It Was A Joke!

So if you follow my blog often, you know that I've been in Belgium for almost a year now and since a few months ago, I was counting on July 10th, today, being the end of my journey. Meaning, the day I go home.

Well, it wasn't.

Basically what happened was that I got to the airport with Ben and a whole bunch of my friends, both Belgian and exchange students, and was in line to check in and everything was going fine. A woman came and checked my passport and I was ready to check my bags. But then another woman from the airline was going to each person in line, asking if they would be willing to travel tomorrow instead of today. They would arrange everything and I would even get a $900 voucher for my next flight. At first I was very hesitant because I wasn't sure what my parents would say and it's emotionally difficult when you think you're leaving and place, and then you stay. But in the end, I decided to be an adult and make the decision for myself and stay the extra day. $900 is a lot of money. And it would cover a ticket from Europe to the States...

The thing was that it wasn't official quite yet. They had to make sure that everyone showed up and they would actually need my seat. Which meant that I had to go through security and everything as if I was taking the original flight. So I did. And I said goodbye to everyone as if I would never see them again (not true, I'm coming back next summer). I cried all the way through customs and security. But the border patrol man was very nice to me, asked me to tell him what I could. I said nothing more than I was an exchange student this year in Belgium and he let me right through. No questions asked.

I got to the gate just at last call when the woman told me that they did in fact need my seat and I wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow. She then gave me my $900 voucher and I picked up my bags and came back to my little town of Hannut. I'm staying in my second family's house tonight and tomorrow Karine will come to get me and Ben to take us to the airport. So, all in all, everything is fine, I'm $900 richer than I was before, and I got to spend an extra wonderful, unexpected day in Belgium. Yay :)

Day One... GAH

So I got here about 14 hours ago... Yes, I am in Belgium!! So far it's been good. My host mom, Karine, picked me up at the airport after the really uncomfortable 7 hour flight. But we landed a little early so it wasn't too bad. We quickly got ourselves through customs, found our bags and awkwardly loaded them onto carts and tried to steer ourselves through the maze of people to find our host families. Once we got outside all we saw were people everywhere with signs and balloons trying to find the people they needed to pick up. Karine had a sign that said "Welcome Emma!" on it and found her pretty quickly. She had come with her god-daughter Phillipine. Then we made our way to the car and loaded everything up and drove to my new home :) On the way we stopped and I saw my school and the houses of people I would be going to school with, and we even stopped at a little bakery and I got this really delicious raspberry mousse cake thing... Then we got home, I met the fam, had some Special K (weird right?), took a shower and then passed out for I don't know how long. Once I woke up I unpacked myself and wrote a few letters. Then it was dinner time. We had pasta with this really great tomato and meat sauce with zucchini. And then I had my raspberry thing for dessert. OMG yummy food.

Ok so things I have to get used to: The separation of the toilet and the rest of what we Americans call a "bathroom". The toilet is in it's own little room and then the sink, shower and tub are all in another. And the shower does not have a door. Which is interesting... There's a wall separating the shower from the rest of the room but it's still different... I also have to get used to wearing shoes in the house and closing my door when I'm in my room... Those are things that I definitely didn't do at home. I also have to get used the fact that my school isn't right around the corner from the house. In Parma, I could get to school in 5 minutes on my bike. Here, I will leave the house a half hour before school starts. Which is like an hour later than in the States. Oh and no classes on Wednesday afternoons. Nice :) And of course the big one: FRENCH!! Ok so I took 4 years of high school French... And it didn't help as much as I thought it would. I didn't realize how little I know. Like when I actually sit down and think I can put sentences together but then when I'm in the middle of a conversation I blank out entirely and can't say anything. And then after I say it in English and the son translates, I immediately think of what it would be in French... Fail.

But for the most part I already feel pretty at home here. The house is pretty big and it's like 300 years old which is AWESOME. Oh and you know what else is interesting?? The amount of American music that they know. On the way home from picking me up, ABBA was on the radio. Now granted, ABBA isn't necessarily American, but still! And then I heard Michael Buble on the radio and the son knew Death Cab for Cutie. I just found it very interesting.

Of course I am already missing my friends and family. But I think for the most part I will be ok. It's so easy to keep in touch, even though I'll definitely have to restrain myself from being on all the time. I'll expect the next couple nights to be kinda rough, but I think I'll get through it. I know they're with me in my heart. (awwwww)

Alrighty well that's it for now. :)