A Few of My Favorite Things

Four months in Belgium has given me more than just insight about life. Thanks to my love of shopping, I have acquired many material items as well.

The vintage market in Brussels has been one of my favorites since the beginning! The first time I went was only six days after my arrival! It is held the first Sunday of every month and I have been to three out of the four markets held while I've been in Belgium and I have lots to show for it.

My favorite purchase is my vintage leather Longchamp bag. I was able to bargain with the vendor and therefore did not have to pay an outrageous price! After cleaning it up once I got it home, it now looks as good as new and has served me well!

When I was packing for Belgium, I did not want to waste the space on bringing a winter coat, so I brought just a rain jacket and convinced myself that with enough layers and scarves that I would be able to survive winter without a real coat. Wrong. Winter in Brussels was some kind of sick and twisted hell filled with freezing temperatures, snow, rain, wind--and I got to spend way to much time enjoying it. Even now, it is May and I am still wearing my stupid rain coat and sweaters every day. Needless to say, after spending all of Februrary literally freezing without a winter coat, I broke down and purchased one. It took some serious shopping around and lots of help from my friends before I found one I liked, but as soon as I did the weather started warming up. Just my luck.

I also stumbled upon a pair of black leather gloves with little bows on them at the vintage market and I just had to have them. I am a sucker for all things bows and everyone needs a nice leather glove!

Coat and gloves

Besides the vintage market, my other favorite place to shop is the W shopping center in my own neighborhood! I like it because you don't have to leave the metro station to get in, which makes it the perfect place to go on a rainy day (so everyday in Brussels) and also because they sell the best waffles on the planet. The stuff chocolate bars inside instead of covering it with chocolate sauce, just like they do in Liege, and it is heavenly.

At the W, I made my last two favorite purchases of the semester. First there is my black ankle booties, essential for fitting in with the Belgian crowd. They are so comfortable and now I can't imagine what my life was like before I owned them.

Ankle booties

But comfortable takes on a new form in gypsy pants. Yes, gypsy pants is not the technical or politically correct term, but I am not sure how to pronounce the correct word, Sarouel, and gypsy pants sounds so much more fun. My roommate Claire came home raving about how comfortable they were and so a shopping trip with friends led to us all coming home with a pair! They are more comfortable than sweats, maybe more comfortable than no pants at all, and they are acceptable to wear in public! It's revolutionary!

Gypsy pants

My bags for the U.S. will also be filled with a few smaller items that were obtained after lots of Belgian beers. I have a larger than life Beyonce poster, a beer poster, a few beer glasses, a shot glass, the little absinthe spoon and a menu from Delirium. I'll blame the combination of the horrible weather and strong alcohol which led my friends and I to resort to finding fun through obtaining these items, but it has left me with lots of great memories and some great new stuff as well!

Absinthe spoon

Delirium menu that is now ours...

Growing Up

Time has really flown by. After my visitors, my memories are a whirlwind of trips and excursions, papers and school work. With my parents, I visited Keukenhof gardens, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Gent. With CIEE, we visited Strasbourg, Frieburg, Trier and Luxembourg. Angelo came to visit me, I went to Gent with friends, I went to Brugge for a field trip, I went back to Strasbourg to stay with a friend, and I have planned trips to Malta, Berlin and Paris after exams. Each trip is memorable in its own unique way and traveling around Europe has been very rewarding.

I have made great friends, seen beautiful places, eaten amazing foods and I have experienced the crummiest weather possible all along the way. With only one month left abroad, my perspective of myself, Belgium and life have all evolved. My time here has definitely changed me in many ways, some more profound than others.

Before my time in Belgium, "white sauces" have always been mysterious and terrifying to me. I chose to stay away from these questionable toppings such as cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, yogurt, etc. in order to avoid facing the fear of what they might do to me. Now, I find myself craving mayonnaise on my sandwiches, and I even bought a jar from the grocery store to add to my home cooking (which is finally improving!). And, surprise surprise, yogurt is pretty good too! I especially love it when it is mixed with fresh fruit like kiwi or blueberries... even a spoon full of honey makes this once scary white liquid a delicious snack.

My French language skills have improved dramatically. Of course I am not yet to the level I strive to be at some day in the future, but I am getting there! However, my English seems to have gotten worse. I sometimes have difficulties recalling English vocabulary and my American friends here seem to be the only ones who understand this awkwardness of no longer being able to speak English with ease. I am stuck somewhere between English and French and neither of them are perfect. Let me tell you, this phenomenon can be frustrating and often leads to me retreating into my bedroom to watch hours of Law and Order SVU in order to avoid communicating with others (this seems extreme, I wish it wasn't true).

I've grown up since I have been abroad too. I find myself purchasing dishes and home accessories rather than clothes and jewelry--well in addition to clothes and jewelry, I enjoy getting up early (before noon) and hearing the birds singing. Yes, I still have a larger than life poster of Beyonce in my room, I still sleep with my unicorn pillow pet and every once in a while life seems to be all wrong without Mom around, but I really do see some significant growth. I have a clearer vision of what I want from myself and from my life. I understand my anxiety and am learning to cope and control it. I have learned that good friends and good music can make even the darkest days brighter. Being away from friends and family, making new friends, learning to adjust to a new way of life, and learning to enjoy hanging out with myself have all contributed to this growth--along with a few stories which are not appropriate for this blog. I am happy and confident.

Brussels may be dirty and have the worst weather ever, but it has taught me so much and will always have a special place in my heart.