Updates!!

Ok I'm back!!! Hopefully I will be able to use my host brother's wifi semi-regularly now to keep this blog updated! Afterall, it will end up being a really nice souvenir at the end of my trip. A sort of journal if you will. Here are all the exciting things that have happened since I last posted:

I went to the Transardentes festival in Liège! This was last Saturday, January 29th. Basically, it was a big techno rave, similar to I Love Techno, but smaller. Saturday morning, I went to dance as usual, and I walked there actually, because there is no convenient bus to get me to the Academy on a Saturday mid-morning. So I walked. It was a nice brisk walk. I went through my two hours of dance, but then realized that I left my wallet and bus pass at home so I couldn't take the bus back... So I asked one of my fellow dancers if she could give me a ride home. She was so kind, she did even more than that! Alice brought me back to her house and I ate lunch with her and her family before she drove me back to Bertrée. Now, Benjamin's girlfriend had been at the house all weekend last weekend and my host parents went away to France for Jacques's birthday. So I didn't spend much time at the house. Instead, once I got home from dance, I quickly got myself ready and then headed over to my friend Romane's house. We hung out for a bit before her parents drove us to Liège and we got some dinner at McDonald's (très classe) and then met up with a couple of Romane's friends at their house. Then we all went together to the Transardentes. We had lucked out finding me a ticket earlier in the evening, so getting there was no problem. Eventually we met up with some other kids from Hannut and had a great time dancing! I was involved in my first ever mosh pit :) But then something put a damper on the evening. Romane was shaken by a guy in a mask, of which she has a serious phobia, and ended up pretty sick. So we called her dad and we went home around 2 30am. She felt much better once we got home, where the air wasn't smoky and there wasn't constant booming in her ears. Once we got back to her house, I found that my glasses had gotten broken while they were in my bag (I had put in my contacts for the night). So that was a bit of a bummer and kind of a "well what do I do now?" moment. We went to sleep, and the next morning I went back to my house. Later that night, my host parents came home and we all spent the evening together.

The week at school was pretty normal. Nothing much happened. I went to a store to get my glasses fixed, but all the woman could do was glue them and I'm not so sure how long they'll last, but we'll see. We also spoke with the director at school and together decided that this week is going to be our last week with our normal first hour with the Père Boly. We're going to start going to our normal classes next week.

Friday was the Cent Jours. This means that it's been 100 days since we've been at school! (I think) So the rhéto had the option to skip classes on Friday and go to a party in a village close to school. We had to pay five euros to go, and each class had a theme for the students to dress up. For our class, it was space. Nobody told me when I was packing to come to Belgium that I would have to bring a costume like this. So my options were pretty limited. Finally, I decided to just dress all in black and put a design on my face and do my hair to be kind of alien-ish. It worked out I suppose. The Belgians really went all out and everyone looked great! We all met up around 8 30 in the morning and got a bus that took us to the hall. First off, we got to eat chocolate croissants and orange juice. Then for the morning, we took lots of pictures and played games that were organized by a different group of students. Then we ate lunch and had a dance party in the afternoon. That was the real highlight of the day! Talia and I did the Soulja Boy dance right as soon as the song came on, and it was one of the first ones. All the Belgians formed a circle around us as we danced and they thought it was the coolest thing ever!! From that moment on, I was a dancing machine! I went nuts all afternoon, dancing with everyone and had a really fabulous time with all the Belgians.

After the party was over, we all went back to Hannut and hung out for a while at the café. Yes, all dressed up. It was interesting. Then I grabbed the bus home, trying not to be self conscious of the fact that I looked like a total idiot. I then managed to make myself look normal for another party that was going to be that evening in Hannut, but this one was more along the lines of KickAss. I also received a package from my family which contained two cans of Spaghettios and four packets of Ramen noodles. So happy!! Then, Romane and my other friend Lorraine came over and we all left for the party together, and it was actually kind of lame at the beginning. There were way too many people there and we were always getting shoved. We were also stuck in front of one of the doors, so it was freezing. But eventually, around midnight, we managed to make our way up to the front of the room and dance. I ended up staying til about 3am, and that's when my host brother came to pick me up. But he was not alone. He came with one of his friends, and on the way home, we ended up picking up another! We went back to the house and they invited me to chill with them for a while. Though I was skeptical and didn't want to be a tagalong, I figured why not and stayed downstairs with them until about 5 30am. We spent the night playing cards and joking around and talking and listening to music. We quoted "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Big Bang Theory" and had a great time! But it really screwed me over for the next morning when I had to go to dance on 4 hours of sleep... But I slept the rest of the day away so it was no big deal. Sunday, I spent with the host family and some other people that came over for Jacques's birthday. We had a sort of lamb stew with fries and it was absolutely delicious! Of course, I've also been going to the gym regularly and going to dance and eating delicious food and all that.

But I think this is the most important thing that happened since I last blogged: I came to many realizations.

I realized that I really need to be myself here and throw away any crutches or security blankets.

I realized that I have a lot of Belgian friends and the connections will only get stronger if I want them to, and if I make them happen.

I realized that I need to spend more time building my relationships here.

I realized that I am no longer homesick.

I realized that I am completely adjusted.

I realized that my home with always be in Parma, Ohio, and my parents and family will always be just that, and they can never be replaced.

BUT

I also realized that my life does not rest with my home and my family. My life rests with me and travels with me wherever I go. I do not have control over every aspect of it, but I do have control over myself.

Because of all of these realizations, I have made a few changes to turn my exchange in a bit of a different direction. I am putting more effort into my relationships here. I spend more time with my Belgian friends, treating them not as replacements for my friends at home, but instead creating new friendships and truly bonding with them. My host parents and I have a mutual trust that is only growing because I am really letting them see the real me. I am myself again, not just another shy exchange student. I am so happy. I really am finally to the point of feeling like me and like I belong here. I'm outgoing and bubbly and in a good mood and I'm getting to the point where I want to be. All in all, things are wonderful. I am not on vacation anymore, and this is just my life here. I'm bored sometimes, I'm sad sometimes, and I'm stressed sometimes. No, Belgium is not always keeping me occupied and no I don't always have something exciting going on. But here is what matters: I be me. And I am back to that. And I'm happy. La vie est BELLE.

Oh and I got accepted to Point Park University :P

Anyways, I'm happy. Things are looking up and going great. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this blog more updated!!!