My Adventure Begins

Today was the first day of orientation, which meant a lot of boring information presented in a conference room, but also my first chance to really see some of the main attractions in Brussels and to get a feel for the city. I think it's similar to many nearby European cities, but it has a peculiar mix of modern, artsy European-style buildings alongside blocks of 15th century (and even earlier) architecture. Many of the people here are friendly and most speak conversational English, which makes getting around very easy.

There are 26 people in my group, and they are from all over the U.S. (I'm the only one from MN). We're all staying in a nice, but not overly spacious, hostel that's a five minute walk from the Grand Place and Mannekin Pis, two of the most famous attractions in Brussels. Pictures are hopefully to follow soon, but take my word, the Grand Place is the most fabulous square I've ever seen, with a city block perimeter of huge, ornate castle-like buildings surrounding a massive plaza filled with people, restaurants, museums, etc.

One of the coolest things about Brussels so far is its diversity: you can literally walk down the street and hear 10 different languages. It's one of those places where most of the people are not actually native, but are visiting either on business, vacation, or are recent immigrants. In fact, in what is mind-boggling to many locals, in five years an estimated 40-50% of the Brussels population will be Middle Eastern immigrants. The face of Europe is rapidly changing.

I still do not know my permanent housing situation or class schedule...those questions will hopefully be answered in the next several days. But for now I am really enjoying being independent in a city where, outside of my study group, I know no one. It is a thrilling experience that I encourage anyone interested in travelling to take on.