Hello again! Since my last post, classes have started and I have been getting more acquainted with the city of Leuven. I’ve had my fill of Belgian frites and warm waffles and have explored different cities. The past 3 weeks have been an amazing roller-coaster and now I feel like I’m coasting on a high. But it didn’t start out like this.
When I was preparing to go abroad I knew that I would feel homesick but I thought that the idea of being in a new country would overshadow most feelings of homesickness. But the first few days here were a whirlwind of emotions. I was feeling really excited to be in Belgium but I was feeling so alone, even though I was on a hall with 13 other international students. After spending a month and a half at home with my parents prior to leaving, I was missing them a lot and missed being able to talk to them whenever. I also felt some FOMO (fear of missing out) with my friends at my home college and in turn started to miss all of my friends. Along with loneliness, it was hard to talk with people back at home because of the 6 hour time difference. There is only a small window of time when I can FaceTime with anyone in the States.
All of this made me sad and intensified my homesickness. This was definitely my lowest point during my time here in Leuven. But after a few days those feelings went away and it became easier for me to enjoy my time here in Leuven. When classes started, that definitely helped put me on a schedule and once I got comfortable navigating Leuven I started to explore other cities in Belgium and have planned a few trips to other countries. So even though it was a rough start, once I became settled it has been going smoothly ever since!
One of my favorite memories so far has been visiting Brussels. It was beautiful and definitely a sight to see. Like Leuven, in Brussels everything is within walking distance. I went with a group of girls from my hall and it was definitely a bonding experience for all of us. We walked to see the Manneken Pis, the Peeing Boy statue, which had a lot of hype surrounding it but in reality was a statue that was only a foot tall! People clamored around the fence protecting the statue to take pictures. Even though it was small it was definitely worth the experience. We visited a breathtakingly beautiful cathedral that garnered a lot of visitors. We also stopped at the city square, and the buildings there were absolutely beautiful. I was in awe of how surreal it felt to be in a foreign country. At every street corner, you could smell the fresh fried Belgian frites and sugary scent of freshly made waffles. The chocolate shops had window displays that were drool worthy and there were lots of fun little shops to buy souvenirs in. We tried to visit the Chocolate Museum there but missed it by 20 minutes, so it’s a must for the next time I go!
Me in the middle of the city square in Brussels.
Me and the girls in Brussels.
Outside of a beautiful cathedral.
One of the beautiful stained glass windows in the cathedral.
My absolute favorite part of being in Belgium so far has been the friendships I’ve been making here. The people in my hall are all amazing people and they have made my transition to a new country significantly easier for me. They’re all so kind and so fun to be around! We definitely have a mix of students too, ranging from America and England to Croatia, Spain, and Germany! All of us are already dreading having to leave once December comes around. I know I’ll always keep them, along with the experiences I’ve made abroad, with me as I go through life. We’ve also had a hall family dinner where we made tacos and just caught up with one another, so that was super fun! This was definitely one of my biggest fears when preparing to go abroad- the question of whether or not I would be able to connect with the people I live with. But I am so happy with the group of people in my hall and am so thankful for them!
To end, being in Belgium has already given me so many lasting memories and has helped me grow as a person. I’m off to a local flea market at the town square here, so I’ll be checking back in in a few weeks! Tot Ziens! (That’s good-bye in Dutch!!)
