best of belgium

In one month from now, I will be home in the United States. It's rather strange to think about it, because I feel like I have gotten accustomed to my life here in Belgium. I'm feeling more and more comfortable in French every day, I feel at ease with my host family, I know most of the major cities (like Brussels and Namur) pretty well, etc. I think that going back to the United States is also going to be a big culture shock, maybe even more so than when I arrived here in Belgium. In addition, most of my friends are graduating and I'm not graduating with them, so that's a little bit strange as well. However, when I think about it, there's no other way I would have wanted to spend my senior year than studying abroad here in Belgium. It's an experience that I'll never forget for the rest of my life, as stereotypical as that sounds. If you're considering being an exchange student, don't think. Just do it! 

These past few weeks, I've just been out and about in Belgium. I've been trying to do as many things as I can before I leave in just one short month! Here are a few photos from what I've been doing lately.

My friend Katerina from the Czech Republic taught me how to make a dandelion chain, a skill I never seemed to learn.

(May 9, 2013)

My friend Callie from Texas came over to my house for a night. We wandered around in mustard fields  and had a barbeque with my host family. It was a great time!

(May 9, 2013)

Space invaders in Brussels!

(May 18, 2013)

I found one of my favorite poets (Shel Silverstein) in an English bookstore in Brussels! 

(May 18, 2013)

So this guy was handing out flower necklaces in Brussels...?

(May 18, 2013)

A beautiful Saturday afternoon in Brussels.

(May 18, 2013)

My friend Mie from Denmark, pre-pasta cooking! We had a fun night at her house making food and watching the Eurovision finals...and Denmark won!

(May 18, 2013)

My new friend Dani from Canada! She can fit into tiny cupboards, as we found out after I failed miserably.

(May 19, 2013)

Cecilie from Norway playing us some morning tribal music. Cultural differences?

(May 19, 2013)

The view from Mie's apartment in Brussels.

(May 19, 2013)

Crime scene: breakfast remains.

Cause of death: hungry teenagers.

(May 19, 2013)

The Brussels Jazz Festival in la Grande Place. It was awesome, but really cold!

(May 24, 2013)

My friend Claire from Oregon and I enjoying a comfortable couch in an awesome cafe. It reminded me of what the Weasley's house would look like.

(May 24, 2013)

Claire and Elizabete (from Latvia) in front of some awesome stained glass windows.

(May 24, 2013)

Apple vs. cigarette and coffee. It's like an advertisement for a health magazine.

(May 24, 2013)

When she writes her first book, this will be the photo on the inner flap. We've decided.

(May 24, 2013)

Books, but fake ones.

(May 24, 2013)

Claire isn't so claire.

(May 24, 2013)

Crowd shadows at the jazz festival.

(May 24, 2013)

La Grande Place, Bruxelles.

(May 25, 2013)

WAFFLE TRUCKS. Only in Belgium!

(May 25, 2013)

The old 5 euro bill vs. the new 5 euro bill. Intense changes are happening.

(May 31, 2013)

Callie and our friend Fréé from Ghent with "apples".

(May 31, 2013)

My bro Albert Einstein and I.

(May 31, 2013)

THE BELGIAN COAST. My first time seeing the ocean in almost 10 months!

(May 31, 2013)

Well, it's a good picture of Callie...

(May 31, 2013)

Couldn't get enough of those foam things.

(May 31, 2013)

And...we're jumping!

(May 31, 2013)

Callie's got some air.

(May 31, 2013)

The symbol of Wallonie in Flanders? What is this!?

(May 31, 2013)

Callie's host-grandparents live near Bruges, which is a city in Flanders. They have one of the cutest (and I hate using the word cute...) cottages I have ever seen. There is also a forest surrounding the entire property and it's pretty much the greatest place ever.

(June 1, 2013)

Suddenly, I found myself in a tree sofa.

(June 1, 2013)

Falling into giant shrubberies!

(June 1, 2013)

A morning walk in the woods.

(June 1, 2013)

There's the house...when can I move in?

(June 1, 2013)

Callie and windmill.

(June 1, 2013)

Thanks for the canal, Napoleon.

(June 1, 2013)

Water plants are the best.

(June 1, 2013)

Windmill along the Damme Canal (a canal constructed by Napoleon, nonetheless!).

(June 1, 2013)

And now we're in Bruges! It's sometimes known as the "Venice of Belgium" because there are so many canals throughout the city. It's a beautiful place!

(June 1, 2013)

Bruges, I'll be back.

(June 1, 2013)

I'm starting to film more as the year goes on. My videos are nothing special at all, usually just silent clips with music, but I hope that you enjoy them anyway! They're just a little bit of an extra thing in addition to photos that I take for some nice memories.