She's Back...Back...Back Again!

I'm back home again in Indiana. What a crazy week it has been. Still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this time last weekend I was finishing up my last exam and taking in my last moments of Leuven.

While I thought the transition would be difficult coming back home, it really hasn't been for the most part. I have been busy reconnecting with friends and family, unpacking (which is finished - yay!), and getting organized for my relocation down to Louisville on Monday. SO EXCITED to make that place home for the summer.

I was extremely lucky having smooth travels home. This was my first time traveling completely alone, and let me say - I was pretty proud of myself! Apparently no one in Belgium was trying to catch a flight to Philadelphia, so I had a complete row to myself on the plane! Sadly American Airlines does not provide TV's on the back of the seat in front of you, so I had to make due. I came prepared though, and got through a good chunk of the book Me Before You.

This is from the GPS on my phone while I was traveling home - so close to Greenland! 

Let me just say, no matter where I am in this world, it is always so lovely to come back home to my family. My sister couldn't make it to the airport, but I was immediately greeted by my mom at the arrival gate. SO HAPPY! Jet lag didn't stop me, as we all went out for Mexican food straight from the airport.

A new favorite of mine in Fishers that Katie and I discovered this week - The Flying Cupcake & Dancing Donut

My sister and I have gone on a couple adventures this week - and I even did a bit of a change with my haircut. Still getting used to it, but I really like it!

Honestly, I've been jumping back into my life just how I left it five months ago. While it's been easy to reacclimatize to the culture here, I feel a bit lost. I just went from months of seeing the world, back to the routine of home life, work, and commuting. While I'm so happy to be with my family, I just feel a bit empty. Reality is starting to set in and I've got to figure out what to do with my life in the next year -- to be quite honest, I have no clue what I'm going to do.

Ultimately, my dream right now would be getting this blog running off the ground and making a career out of professional blogging. I know this isn't realistic at the moment, but a girl can dream. I came to love blogging so much abroad, that I want to continue it with my adventures in the Midwest this summer.

For now, I can't wait to update about my internship, life in Louisville/Indy, and getting ready for my senior year! As always, thanks for reading! xx

Guess Who's Returning to the U.S. of A.?

This girl! And it's finally just starting to hit me. Monday morning, I'm making my way to the airport to make the journey home. It truly feels like centuries ago that I first stepped on Belgian soil --- and yet I can remember everything so vividly. I was nervous and full of emotions that I couldn't quite describe. I had no clue what this semester would have in store for me. It's still crazy for me to wrap my mind around the fact that the last time I saw my friends and family was in January.

Today I finished my last exam (after a month full of stress and studying). I ran some last minute errands. I also met up with one of my friends I made here for one last coffee shop trip. The rest of my evening has been spent detoxing with a Netflix Friends binge session and a large cheese pizza...and I can't say I'm mad about it.

So. I wanted to take some time to reflect on my experience here. A couple days ago I took a study break and read some of my older posts, thinking how glad I was that I kept track of my memories through this blog. As tomorrow will be filled with many goodbyes, I thought now would be the best time to reflect back on it all.

They say that home isn't a place, it's a person. Well, I think Leuven proved me wrong - it can be both. Everywhere I have traveled to, everywhere I made memories, I leave a little piece of my heart. People say that going out and seeing the world changes you. And they're right. In the last five months, I have traveled through 8 countries and close to 20 cities. Everywhere has touched my soul in a different manner. Budapest was my first taste of Eastern Europe. I got to experience the works of some of the most artistically talented individuals in the world in Rome. Ireland showed me what true natural beauty looks like. And Belgium taught me how to live life like a true European. I am just completely amazed at what this world has to offer. While I checked many places I have always dreamed of visiting, I only added more and more as my time continued here. I find it so fascinating that this planet is full of so many diverse cultures. It's so neat to see how history has shaped us and our environments into the way they are today. It's what I love about travel. It's like taking a step back in time, or entering a new world where the adventures to be had are endless.

Now, let me be honest. When I chose to study abroad, it was mainly for the travel aspect. I wasn't trying to get away from Hanover or from my family or from my friends. I just wanted to experience the world from a new perspective. It's one thing to take a 3-week vacation throughout Europe, but to actually live here...it's indescribable. It's crazy to think that somewhere halfway around the world, this town in Belgium would one day become a place I'd call home. One of the best parts about this experience were the people I met. We ended up becoming very close with a Belgian student at KU Leuven who will always hold a special place in my heart. It's because of her that I traveled to Budapest, that I met so many locals, that I got to experience true Belgian culture. She welcomed us into her life fully, and for that I am so thankful. Not only were her and her friends wonderful, but I got to meet kids from other schools throughout the US going through the same experience as we were. It was so nice getting to know them, and getting to hear all about their lives in different parts of the country back home.

One of the things that surprised me most? How much I learned about myself. I truly am an independent person, so when I knew I was leaving for 5 months, I didn't think twice about missing home or my family. But I truly have. It's been hard being away from them for so long. I got homesick and lonely a few times, but it only made me stronger. I think at Hanover I'm so used to having a million different activities I'm involved in, that I never really have time to just be with myself. Here in Belgium, I definitely had plenty of time to reflect and to think about who I am and where I am going. It brought me closer with some of the most extraordinary people who will always have a special place in my heart as well (you know who you are).

As I'm concluding this post, it's truly begun to hit me that I will be leaving this place and this country. Who knows when I'll return, but all I've got to say is thank you Belgium, and thank you Leuven for the ride of my life. Thank you for showing me the beauty in some of the simplest moments, and for opening my eyes to what this world has to offer. While I leave with a head full of bittersweet thoughts and emotions, I know that my time here will be a memory I will cherish for a lifetime. Cheers!

Photo Creds: LCR Photography

My Last Adventure - Amsterdam

My oh my how it's been quite some time. Like I referenced in my last post, finals are insane here. Insanely hard. The past month I've been here has been mostly spent studying. BUT, we did take a little break for a day trip to Amsterdam a couple weeks ago. Only a 2 1/2 hour bus ride away, we said why not? I wanted to make it up there even if it was at least for a day.

There was a worker's strike with the train system at the time we went, so Izzy and I had to wake up extremely early to catch a one hour bus ride from Leuven to Brussels just so we could catch our bus that would take us to Amsterdam. We had smooth travels up to the Netherlands, and got to Amsterdam around 10:45 am.

When shall I move in? 

Our first stop? The Pancake Bakery for brunch. This is one of the most famous restaurant/bakeries in Amsterdam, known for their dutch pancakes. I tried the dutch apple pancake and was extremely pleased with my choice. We did have to wait about a half hour to be seated because it's that popular, but I'm so happy we went.

After, I was determined to get a photo at the Fault In Our Stars Bench from the movie. After getting a bit misguided, I ended up finding it, only to find people wanting to do the same thing we were. The bench was so cool, with tons of people who had signed it and quotes from the book. How cool that must be for John Green?!

We then made our way toward the Rijiksmusem where we took some photos in front of the infamous "I Amsterdam" sign. But before hand, we sat along the canals for a bit which was so nice. When they say Amsterdam is truly a bike-friendly city, they mean it. It's almost a pain to get around there by car, because it's so accommodating for cyclers.

M for Mal! 

A bit tired, we took a break and grabbed a Starbucks and walked along the Floating Flower Market. Tons of vendors have stands that literally float on one of the canals -- although I was a bit disappointed as much of it was touristy. I was hoping to find some of those beautiful Dutch tulips!

Lastly, we made our way back to the train station, cutting through the Red Light District on the way. Can't say it's a place I need to go back to. Because the Netherlands legalized marijuana, it was definitely prevalent throughout the neighborhood. You could smell it all around you, and I was quick and ready to leave as soon as we entered.

How bittersweet I was that this was my last adventure to a new country. Be on the lookout for a recap post as I am heading home a week from TODAY! 3 finals and a little packing stands between me and my ride home to America. I've got lots to reflect on - and I can't wait to do so as I'm traveling home.

My Roman Holiday

A couple weeks ago, I embarked on my last big adventure of my study abroad experience. How crazy is it that all this is coming to an end? A month from today, I will be getting on a plane home to America - a place that seems otherworldly at this point. I've become so acclimated to the lifestyle here, that I think it's going to be a bit of a challenge coming home and readjusting to what used to be almost 5 months ago.

So my last major travel took me to Rome, Italy for a few days. It was the absolute best time - full of unexpected surprises! Izzy and I flew out of Brussels on a Sunday morning to land in Rome in the afternoon. I've always wanted to go to Rome. After visiting, I've never been to any place like it. There is just so much art and history jam packed into one city, it's spectacular. 

The only aspect I truly didn't enjoy were the amount of tourists there. It's a good thing I'm heading home soon, because this is when families start taking summer vacations. Rome was so crowded and full of people all over the place. There were so many vendors trying to sell you things, Izzy and I reached a point where we were about to tell of the next person that tried to sell us a selfie stick. 

When we arrived Sunday, we hit up a couple major sites - a walk by the Colosseum and a visit to the Trevi Fountain. Both were just astounding. I've never had the opportunity to see a structure so old and historical. Then I had another jaw-drop moment at the fountain. It is just absolutely stunning. The amount of detail and craftsmanship that was put into the fountain is amazing. I made a wish and threw a coin in, so fingers crossed that comes true someday. 

Afterwards, we met up with one of Izzy's friends who actually stayed with us back in February to grab dinner in the Trastevere neighborhood. She ended up leaving just 2 days after we arrived to come home to the States - it was crazy for us to think that we still had another month and a half to go. She also took us for our first gelato where I had the most delicious little cup of the sweet goodness. You wouldn't think blueberry cheesecake cobbler and strawberry would go together well, but both flavors were amazing. 

The next day, we fit in as much as we could. We originally planned to go into the Colosseum, but by the time we got there, the lines were extremely long, so we decided to do some other things. We stopped by the Trevi Fountain again (because it's just that amazing!) and then made multiple stops to the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. On the way there, we ended up running into a Hanover class that was taking a spring term trip here unexpectedly. It was the funniest and best thing. So nice to see some familiar faces! 

After stopping at both these places, we made our way to Il Gioliti which Jill had recommended us to go to for some more amazing gelato. Here I tried Oreo, Stratiacella, and Strawberry flavors. Izzy and I took a breather before we were off to meet up with one of our favorite professors who was taking a class from Hanover to Rome for Spring Term.

Originally, we intended on meeting her in front of St. Peter's Basilica. Long story short, we waited almost 2 hours baking in the sun. Eventually we left only to find out she got caught up with an issue she was having with her class and couldn't get in contact with us to let us know what was going on.

At this point, we were so exhausted that we just took the metro back to our hostel where we took a breather. Some of our sorority sisters ended up being in Rome with another class, so we met up with lots of people from our school that evening for dinner and drinks. I can't tell you how lovely it was to just hang out with Americans. We didn't have to worry about language barriers, we didn't have to explain ourselves, we could just be, and it was so refreshing.

Our last day, we crammed in so, so much. Because the Colosseum was packed the day before, we got up bright and early to make it there right as it opened. We ended up practically having the place to ourselves. It was so nice. The Colosseum itself is just amazing. It's hard to put into words how cool it is to stand in a structure with so much history, spanning over thousands of years. After, we made our way to the Roman Forum which is located right next to it. Also spectacular.

After, we made our way to the Vatican, where we spent a couple hours walking through the museum. I even got to see the Sistine Chapel. I feel like I'm being so redundant when I describe all the places I've been to, but it was hard to put that place into words either. Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago Leonardo da Vinci painted that church - how neat is that?!!

Then, we made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. I'm not Catholic, but boy was that place just beautiful. At this point, Izzy and I were wiped, so we ended up lying down in a park and relaxed for 2 hours before we were to meet with our professor for dinner after making our way through the church.

We spent our last night dining with Uschi, our study abroad advisor who as I said before brought a class here. It was so great to catch up with her as well. We told her all about our experiences (and how we're freaking out about finals being so soon).

A fantastic Roman Holiday it was. I apologize for the lack of blog posts, but I'm spending every day (until I come home ultimately) for the next 3 1/2 weeks studying hardcore for exams. I'll try to fit in little updates here and there, but thank you for keeping up with my journey throughout this semester!

Enjoy some photos from the trip below!

Living out my Lizzie McGuire dream!

First bites of gelato

Trastevere Neighborhood

The best reunions are Hanover ones.

Phi Mu reunited in front of the Trevi Fountain.

Piazza Navona 

St. Peter's Basilica

Roman Forum

Reunited with our study abroad advisor. 

Living the Belgian Life in Gent

This past weekend, I had the privilege of staying with a Belgian family just outside of Gent in De Pinte, Belgium. My grandmother actually connected me with the family through a friend of her's whose family hosted the husband when he was studying in the United States. I am so thankful she did, because it made for such a fabulous and relaxing weekend.

We got to Gent on Friday because we were to spend a day there with our Flemish Art & Culture class. It was a long day -- we spent 5 hours in one museum we definitely didn't need to stay at, as well as a contemporary art museum. After being with our class, Izzy and I went to explore the city ourselves before we met up with the family we stayed with for dinner.

Doing some research, I discovered there is a street in Gent that is completely covered in graffiti, so we went to snap some pics and to explore. If you're ever in the city, look up "Werregarenstraat" to come across a tunnel that leads into a narrow street absolutely covered in graffiti. Every so often, they completely paint it over in white so that artists can start new projects, but ultimately it's a street meant for individual expression. I wish I would've known about it sooner, because I definitely would have bought a spray can of paint to add to the art on the wall.

After, it was time to meet up with the family we stayed with for the weekend. They took us out for the best dinner at "De Gekroonde Hoofden"- one of the oldest restaurants in Gent and well worth the visit if you're a fan of ribs. I ended up getting honey glazed ribs -- and the best part? They're all you can eat. We left the restaurant with full stomachs and sticky hands.

They took us to their home after where we were to stay for the night. It was so nice to sleep somewhere quiet and peaceful for a couple days. Especially when living in a residence with 20 other housemates.

The next morning, we were off to visit Gent. Frank who was hosting us drove us into the city where we got to explore for the day. Much of it was spent walking around and we got to see the three major churches that make up the town, Sint-Michielskerk, Saint Nicholas' Church, and Saint Bavo's Cathedral. Along with this, we went up the Belfry Tower to get a lovely view of Gent. There are plenty of canals running through the entire city as well, so we had the opportunity to simply take in the atmosphere.

By the end of the day - close to dinner time - Frank came and got us by his boat. Like I said, Gent has A LOT of canals, so there are plenty of ways to enter the city. We ended up getting to chat with a couple of his friends who were having a drink with him where they docked before we made the trek back to De Pinte where they lived. The ride was so lovely.

When we got back to his house, his wife was cooking dinner, and we chatted a bit more over drinks before eating. She ended up making this delicious lamb with potatoes and carrots that was heavenly. Being a college student who has to cook for herself, this felt like such a luxury. Because I don't want to spend tons of money on spices and flavoring for only for a semester, much of what I eat is pretty bland, so it was great to have someone else cook for a change.

After dinner, Frank showed us some photos of his travels and time he spent in the United States which was really neat to see. Before we knew it, we all went to sleep to wake up for the long boat ride we were taking on our last day.

Around 10 a.m. the next day, we got out to their marina where we went on a long boat ride. It was so cool to see all the homes and towns located next to the rivers we were on. It reminded me of being up at Lake Wawasee in the summer, something I miss so much. We eventually docked at a town called Sint-Martens-Lament. This ended up being where Frank grew up, and he showed us the perfect little path we could walk along for an hour before lunch. It was all Belgian countryside, homes with huge yards, just beautiful. I even befriended a couple sheep along the way.

The town itself was very adorable as well. All white buildings, a little church, nice restaurants. I would love to eventually move to a little place like this one. It was so peaceful - maybe after I've traveled the world for awhile, I can move to some place like this one. We looped back to their boat where we had a lovely lunch full of seafood. After, an ice cream truck pulled up that makes their treats with dairy straight from the cow, and it was so yummy. The perfect way to end such a relaxing weekend. We were so thankful for the opportunity to stay with them and to see a different side of Belgium.

Returning to the City of Light

Half a month later and I'm just getting to updates on our weekend in Paris. Things have been getting crazier and busier here in Leuven. I'm reaching my final weeks with only a month and a half left to go before I board a plane heading home to the States. I'm making it a goal to be all caught up on my posts this week, so be on the lookout for a couple more blogs from yours truly.

So - Paris. We came because we wanted to participate in the Paris Color Run - so we just made a weekend trip out of it. The megabus costed less than 25 euros to get us there and back, so it was an easy 4 hour drive from Brussels. Upon getting off at the bus stop in Paris, my heart skipped a beat. I have been blessed to experience and see so many new places during my travels this semester, but there's just something about this city that makes me want to pack my bags up and move here. It feels like a second home to me - I feel comfortable exploring and navigating my way around, and there's always something new for me to see and fall in love with. 

After we checked into our hotel, we explored the Notre Dame area a bit. I got a scoop of my favorite ice cream, Bertillion and we walked around for awhile, stumbling into Shakespeare and Company and eating dinner in a cute little restaurant for less than 10 euros. The sunset was stunning that evening - and I just couldn't stop smiling the entire time. 

Saturday we did so, SO much. We started our morning off at the Champs-Elysees and l'Arc de Triomphe (where I almost convinced myself I needed to spend 20 euros on macaroons from Laduree). I ended up buying a new jacket from the H&M there which was so fun. After snapping some pics, we made our way toward the Eiffel Tower. Call it touristy, call it cliche, but the Eiffel Tower is my favorite thing about Paris. It's what I dreamed about seeing for the longest time . . . so when I finally did back in high school, it only ignited my passion for traveling the world. Every time I get to see it again, I am immediately reminded of how much more I want to see and explore on our beautiful planet. 

Paid a visit to my pal Louis Vuitton

From Paris with Love. 

After grabbing a sandwich, we got caught in the rain making our way toward the Louvre. It literally downpoured for the entire walk there, so we got a little soaked. Once we arrived though, it was completely sunny again, so I couldn't complain too much. I was so happy because I ended up getting into the Louvre for free. Because we have Belgian residence cards, we're considered "members of the EU" so I didn't have to pay a dime to see the Mona Lisa! Of course we took the obligatory selfie and explored a bit more. 

From here, we spent the night sitting on the steps of the Sacre Coeur and watched the sunset over the city. It was magical. We were off to bed early as our last morning was spent waking up bright and early.

Okay. So if you ever get the chance to do to the Color Run in Paris or anywhere else amazing in Europe - do it! It was such an amazing experience (and not too expensive!) It works just like any other color run, except I was motivated to finish thanks to beautiful views along the Seine and the final celebration at the Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower. Words can't describe how awesome it was. It made me so thankful for these wonderful experiences I have had. 

After dancing and getting completely covered in powder, it was time to say goodbye to the City of Light. I'm already dreaming up my next adventure, and cannot wait to return to my favorite place in the world one day. 

Dublin' it Up in the City

Just two weeks ago, I found myself in the city of Dublin, Ireland for a quick weekend trip with Izzy and Annelien. All of us had always wanted to go, so we said let's do it!

Because of the delays during our trip to Spain, we had one day in between Spain and Ireland at home in Belgium, so much of what we did was very spontaneous while we visited (little time to plan unfortunately). Let me just say, the flight coming in was absolutely stunning. Because Dublin sits right near the water, we got to see much of the coastline upon flying in. 

Overall - I would give Dublin a 7/10. It's definitely a neat city with tons of history, but it's quite expensive when you're balling on a budget, and you truly don't need more than a weekend there. If anything, this trip fueled my desire to go back and visit the rest of the country, mountains, cliffs, and all.

Upon arriving, we got driven to our hostel by this adorable old Irish taxi driver. It's so weird seeing them drive on the other side of the road, let alone being present in a car while it happens, but he drove us about 20 minutes away to the heart of Dublin. We stayed in "The Generator Hostel" which ended up being very trendy, very different from the hostels we've stayed in before. 

Because we couldn't check in until 2, we went in search of lunch. We ended up going to the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to 1198. It was everything you would imagine a typical Irish pub could be. Fireplaces, dark mahogany walls, beer glasses the size of your head - old Irish men drinking at 11 in the morning - it reminded me of the Three Broomsticks from Harry Potter. It was fantastic. I had a delicious sandwich and ended up trying some Irish hard cider (no Guinness for me - yet!)

The rest of the afternoon was spent simply exploring. It ended up raining a bit (what a surprise). We stopped in the late afternoon for one of the best "iced" hot chocolates I've ever had. Yes, you heard me. In the biggest mason jar, you get hot chocolate, topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. It was the absolute best. 

We ended up going to bed early that night due to the exhaustions of traveling. The following day was my favorite, though. We started our morning off by visiting St. Stephen's Green, a massive park in Dublin. As we walked through, we met an old Irish man who was fond of feeding pigeons. He ended up wanting us to do the same, and my friend Izzy went right for it. I'm not too fond of birds after an incident I had with one at a young age, but before I knew it the guy was giving me oats in my hand and I had a pigeon resting right on my arm. Don't worry, PLENTY of hand sanitizer was used after I was finished. He was a little quirky, but it made for a hilarious memory.

Kinda happy, kinda not...

After, we walked by Trinity College and decided we were going to visit Howth, a little harbor town on the coast of Ireland. It only cost 6 euros to take the train to get there, and boy was I happy we did. It was definitely my favorite part of the weekend. We couldn't have gone on a better day. Clear skies and a little bit of wind added to the ambiance of it all. You could walk all through the town and just see so much blue sky and rocky cliffs. I ended up making a couple new friends along the way as well...

Meet my new friends!

Howth, Ireland

Upon coming back, we trekked through the Temple Bar area where much of the nightlife happens. It's a cool little area to hear live music, but definitely something you only need to do once or twice.

Sunday, we visited the Guinness Brewery, which was much more awesome than what I expected. Not only do you get to learn about how the beer is made, but they teach you how to "craft the perfect pour" of Guinness. Let me tell you, it's an art. After you get through the museum, they have a "gravity bar" where you can see lovely views of Dublin while enjoying your complimentary glass. It was a lot of fun and I can proudly say I am a true fan of the beer.

Graduated with honors! 

Later that day, we were looking to go to the old jail located on the outskirts of the city, but little did we realize that you had to book in advance before you could go. So, we got there only to find out we couldn't visit which was disappointing. The rest of the evening was filled with relaxation, as we had an early flight the next morning. Our hostel ended up having live music on Sundays, so we sat in the restaurant and listened for a bit.

All in all, Dublin made me realize how much I want to go back to Ireland to explore more. I'm so thankful to have traveled to all these cities, and I'm so excited for a few more adventures we have in the works in my last 2 months ahead. Up next, an update on a visit to my favorite city in the world ... Paris!