Church, which was stripped of all adornments in the 16^th century by the Protestants during the reformation, quite sad actually. We checked out the Castle of the Counts, which was closed, but more than worth the short trek along the canal to reach it. It was built in 1180 to intimidate the city’s independence-minded citizens. It intimidated me too.

For dinner we checked out ‘t Stropke, “The Noose,” which was recommended by Rick. Unimpressed, dude. We had to go get coffee elsewhere while we waited for their kitchen to open (which wasn’t half bad, considering the elegant teacups and frothy cappuccinos). We were at the restaurant from 6:00 – 7:30 on a Friday night and we were the only ones THE ENTIRE TIME. Anyone that knows anything about eating in general knows that is a bad sign. The food was great, but the service was sub-par, which was odd, because it was just us. But hey, we were in Ghent, so it didn’t faze me. Just remember to try elsewhere for dinner if ever you venture that way.

After wandering for a while longer, I had an awesome bar, with 249 beer selections, that my roommate, Mallory, and I really wanted to go to… but we ended up going back because some other people wanted to leave. Which was fine. Something that I think some people don’t understand yet is how alcohol is such an important part of culture. Food and alcohol. I think I have more pictures of those two things than any cathedrals and castles. So, needless to say, I am hoping to head back there with people who understand me!

Saturday. Orientation day. Not going to lie, I was not looking forward to this because I had wanted to do a weekend trip, but I am so happy that I went! I think about 15 of us headed to St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland to meet with the pastor and figure out where we would be going each Sunday. It was so great to finally get some quality time with the families that we are staying with. Up to that point, the only contact we had with parents was when they dropped their kids off for us to take care of them… or the hallway and bathrooms.

I connected with one family in particular, I think because they remind me of my brother, Jon, and his family who are always ready for adventure! I love it when I see parents with four kids headed out into the unknown and doing GREAT! So impressive.

Bonnie, Amy and I hung with them for most of the afternoon (after a 15 minute scare of thinking that we had lost Bonnie  - who had gone to buy herself lasagna in the market and was none the wiser). We explored Brussels amidst the heavy downpours and random moments of sunshine, heading into many shops along the way to explore and escape the rain. After hours of exploring, they headed back to town while Amy, Bonnie and I ventured on. We went back to the Grand Place, where I gave a history lesson of all of the buildings, courtesy of Rick Steves.

RANDOM THOUGHT: At some point this week, it has all meshed together so I can’t tell you when, but Ben, one of the missionaries, and I had an awesome, bonding conversation about Rick Steves. It must have been when we came back from Ghent. He mentioned Rick when I was telling him about Ghent and he ran and got his travel guidebook. The same one as me. I was elated. I flipped through the pages and showed and told him everything I could think of. Thank you, Rick, for helping me bond with people over your Awesomeness.

After exploring all over Brussels, I came back to my wonderful roommate, Mallory, who was thankfully ready for some dinner in Zaventem. We went to this Belgian diner that Amy had raved about. I got this beef stew type of thing that you dip your fries into. SO GOOD. We also tried the famous “Kriek,” cherry beer. After a few sips we came to the same conclusion: cough syrup. NOT HAPPENING ever again.

Sunday morning we went back to St. Andrew’s and then went to an awesome place for lunch. Rick Steve’s mentioned Le Mokafe, so four of us headed there and were entirely impressed. After that, everyone else headed back to town and I stayed to do the “Upper Town walk.” I had way too much fun by myself. I read every historical fact in my travel guide about everything that I was looking at and walked away feeling scholarly and well traveled. I saw Place Royale, Parc de Bruxelles, Notre-Dame du Sablan Church, the Palace of Justice and Tour d-Angle… just to name a few! I could describe how beautiful each building and street was and what I learned, but it would take much too long.

Basically, to sum it all up… if anyone is worrying about me, you’re crazy. I am beyond happy here and cannot wait to see what else I am going to experience. Sorry that at times this turns into a diary instead of a blog. I just hate the idea of actually keeping a diary because no one will read it, so some random thoughts end up spilling onto the pages of this blog.

On Brussels, coffee and beer.

If you get confused about which day I am talking about, it is because I myself do not know. My mind is still a jumble, trying to figure out days, times, languages (etc.). In the town  in which we are staying, Zaventem, the language is Flemish (a form of Dutch). In Brussels, a 15-20 min. train ride away, the main language is French. The confusion often results in me staring blankly whenever someone opens a door for me or hands me a menu. "Thank you," "Merci," "Danke" and "Gratsi" (when at the Italian restaurant) all flood through my mind, and the hesitation I'm sure has made me look like a very rude American. Sorry, I haven't really proved the stereotype wrong quite yet.

Yesterday, we headed into downtown Brussels to buy train and bus tickets. I, feeling confident of late, hopped into the line next to the one that all of other interns were in, attempting to make everything go faster. Of course, the line I got into had very confused backpackers at the front, trying very hard to go who knows where, and not succeeding. While I empathized with their pain, they made me take a good 15 minutes longer than everyone else, so I decided to blend in with the Belgians in the line and tap my foot impatiently at the "stupid Americans." Sorry guys.

We kind of explored Brussels... We stopped by Grand Place, a courtyard which received three triangles from Rick Steves (the highest rank), and probably the most famous sight of Brussels. It was more of a tease than exploration. We walked by some coffee shops and bars and restaurants and really cool-looking alleyways... and then left. So, we will be going back there tomorrow (and many times a week) to really get to know the city.

Last night we went to a delicious Italian restaurant where I was able to devour some authentic Italian pizza and house red wine. It brought me back - nothing like those liters of cheap Italian red wine with doughy, delectable pizza. Seriously.

Today the chaos began. All the missionaries have arrived at the "Zav Centre" (our shared home for the next month.) There are 20 adults and 21 kids, not including the interns. Hence, why our presence is so necessary. And hence why the espresso machine is already my favorite thing about this place. I have already figured out that pushing the coffee button once and then the espresso button once, fills up the coffee cup perfectly. MAJOR SUCCESS.

 It's amazing how fast the time goes when you're trying to keep track of so many kids. We will be with the kids every morning from 8:30-12:30 every morning while the missionaries go through training, and then will usually have all of our afternoons and evenings free. Which is AWESOME. Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp are all less than an hour away, so we have already planned many trips! 

My roommate, Mallory, and I set out after lunch to check out the local bar, which is about a five minute walk from where we are. Talk about another success. The bar is owned by a friendly, helpful Irishman. He immediately helped me with which Belgian beer I should try first. I am going to have to go A LOT to try all of the Belgian beers there. Which is no problem, of course. He gave us many tips on Zaventem, Brussels and Ireland, with the promise of more tips when we return!

Settling in.

I thought that I made the biggest traveler's mistake ever yesterday... I fell asleep as soon as I found a bed. It actually worked out wonderfully though! In the past, I have always stayed up for the entire day after an overnight flight to AVOID jet lag. This usually brings on the day from Hell... as I try to take in sights and can't even focus on what I'm looking at. But after arriving at 9am yesterday morning, I decided I was going to try something different. 

But I will get back to that. After arriving at the Brussels' airport, I think we spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out the dinosaur payphone and get through to someone to come and pick us up. After calling all the numbers they gave us several times, we (the intern that I met up with in Chicago and I) finally got through! We were picked up shortly after by Lucas, the owner of the B&B that we are staying at in Zaventem, and he gave us a nice little tour of the town and then brought us to our rooms.

I went to sleep as soon as I arrived at my room... because the bed just looked so inviting. I took a good 4 hour nap. Then I ate some dinner and grabbed some fries and beer with my roommates. We ended up staying up until about midnight, then I made the best decision of the trip so far. I took some NyQuil and then slept like a baby for 8 hours! I woke up refreshed at 8:30am and think that I am pretty much on track! (I say that now, probably because I just had 3 cups of coffee... each with an extra shot of espresso.) I did already get in trouble for trying to bring my coffee into my room. OOPS. 

We have had a lot of free time so far, giving us time to chat and get to know others as they arrive. I love being able to talk to people that have lived all over the world. Today, on the way back from exploring the town, I had a nice chat with a woman who is great friends with my uncle and aunt, and got to hear stories about their many, many years in Japan together! Over lunch I chatted with a guy who has lived in Berlin for the past 15 years. It is amazing to have so many people, who have been living in all sorts of different cultures, come together to one place for an entire month.

I am so proud of myself right now, and I think Julia will be proud of me too. Here is a list of the places I already know my way to:

1. The Bar
2. The train station
3. The kebab place
4. The coffee place

So yeah, I am basically set. 

The beginning.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

I love traveling. Everything about it... even the plane rides and turbulence. One of my favorite quotes (by anonymous) is, "Sometimes it's not about the DESTINATION, but about the JOURNEY itself." Thinking about this concept has made me realize that I need to soak in every detail of what I do each day - not just the cathedrals I gape at or the museums I visit. Another thing that I have realized: the fact that something will go wrong every day... no matter how well I make plans. 

I think that the most important lesson that I have learned from traveling is flexibility. Knowing that no matter what you do... you're going to learn something new. Especially with traveling in Europe - when staying in a big city, it is beyond easy to get lost, but I have learned that this is OK. And yes, I get lost A LOT, but it is at these times that I often have some of the most memorable experiences.

In the past, whenever I have traveled abroad, it has been with people older than me (aka my sister Julia usually). She loves to take the lead and is ever so confident when doing so, even when she has no idea where she is going. Our first time backpacking through Europe in the summer of 2013, I did a lot of following and thinking to myself without voicing my opinion. This meant that when we would be lost, I would immediately say that I knew we should have gone the other way... which I had thought to myself, but never stated... plain stupid. From this I learned that it is better to always say what I think we should do, and then together figure it out. This is what we did this past summer when we went with Phil and Melissa, and yeah, we got lost bunches, but it all worked out beautifully!

It is experiences like this that I think have prepared me for venturing off on my own... And so it begins in Brussels, Belgium.