Every Thursday, I have Ethics from 11 to 1 and Pop Culture from 2 to 4, so I always eat lunch in between classes. Usually, that consists of a Belgische broodje from my favorite sandwich shop. Its on the Tiensestraat and has a bright yellow sign, so it's pretty hard to miss. Outside the cafe are a few tables and chairs littered with students enjoying their lunch or a quick break from classes. Inside the cafe, popular American music is constantly playing in the background, mixing with the sounds of Dutch conversations. Every time I go, I eat the vegetarisch broodje which consists of sprouts, cucumber, tomato, eggs, corn, and mayonnaise all layered between the perfect pieces of French bread. The best part is that it only costs 2.90 euro and it's a massive sandwich-the first time I ate there I couldn't eat the entire thing! Now, I can eat the whole thing no problem, probably because of all the walking and biking I do in Leuven (I have never walked or biked this much ever), To accompany my sandwich, I always drink a classic coke. Sometimes, I sit at a small white table and eat my sandwich, but more often than not I channel my inner Belgian and walk and eat my sandwich, stopping to pet dogs along the way or popping into a shop. It has become one of my Thursday traditions and I cannot imagine going anywhere else for my on the go lunch. This little cafe tucked away in the Tiensestraat is one of my little spots in Leuven, one of my own hidden treasures. This little tradition, even though it's small, is one of the reasons I love Leuven as much as I do. It's the joy from a routine activity, like this one, that makes Leuven so magical. And now, I really want a broodje...
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Belgische broodjes and my Thursday tradition
When most people think of Belgium they usually think of a few food items: Beer, chocolate, waffles, and fries. Why all of these things are certainly prevalent in Belgium, one of the most popular foods here are Belgische broodjes or Belgian sandwiches. These sandwiches, sold everywhere in Leuven are foot-long subs on French baguettes that put all other bread to shame. On the sandwich, there can be a myriad of toppings from ham and cheese to kip curry (chicken curry), a Belgian favorite and can be toasted or open-faced. Sandwiches are also rarely served with sides, unless its a sit down restaurant where fries are usually the side. Of course, no sandwich would be complete without mayonnaise. They are then wrapped in a napkin and rubber band to keep them together and placed in these wax bags so you can walk and eat and nothing falls out. Whoever said that Europeans don;t walk and eat has never been to Leuven and seen the hordes of people walking around gnawing on baguettes.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Insta recap #4
Hello readers! Today I'm coming yo you all with another insta recap! It's been a while since I've done one, because I hadn't been Instagramming as much recently. I went to Flanders field last Friday and Cologne, Germany on Saturday, which you may already have known; I have been quite the busy bee lately! Not only that, but the semester is already halfway over- time really flies! Without further ado, onto the pictures!
The bike shed at Loyola is always chock full of bikes! Actually, Leuven is always littered with bikes!
My roommate, Pili, made a quiche one night for dinner! She was so proud of her cooking skills!
At Flanders field in the trenches with five other girls! It was certainly cozy in there...
Bavarian pretzels in Cologne! Such a great snack and nothing like the pretzels you get at the mall!!!
I hope you all enjoyed my post! Stay tuned for more posts about life in Leuven! Much love!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
POP!
Finally, I can check Germany off of my list of countries to conquer. This Saturday the 18 of October my entire house went on a trip to Cologne, Germany. Since it is only two hours away, we took a bus and had a wonderful time!
After a few hours on the bus, we arrived in Cologne and had a bit of free time, Most of Cologne was destroyed during the second World War, so it is a very modern city. For an hour, we walked around the city and it was mostly shops and a few restaurants. For lunch, I had my very own Bavarian pretzel with cheese and it was yummy!
With full stomachs, we visited the Cologne Cathedral. According to legend, the church houses the bones of the Three Wise Men and the entire church was built to honor them. The church, like many other Gothic churches, has beautiful stained glass windows but there was one in particular that really stood out. Since some of the church had to be renovated after World War II, one of the windows was blown out and replaced with regular glass. Instead of recreating the old stained glass window in 2007 a new, modern stained glass window was placed in the cathedral. Instead of depicting scenes from the life of Christ, it is a geometric grid of colorful squares, the same colors present in the other windows of the church. In this church, this window has been a point of controversy, since it does not fit the style of the church. I however, found it to be beautiful and felt it fit the church well in combining the old with the new.
The highlight of Cologne was certainly the Ludwig Museum of Art, which houses a collection of modern art. Inside the museum are Russian avant-garde paintings, Picasso masterpieces, a gallery of photographs, and other works of modern art. For me, the best thing about modern art is the way it makes me think about what I am seeing. Not only that, but modern art usually incorporates the viewer into the piece, and I find the interactivity to increase its appeal. The special exhibit was all about pop art. In this exhibit, they showed pieces from Andy Warhol like the Campbell's soup cans and his screen prints of Marilyn Monroe. There were also pieces by Lichtenstein and installations by Robert Rauschenberg that were wonderful to see in person, Honestly, I loved the pop art and could have spent hours wandering through the special exhibit. My favorite work of the day was Jasper Johns "Map 1967-1971." It is a large work of a map cut into triangles and rearranged. If you ever visit Cologne, the Ludwig should be the first stop on your trip!
Cologne is a beautiful city and I am so glad I got to go to Germany with some of my housemates!
After a few hours on the bus, we arrived in Cologne and had a bit of free time, Most of Cologne was destroyed during the second World War, so it is a very modern city. For an hour, we walked around the city and it was mostly shops and a few restaurants. For lunch, I had my very own Bavarian pretzel with cheese and it was yummy!
Pretzels are the best!
Cathedral of Cologne
Jasper Johns "Map 1967-1971"
Cheesing inside the Ludwig as Batman!
Cathedral of Cologne from the rooftop of the Ludwig!
Friday, October 17, 2014
Poppies for Peace
Hello lovely readers! Long time, no blogging. With school in full swing, it didn't have as much time to blog but now I have a routine down pat, so I will be able to generate more content. Friday the 17 of October, I went on a day trip with some of my classmates to Flanders Fields. World War I began in 1914, so this year is the one hundred year anniversary of the start of the war. With that in mind, it was quite moving to visit an area that played a part during this important time of world history.
First off, we went to the Museum aan de Ijzer, where we met our tour guide for the day Walter. In Izjer, there is a tower that was built during the First World War to honor the fallen, but was then damaged during World War II. The remnants of the first tower were then used to build the Pax Gateway, or the Peace Gateway. At the base of these two monuments, is a small cemetery to remember the fallen from World War I. Inside the tower, is the a Isjer museum.
Inside the museum, the focus is on the Belgian-German confrontation during the war. Our tour guide, like the entire museum however, focuses on the message of peace. The motto of the museum is "Peace, freedom, tolerance." In this day and age, that message still hold immense power. Inside the museum, the exhibits answer the questions "What is left of our lives?" and "What is left of the country?" In a sense, the museum attempts to answer how the war impacted the people of this region as well as how the war impacted the country as a whole. For me, it was moving to find a museum about war that focuses on peace. Seeing the horror of World War I, it makes sense that the curators of the museum would wan to focus on peace. Here I learned the poppy is an international symbol for peace, since poppies were the only flowers in the region to survive the attacks during the war, like the poppies mentioned in the poem by John McCrae "In Flanders Fields." It struck me to learn the importance of this flower. For me, the highlight of the museum was going to the top of the tower and seeing a 360-degree of the surrounding areas. The sun was out, a rare occurrence in Belgium, which added to the beauty of the Belgian countryside.
The Izjer Tower
The cemetery at Isjer
A view from the top of the museum: Here you can see the cemetery and the Pax Gateway.
After touring the Izjer museum and having lunch, we made our way to the 'Trench of Death," which is a remake of an actual trench from the war. At the "Trench of Death," we crawled into the trenches and walked through the mud to get to the other side. I could not even imagine what is must have been like to be a soldier here and actually live in one of these trenches. Our tour guide even made us go inside one of the shelters. If the trench was being raided, five men with 30 kg bags and rifles would pile into these shelters that were the size of a large cardboard box, at best. We crammed six girls into one and i cannot even begin to wonder what it would be like to go into this shelter during the height of battle. Visiting the trench gave me so much respect for all of the young men who braved these conditions to promote peace.
Finally, we ended our time in Flanders Field by visiting a few cemeteries that honored the fallen. there is nothing like paying your respects to those who have given their lives to protect their countries and to fight for peace. Planted at one of the cemeteries was a bed of poppies to continue to promote peace, This trip meant so much to me to be able to see sites of the first World War in person and to be given the opportunity to pay me respects to the fallen was absolutely incredible.
Inside the "Trench of Death"
Six girls, one shelter
Paying my respects to the fallen and poppies for peace
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Ik weet het niet
Ik weet het niet. "I do not know" in Dutch. That is how I feel about school at KU Leuven. I do not know anything and I spend all of my time being confused and wondering what is going on. To be honest, I was not prepared for the school system here. When I say the system here is different, I really mean that it is different.
First and foremost, classes here usually only meet once a week for two to five hours at a time. Only a few classes meet multiple times a week, usually language classes. Since they only meet once a week, classes are intense. Right when class starts, the professor begins lecturing. At Loyola, we do not have lecture classes, so this is a major adjustment for me. I am used to small classes where I can develop rapport with my professors and classmates. At KU Leuven, there are too many students to be able to develop these relationships. Secondly, since classes meet so infrequently, there is a lot of required reading to be done for the next class, When I say a lot of reading, I mean 60-100 pages of reading, not just a few pages. I was not prepared in the slightest for this much work do be done on my own. In the States, there is not as much work done outside of the classroom, since class meets more often than they do in Leuven. The third major difference is in the grading system. In America, there are multiple grades in a class, from papers, quizzes, and even attendance. At KU Leuven, classes have only one grade, wither an oral exam, written exam, or a paper. If you do not do well on the final, there is nothing to boost your grade. That is what scares me. There is nothing helping me except for doing well on the final. That terrifies me.
I am scared of the school system here. I do not feel prepared to do this. Although it has been a hard adjustment, I know that the only way out of a bad situation is through. I know I am capable of doing the work here, I just have to motivate myself. Never did I think that adjusting to a new school system would be so difficult, yet it had been the hardest adjustment thus far. This term, I am taking seven classes, more than I normally take, including Dutch language, "The Low Countries" history, Introduction to Ethics, theology, Travel Writing, Popular Culture, and European Culture and Society.I will continue to keep you, my faithful readers, updated on my progress with school.
First and foremost, classes here usually only meet once a week for two to five hours at a time. Only a few classes meet multiple times a week, usually language classes. Since they only meet once a week, classes are intense. Right when class starts, the professor begins lecturing. At Loyola, we do not have lecture classes, so this is a major adjustment for me. I am used to small classes where I can develop rapport with my professors and classmates. At KU Leuven, there are too many students to be able to develop these relationships. Secondly, since classes meet so infrequently, there is a lot of required reading to be done for the next class, When I say a lot of reading, I mean 60-100 pages of reading, not just a few pages. I was not prepared in the slightest for this much work do be done on my own. In the States, there is not as much work done outside of the classroom, since class meets more often than they do in Leuven. The third major difference is in the grading system. In America, there are multiple grades in a class, from papers, quizzes, and even attendance. At KU Leuven, classes have only one grade, wither an oral exam, written exam, or a paper. If you do not do well on the final, there is nothing to boost your grade. That is what scares me. There is nothing helping me except for doing well on the final. That terrifies me.
I am scared of the school system here. I do not feel prepared to do this. Although it has been a hard adjustment, I know that the only way out of a bad situation is through. I know I am capable of doing the work here, I just have to motivate myself. Never did I think that adjusting to a new school system would be so difficult, yet it had been the hardest adjustment thus far. This term, I am taking seven classes, more than I normally take, including Dutch language, "The Low Countries" history, Introduction to Ethics, theology, Travel Writing, Popular Culture, and European Culture and Society.I will continue to keep you, my faithful readers, updated on my progress with school.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Insta Recap #3
Hello readers! Happy Sunday! Today I come to you with another Insta Recap! I also posted a picture of my dog Scout on Instagram this week, but I didn't put her here, since I figured my readers didn't need to see my dog. I traveled around Belgium quite a bit during my time here and this past week marked the first week of classes in Leuven! Enjoy!
Some stunning flowers I saw while in Brugge
A view of the yard at the Nachbar Huis
While in Antwerp, I got sassy with a statue as the MAS.
The most incredible Belgian strawberries from the farmer's market
In the Oude Markt with a Belgian beer sign- you've gotta love Stella here in Leuven!
A throwback I posted on the Love Bridge in France
Posing as Manneken Pis in Brussels, the most famous statue there
If you are not already, please feel free to follow me on instagram @clementinejacobs to see all of my pictures in real time! I hope you all enjoyed my Insta recap #3- have a great week!
Friday, September 26, 2014
One month in Leuven
I have been in Europe for a month. An entire month already, even though it seems I only just arrived. Although it has only been 30 days. I learned so much. While the United States and Leuven, Belgium have many similarities, there are many things that are not the same in the slightest. In the article "Creating global Thinkers" by John Girard from the website besttravelwriting.com, Girard writes about the importance of study abroad for students, emphasizing the lessons the students learn. In his piece, he claims that there are lessons that students can only learn when they study abroad, not in a classroom. Inspired by Girard's article, I am going to write about the lessons I have learned through the differences of living here compared to the United States during my first month in Leuven.
While in the Huis (that means 'house' in Dutch) kitchen for the first time, I noticed the first major difference: the garbage. In the United States, we have recycling and garbage in two separate bags. That's it. In Belgium, recycling is huge. Being such a small country, Belgium does not have the space to create many landfills or dispose of waste like the United States does. With that being the case, the Belgians emphasize recycling. Here in Belgium, there are three different trash bags and multiple bins for garbage depending on what is being disposed. For example, there is a blue bag for cartons and bottles, a green bag for organic waste, a bin for paper, a special box for hazardous waste, and a brown bag for all other trash that cannot be recycled. When I first saw this system, I thought I would never understand it. There were so many bins and rules to follow, my head started spinning. I did not want to put the garbage in the wrong bin and get in trouble, which can happen, If the garbage is improperly sorted, we have to go through it and take out the illegal contents, which is gross. Being here in Belgium, I learned about the importance of recycling and when I go to the store, I am trying to only buy products that can be recycled, because the bags to collect non recyclables are quite expensive. With this new system of waste disposal, I am now more conscious of what I throw away and what I choose to purchase. In the States, I never thought about the waste I generate, but here I am seeing garbage through a new lens, thanks to the multiple garbage bins. I am learning to live with less and attempting to generate less waste, which helps the environment, as well as I consciously think about my consumerism. Belgium taught me to be more conscious of what I choose to buy and what impact my purchases will have.
The second major difference here in Leuven also fall under the eco-friendly category; In Leuven, everyone rides a bike as their main mode of transportation. On one hand in the United States, people drive as their primary transportation or take public transportation if it is available and might bike if necessary. On the other hand, Belgians ride bikes as their primary mode of transport, since Leuven is so small and gasoline is very expensive. During my month here, I have seen all types of people on bikes, from elderly women to businessmen in black suits, to mothers carrying children in carts their backs. Even when it rains, the people of Leuven are out on their bikes riding from place to place. Biking is so popular that bike theft is actually one of the number one crimes here! For me, it has been very eye opening to ride a bike or walk everywhere. Like the garbage, it has made me evaluate how I get places and how much more biking or walking I could do in the US, since driving is so horrible for the environment. Biking has shown me that I can perfectly navigate a city without the help of a car and that I could easily bike around my hometown without a problem, which I hope to do when my year is finished. Leuven, through biking and garbage, has inspired me to look closely about the lifestyle choices I have selected and be more aware of the impact my choices make on our earth.
For me thus far, the most surprising difference has been the difference in laundry, which I did not expect. While at home, I do laundry in my basement or pay $2.25 at school to wash, dry, and fold a load in under 2 hours. With that in mind, I did laundry almost every week. In Leuven, it is totally different. To use the washing machine at school is costs 3.50 euro, which is about $5 in the United States and the dryer, which only makes your clothes slightly less damp, is an additional charge of 1.50 euro. In Leuven, I changed my laundry approach, since it costs so much more and I have to use a clothesline to dry my clothes. Now, I mainly wash my clothes in the shower. In the shower, I bring my clothes and some detergent and wash them like the "Pioneer Woman" I am. Once they are washed, I wring them out and hang them on a clothesline in my bedroom to dry overnight. Never did I think I would be doing so much laundry in the shower, yet here I am admitting that I have yet to use the washing machine since I have been here. Not only that, I wear every piece of clothing more than once before I wash it. Eventually, I will do a real load, but I am waiting a few more days until it becomes absolutely necessary, which it just about is. Not having the access to laundry I am used to, I adjusted my course of action. The laundry situation here has shown me that I can adapt to new things and that I can live without some modern conveniences and can devise new ways to solve problems, like the shower as a washing machine or creating a clothesline out of a wire ans some ingenuity. Changing routines can be frightening and hand washing my clothes has shown me that I can change my routines and still survive. Plus, using the shower as a washing machine is saving me time and money, which is a major advantage.
The hardest thing I adaptedt to has been the timetables of life here in Leuven. In America, stores are open late, until 9 p.m. or later, some even 24-hours a day. I can run out at any time to buy groceries or get a cup of coffee. In Leuven, every store closes at 6 p.m. and nothing is open on Sunday, with the exception of bars and restaurants which are open late and on the weekends, too. Many an evening, I sat in my room wishing I could run to the store to pick up an ingredient for dinner or a pack of flashcards to do homework with, but alas, I cannot. It has been quite the adjustment, since I have to plan trips to the store in advance to ensure it will be open. Sundays were the worst because nothing is open, so it felt like there was nothing to do. I adjusted to relax on Sunday, which is what the Belgians do, too. I go for walks, sit in the yard, and spend time with my classmates, which has been really nice. I enjoy my relaxing Sundays and I am getting used to the idea that nothing important can take place on Sunday, except maybe mass. With these different hours of operation, I am learning to slow down and enjoy my surroundings, as well as to plan what I need to do throughout the week. Sundays have become important in my routine because they help me to unwind and prep for the week, which has been really helpful. It has been nice on Sundays to reflect and have time to myself, something that does not always happen in America.
The final difference I adjusted to is in regards to going out. In America, there is a certain culture and standard when it comes to going out. We go out around 11 p.m. and come back around 2 or 3 a.m. We wear heels and dresses to go out, dressing to the nines with makeup and perfume. Plus, we only go out Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays. In Belgium, no one goes out until 12 p.m. and they stay out as late as 6 a.m. The biggest nights here for going out are Tuesday and Wednesday and the weekends are dead because the Belgians go home to their families to relax. When Europeans go out, it is incredibly casual, even if its to a dance club or a bar. To go out, everyone wears jeans and girls wear a nice top or tee shirt with little to no makeup, and the guys were tee shirts and jeans. In Europe, they do not try so hard when they go out and that got me thinking; Why do I have to try so hard when I go out? Can I go out without putting in so much effort and still feel comfortable? I realized that I like to go out and be dressed casually and I like not having the pressure to look a certain way. After a few weeks here, I like the way they go out here, minus the fact that they go out so late and I like to sleep! I enjoy not having to spend so much time getting ready and that I can wear the same clothes to go out that I wore during the day. On top of that, I feel as though I get to show my true self, not some made-up version of me. The European way of going out has taught me to be more comfortable with the way that I look, which can be hard nowadays. Being in Leuven has helped me feel more comfortable with the way that I look and how I present myself.
During my time in Leuven, I learned to become self-sufficient in a new way. I buy my own groceries, cook my own food, go to the pharmacy, and fill out legal paperwork to gain residency. Not only that, I navigate the city with help of others and have learned my way around quickly and feel confident I can travel around Leuven on my own. Being here, I feel more independent than ever. I always felt like I underestimated what I am capable of and Leuven has shown me that I can do anything and I can adapt to a new way of living. I have gained confidence in myself and feel as though I can truly conquer anything, whether it is a challenging course or travelling around Europe on my own. I am challenging the way that I live, the way that I see, the way that I feel.
Like the students taught by Girard, I have already learned so much during my time in Leuven and will only continue to grow and change as the year progresses. Girard is absolutely correct in saying that students learn lessons abroad they cannot learn at home and I am the living proof. There are things I have learned in Leuven I never would have learned in america and I am grateful for that. Here, I am going to continue to grow and change as a person, and that excites me. I enjoyed opening up to you guys about the things I have learned and I am thankful to John Girard for the inspiration to write this piece. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
If you'd like to read Girard's piece here is the link:
http://www.besttravelwriting.com/btw-blog/great-stories/bronze-award-in-cruise-story-creating-global-thinkers/
While in the Huis (that means 'house' in Dutch) kitchen for the first time, I noticed the first major difference: the garbage. In the United States, we have recycling and garbage in two separate bags. That's it. In Belgium, recycling is huge. Being such a small country, Belgium does not have the space to create many landfills or dispose of waste like the United States does. With that being the case, the Belgians emphasize recycling. Here in Belgium, there are three different trash bags and multiple bins for garbage depending on what is being disposed. For example, there is a blue bag for cartons and bottles, a green bag for organic waste, a bin for paper, a special box for hazardous waste, and a brown bag for all other trash that cannot be recycled. When I first saw this system, I thought I would never understand it. There were so many bins and rules to follow, my head started spinning. I did not want to put the garbage in the wrong bin and get in trouble, which can happen, If the garbage is improperly sorted, we have to go through it and take out the illegal contents, which is gross. Being here in Belgium, I learned about the importance of recycling and when I go to the store, I am trying to only buy products that can be recycled, because the bags to collect non recyclables are quite expensive. With this new system of waste disposal, I am now more conscious of what I throw away and what I choose to purchase. In the States, I never thought about the waste I generate, but here I am seeing garbage through a new lens, thanks to the multiple garbage bins. I am learning to live with less and attempting to generate less waste, which helps the environment, as well as I consciously think about my consumerism. Belgium taught me to be more conscious of what I choose to buy and what impact my purchases will have.
The second major difference here in Leuven also fall under the eco-friendly category; In Leuven, everyone rides a bike as their main mode of transportation. On one hand in the United States, people drive as their primary transportation or take public transportation if it is available and might bike if necessary. On the other hand, Belgians ride bikes as their primary mode of transport, since Leuven is so small and gasoline is very expensive. During my month here, I have seen all types of people on bikes, from elderly women to businessmen in black suits, to mothers carrying children in carts their backs. Even when it rains, the people of Leuven are out on their bikes riding from place to place. Biking is so popular that bike theft is actually one of the number one crimes here! For me, it has been very eye opening to ride a bike or walk everywhere. Like the garbage, it has made me evaluate how I get places and how much more biking or walking I could do in the US, since driving is so horrible for the environment. Biking has shown me that I can perfectly navigate a city without the help of a car and that I could easily bike around my hometown without a problem, which I hope to do when my year is finished. Leuven, through biking and garbage, has inspired me to look closely about the lifestyle choices I have selected and be more aware of the impact my choices make on our earth.
For me thus far, the most surprising difference has been the difference in laundry, which I did not expect. While at home, I do laundry in my basement or pay $2.25 at school to wash, dry, and fold a load in under 2 hours. With that in mind, I did laundry almost every week. In Leuven, it is totally different. To use the washing machine at school is costs 3.50 euro, which is about $5 in the United States and the dryer, which only makes your clothes slightly less damp, is an additional charge of 1.50 euro. In Leuven, I changed my laundry approach, since it costs so much more and I have to use a clothesline to dry my clothes. Now, I mainly wash my clothes in the shower. In the shower, I bring my clothes and some detergent and wash them like the "Pioneer Woman" I am. Once they are washed, I wring them out and hang them on a clothesline in my bedroom to dry overnight. Never did I think I would be doing so much laundry in the shower, yet here I am admitting that I have yet to use the washing machine since I have been here. Not only that, I wear every piece of clothing more than once before I wash it. Eventually, I will do a real load, but I am waiting a few more days until it becomes absolutely necessary, which it just about is. Not having the access to laundry I am used to, I adjusted my course of action. The laundry situation here has shown me that I can adapt to new things and that I can live without some modern conveniences and can devise new ways to solve problems, like the shower as a washing machine or creating a clothesline out of a wire ans some ingenuity. Changing routines can be frightening and hand washing my clothes has shown me that I can change my routines and still survive. Plus, using the shower as a washing machine is saving me time and money, which is a major advantage.
The hardest thing I adaptedt to has been the timetables of life here in Leuven. In America, stores are open late, until 9 p.m. or later, some even 24-hours a day. I can run out at any time to buy groceries or get a cup of coffee. In Leuven, every store closes at 6 p.m. and nothing is open on Sunday, with the exception of bars and restaurants which are open late and on the weekends, too. Many an evening, I sat in my room wishing I could run to the store to pick up an ingredient for dinner or a pack of flashcards to do homework with, but alas, I cannot. It has been quite the adjustment, since I have to plan trips to the store in advance to ensure it will be open. Sundays were the worst because nothing is open, so it felt like there was nothing to do. I adjusted to relax on Sunday, which is what the Belgians do, too. I go for walks, sit in the yard, and spend time with my classmates, which has been really nice. I enjoy my relaxing Sundays and I am getting used to the idea that nothing important can take place on Sunday, except maybe mass. With these different hours of operation, I am learning to slow down and enjoy my surroundings, as well as to plan what I need to do throughout the week. Sundays have become important in my routine because they help me to unwind and prep for the week, which has been really helpful. It has been nice on Sundays to reflect and have time to myself, something that does not always happen in America.
The final difference I adjusted to is in regards to going out. In America, there is a certain culture and standard when it comes to going out. We go out around 11 p.m. and come back around 2 or 3 a.m. We wear heels and dresses to go out, dressing to the nines with makeup and perfume. Plus, we only go out Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays. In Belgium, no one goes out until 12 p.m. and they stay out as late as 6 a.m. The biggest nights here for going out are Tuesday and Wednesday and the weekends are dead because the Belgians go home to their families to relax. When Europeans go out, it is incredibly casual, even if its to a dance club or a bar. To go out, everyone wears jeans and girls wear a nice top or tee shirt with little to no makeup, and the guys were tee shirts and jeans. In Europe, they do not try so hard when they go out and that got me thinking; Why do I have to try so hard when I go out? Can I go out without putting in so much effort and still feel comfortable? I realized that I like to go out and be dressed casually and I like not having the pressure to look a certain way. After a few weeks here, I like the way they go out here, minus the fact that they go out so late and I like to sleep! I enjoy not having to spend so much time getting ready and that I can wear the same clothes to go out that I wore during the day. On top of that, I feel as though I get to show my true self, not some made-up version of me. The European way of going out has taught me to be more comfortable with the way that I look, which can be hard nowadays. Being in Leuven has helped me feel more comfortable with the way that I look and how I present myself.
During my time in Leuven, I learned to become self-sufficient in a new way. I buy my own groceries, cook my own food, go to the pharmacy, and fill out legal paperwork to gain residency. Not only that, I navigate the city with help of others and have learned my way around quickly and feel confident I can travel around Leuven on my own. Being here, I feel more independent than ever. I always felt like I underestimated what I am capable of and Leuven has shown me that I can do anything and I can adapt to a new way of living. I have gained confidence in myself and feel as though I can truly conquer anything, whether it is a challenging course or travelling around Europe on my own. I am challenging the way that I live, the way that I see, the way that I feel.
Like the students taught by Girard, I have already learned so much during my time in Leuven and will only continue to grow and change as the year progresses. Girard is absolutely correct in saying that students learn lessons abroad they cannot learn at home and I am the living proof. There are things I have learned in Leuven I never would have learned in america and I am grateful for that. Here, I am going to continue to grow and change as a person, and that excites me. I enjoyed opening up to you guys about the things I have learned and I am thankful to John Girard for the inspiration to write this piece. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
If you'd like to read Girard's piece here is the link:
http://www.besttravelwriting.com/btw-blog/great-stories/bronze-award-in-cruise-story-creating-global-thinkers/
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