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In recent news! I just returned home from my past European life! I
think that is the best way to describe my experience of returning to Belgium
after 3 years of not being there nor seeing my friends. It was crazy! To think
that I was this inexperienced 18 year old girl and now I’m returning as a 22
year old is bizarre to me. I think I’m having some issues accepting that I’m 22
years old and that I’m now one of those people that’s always saying, “wow, time
really went fast!” It’s so true though! Okay, so where do I even begin. My
flight left on Friday, which I barely made and think I lost 5 pounds from the
stress and anxiety I had the entire (yes – the entire) day, and I got into
Belgium at almost 10pm. I took a bus, train, another bus, plane, another plane,
a wrong train, and finally the right train in order to get to my beloved little
country of Belgium. It was all so worth it though. Many kinds people along the way who helped me to thank on my arrival in Belgium.
There was a huge party that
the Med School (which my friends and host siblings are a part of) was hosting
in town. My host parents picked me up and I went directly to the party since
everyone was already there – I changed into boots (since it was outside and
nasty from the beers and the bathroom being outside too, it’s a Belge thing)
and an old sweater of my host brothers and arrived at the party just in time!
It was amazing. One of my best friends cried, everyone was so excited to see
me, I met so many new friends of friends, and partook in the Belge party-making
and beer-drinking that I had remembered so lovingly. We were out until 3 in the
morning and smelled like nastiness when we got back but it was the perfect
welcoming home that anyone could have asked for. 
The next day was spent
lounging around and nap taking followed by a large family dinner to celebrate
my host grandfather’s birthday! I got to see all my old host family at dinner
and I, like normal, got worn out quick from all the different conversations in
French I had to follow and differing accents. My French came back pretty quick
and I was able to communicate like how I had left off – of course with some
errors but people majority of the time could understand me! It was amazing to
sit at the table with everyone and talk like I had seen them just a few weeks
ago it seemed. So odd how time works. Sometimes it’s like you never even left.
I think I value those relationships the most. The ones where you don’t see them
or talk to them for a while but when you do get back in the same room with them
it’s as if you were never separated. It’s perfection. I hope to make more friendships like that in
Austria.
Sunday, we went into town and just hung out since for some miracle is
was beautiful and sunny weather in Belgium in March! We got drinks outside at a
café and ice cream and just sat and talked. It was all my favorite things I
used to do in town. It was the weirdest thing! I would be like, Oh! There’s
where I used to withdraw money, that sign is how I used to remember not to get
lost and to turn here, and that bar is where we would always drink a peach
beer. It was the smallest of things that I remembered that when I said them out
loud everyone would be like um? But I couldn’t help but smile at it! I loved
how my mind thought this town was beautiful and remembered the slightest things
and just kept them saved for me to experience again when I came back. That’s
the only way I can describe it. I lived there for a year – and I think I could
describe every day to you. That’s how beautiful my time was there and it gave
me an extra push to enjoy every day to the fullest in Austria like my young 18
year old self had done before. It passes fast and even when you return and know
where everything is, it still feels like another time.
After being in town, 14 of my close friends
came over for dinner at my host family’s house. It was perfect. My host mom made
lasagna and we all just sat and talked. A lot of my friends that I had at my
high school don’t hang out as much so it was a few years or months so I wasn’t
too far behind in the conversation as everything led back to our senior year of
high school we spent together. It was perfect.
Monday my host brother had the
day off and we went and bought a bunny! When I was there before, they had a
bunny named Canelle but the bunny died a few months after I left and for
Francois’ birthday Benoit promised to buy him a new bunny! We went Monday to
get one and it was so fun! We walked about a mile to the pet store and ooed and
awed at all the cute bunnies there. We bought this really cute, beige bunny
with long hair and ears that didn’t stand up straight but kind of fell down all
cute like. His name is Barney and he is perfect and I love him. I wish I could
take him back to Austria with me! Francois loved him too and it was a good to
be a part of the new family member.
That night, I went over to a friend’s
apartment with all her friends from law school. It was all girls and we made
pasta with vegetables and just talked and laughed. After that we went to
another one of those big parties that this time the School of Science was
holding. It was even nastier than the other one on Friday! This was almost a
food fight, except with nasty food. From the moment we entered this tent in the
field people started throwing things at us! Everyone was just a mess at the
end. Every time we had something thrown on us, we would cry, “what color is
it?!” Because people were throwing cow poop! And beer! And Mayonnaise and
barbeque sauce. Y’all this was the nastiest. My friend brought a bottle of beet
juice concentrate and she would throw it back and people thought it was blood!
It was so funny. All this sounds so nasty but it was more fun than anything. I
stayed the night at my friends and after 2 showers I finally felt like I
smelled like a normal person and not a trash can. It was hilarious.
Tuesday, 3
of my close girl friends and I went into town for lunch and some shopping and
that night I had dinner with my 3rd host family who was also one of
my really good friends. Another girlfriend came for the dinner too who I hadn’t
seen yet because she lives and goes to school in Brussels instead of Liege like
the others. It was so good to see my family and her and just sit and talk and
enjoy Chinese and sushi!! It was perfect too!
Wednesday was my last full day in
Liege and it was spent mainly with me sleeping in and trying to catch up on
homework I had missed while enjoying myself in Belgium while my classes in
Austria were happening! EEK! A little before 6, I walked over to first host
families house who lived very close to my second family and we had a quick little before dinner drink. It was nice to talk and see them even if just for an hour.
They were so nice and remembered my birthday and made me the cutest card with
all the photos from my time with them! I was so innocent looking and young! I
loved it and it really made me happy that I had made time for them even if just
for a little. Then after that I headed into town to have dinner one last time
with all my friends at this cute little pizzeria. We all stuffed our faces with
good pizza and good conversation. I couldn’t have asked for a better last meal.
We then went to one of my favorite places in Liege and I almost cried when I
walked in, actually I did get really teary eyed. I wasn’t really anything
special just a bar that my exchange student friends and I would always go to
just hang out. It was exactly the same and it felt like I was just there with
everyone the night before. So crazy how memories come in all different forms
and ways. It was the cherry on top of a beautiful welcoming back week in
Belgium. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It also made me strive to
live everything to the fullest like I did in Belgium now in my experience that
I have before me in Austria. I am really going to try to make more of an effort
to speak German, meet locals, and travel as much as I can.I’ve missed you Austria, I promise I won’t cheat on you with Belgium for a few more months :)
all for now!
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