Saturday, May 26, 2012

This is going to be a very quick post because I'm so exhausted. Will talk more tomorrow. Brussels is awesome! So much to offer! Got in after a 3 hour delay of our plane, so the rest of the group went on ahead and we quickly met up with them. Bought a cell phone that will work in Belgium so classmates and professors can get a hold of me.  Then grabbed my first Belgian food. Only had a minute to decide, so I got a baguette with brie on it. Turns out it was a sweet bread with raisins and nuts in the crust. Not sure if I liked it or not. The brie was definitely delicious though!  Next we found ATMs that worked for our bank cards (mine is all the way in the metro station :/ but at least it's somewhere we might go often!). And then we got our metro/bus/tram passes for the rest of May and tested them out.  We took the Metro to school (not really "to" school, there's still a 10-15 minute walk) and then went home by tram/bus combination (which was annoying, but less walking).  We took the bus to the historic district that was just beautiful. Returning there tomorrow evening with some of the crew, so hopefully I will have a picture to post. Lots of people around, many tourists, lots of French speaking people, and lots of construction.  And not a lot of bathrooms or water fountains.

Anyways. Haven't slept in about 32 hours except for a quick nap on the plane (got to watch We Bought A Zoo, but the seats were really uncomfortable).  So I'll fill you in on the rest tomorrow. Bon Soir!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

This is the poem that I wrote for a scholarship from the Study Abroad Peer Advisors at our school.  I ended up winning second place with it! Check it out! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LS7rVwDg0Q&context=C420da85ADvjVQa1PpcFNc4V9DfF8iL85kUG8H7pAumAFHbpKyTq4%3D

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I'm almost finished packing! All of my clothes are in my suitcase. Just need to put some last minute additions in and buy a battery for my alarm clock.  Called the credit card company to report my travel! So exciting! And I checked my seats for the plane and all of them are aisle seats. I'm sure I will really appreciate that while we cross the Atlantic. The trip is approaching so soon! Absolutely can NOT wait. <3 Toodles!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Things that I know about the program/area:
  • Traveling with eight students and two teachers from UF
  • Living with these students in apartments in the heart of Brussels
  • Attending an English speaking university studying European Union studies and Lobbying/Communication
  • Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the unofficial capital of Europe
  • It is also the headquarters of the European Union
  • Languages spoken in Belgium are French and Flemmish (an accented version of Dutch) and hopefully English
  • Paris is a little over an hour by train from Brussels
  • They like to eat fries with mayonnaise (ew.)
  • Beer is cheaper than water or soda
  • The weather changes very quickly
That's all I can think of right now.  Stay tuned as I learn lots more and post tons of cool facts I learn!
Bonjour! I am studying abroad in Brussels, Belgium for the next seven weeks.  I'll be learning about the European Union and Lobbying. With three day weekends and easy train access, I hope to be traveling around Europe often and have many adventures throughout the summer.  Join me as I trek through time changes, culture shifts, language barriers, transportation chaos, and the summer of my life. A tout a l'heure!