Hola Amigos!

Unfortunately I am a bit late in updating this post but I took my second trip out of Belgium to... *drum roll please*... SPAIN!

It was warmer, there were palm trees, there were tapas... it was Heaven. Or at least seemed like it compared to the cold, rain, and snow I've been living in the past few months :)
I traveled smart this time and brought my Spanish-speaking friend Yonseili with me. (Ok, ok.. I actually tagged along on her trip to visit Hugo. whatever.) This was a huge benefit because we had quite a fiasco with the trip from Santander to Bilbao. Our scheduled 8:30PM bus didn't show up until 40 or so minutes later and when it did it did not have the correct destination on it. Fortunately, Yon came to the rescue and figured it out for us.

We were greeted at the station by 2 girls and Hugo was nowhere to be seen. They said he was at a party and would catch up later, needless to say, Yonseili's face was priceless and my main objective became damage control. Fortunately, Hugo had set up this lovely prank and showed up right before Yonseili freaked on everyone. We were treated to rice, shrimp, and salad when we arrived at Hugo's.

Stairs from the Metro, whoa!

Note: Yonseili and I felt like champions for navigating our way through 3 bus station and an airport in just a few short hours, so we thought we could easily tackle these stairs. It was an experience in and of itself, and I'll leave it at that :)

So Saturday, Yonseili forced me out of bed around 8AM with a panini and chocolate milk compliments of Hugo. We started the day with a small hike to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the most refreshing view I have seen in a while.Then we ventured back into Bilbao and started the days site-seeing excursion. Hugo was a great guide and showed us his campus, the new and modern parts of Bilbao, as well as the old city with the brick streets and tiny allies. We ate lunch at an incredibly trendy Spanish buffet offering 30 salad options, made-to-order meat and delicious desserts. We were also lucky to be in Bilbao the night that Carnaval started. SUCH a fun experience, everyone was dressed in crazy costumes and just marched through the streets of the old city singing, dancing, and throwing confetti. Of course, Yonseili and I indulged in the fair food with the largest cotton candy I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. 

Then we kept walking! We walked to the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao's largest claim-to-fame and reason for the huge tourist boom in recent years). And then we went home and passed out! Sunday we got up, Hugo's roommate Julie took us shopping a bit and then we packed up and headed to the airport. 

The Guggenheim

It was a quick vacation, but I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing yet another culture. It gave me a huge appreciation for Central and South America that I have never had much interest in, to be frank. And little did I know that I would actually understand more Spanish than the French I studied all through school and have been diligently working on for 2 months. I felt really comfortable and almost at home in Spain and would love to come back for a visit to Madrid or Barcelona. Maybe in the future :)

what's been happening!

I'll just sum up the weekend, because it pretty much reflects life here in Belgium:

Thursday night my roommate and chef Annelise cooked vegetarian lasagna that was to die for! Then, Yonseili, Riikka, and my Veco buddy Rafi (the older student who showed us around campus the first day of orientation- who is not really older than me because I am a senior (freak out moment)) went out to a place called People Bar which is on Avenue Louise about a block from my house. Avenue Louise is a very ritzy area of town with Mont Blanc, Tiffany's, Herve Leger, and other high-class flagship stores, so People Bar was definitely no exception. The place was full of professionals that I am assuming are politicians, diplomats, or finance gurus. We decided to stay pretty low-key at a corner table and observe the suits in action.

Friday Yonseili and I met at Veco to get a bit of homework/studying in and then grabbed a super cheap lunch at Quick, the Belgian McDonalds, and it was just that! Friday night all of the roommates had dinner together which was splendid and we all talked about Scandinavia and how competitive all the countries are. Then we watched Mama Mia together and called it a night pretty early in the evening.

Saturday Riikka and I went for a run around our neighborhood! Talk about an experience. Beat up sidewalks, slow walkers, cars, and small alleys... but we managed to run for a good 40 minutes and not get terrible disoriented in the winding streets. Then, we got dressed up and went to the Affordable Art Fair, which is a fair similar in concept to the Fair company that I work for, Accessible Art. Some of our artists also had booths set up there so I got a sneak preview of their work! Then we went to Bourse (a trendy neighborhood in Brussels) met up with John, Ryan, Bridget, and Atif and bounced from one venue to the next checking out the music and scene of each place.

Today! Riikka and I got up early, went to LifePoint church and visited the Place Flagey Sunday morning market.. rows and rows of meats, breads, cheeses, and wines. Simply Devine <3

this is life

This is life. My life consists of living in a major city, taking the Tram to class, the Metro to work, and walking every where in between. I have to walk 3 blocks to the market for groceries, I walk down the street and around the corner into one of the best shopping districts in Brussels. I get free access to any and all art exhibits in the area. This is life.

All of that sounds ridiculously fabulous, doesn't it?
Ninety-five percent of the time it really and truly is the dream, but I have a few of those five percent moments this week that I will briefly reflect on then go about enjoying my new life in this amazing city.

1. The Cold. Brussels had me fooled before my arrival. According to the weather channel, Brussels weather is not too far off from Nashville's climate. In actuality, I feel as if I have entered into a snow globe... even my SCANDINAVIAN roommates are cold here. That says a lot. Not only is the cold outside miserable, but apparently this country does not believe in heating because indoors is only slightly warmer than the frigid cold outside!

2. The Language. I love French. I love that I am learning French. But I hate that sometimes I can not communicate effectively with people. I remember getting frustrated multiple times this week because I could not make clear what I was intending to say. Honestly, I can't even remember what I got so frustrated about, so clearly it was not that big of a deal, but really. I wish I could learn French overnight and not worry about the communication barrier anymore.

3. Grocery Shopping. On this point, I am not sure if I dislike the situation, or if I dislike America more for using a system that no one else in the world can relate to! My goodness, I went to the market today to buy some cheese and meat and I didn't even know how much to ask for because everything is in grams! It really and truly is the small things that can make this adjustment so aggravating.

4. Lone Soldier. Well, that is quite an exaggeration, but it does get a little lonely here on occasion (although living with 3 girls it is definitely rare!) However, all of my close friends who know me from cover to cover are an ocean away and I feel like everyone here is in the introductory stage of friendship. There are definitely pros and cons to this... Pro: I get a clean slate and an opportunity to be the person I have always wanted to be. Really and truly, I have been more extroverted in the last month than I have been in my entire life. As a result, I have made a lot of friends in a very short amount of time. I really am proud of the connections I have made and the effort I have put into meeting people, instead of letting all my friends at home do the meeting and greeting for me. Con: it is hard to talk to complete strangers about much. After a while, you run out of things to say, and it just gets awkward if you start to delve into your past or personal life, blah blah blah. So I have definitely had to get creative with how I talk to people and what we talk about.

Enough whining though. I said all of those things for my readers to know that life here is not just a dream, but it is pretty close. All of those things are very small in comparison to the things I am learning and the fun I am having.
I'm lucky to have met some really incredible people, from the US, from Scandinavia, and from Belgium. This trip has really been a blast and I can't believe I'm already a month into it. I hope the next few months don't pass quite as quickly!

Hey February

Have I really only been here for 2 weeks? My goodness, it feels like ages! I think it is safe to say that I have adjusted to the urban life. For whatever reason I did not imagine Brussels being so...big. I literally live in a major city, and not just a big city, but one of the most important ones in Europe!

This week has been insane. For serious. I have been going non-stop since Tuesday at 8AM and I am so ready for the weekend, even though I am packing up and heading off to Cologne, Germany.

Tuesday I had class, worked at my internship, Accessible Art Fair (check out my Facebook for my details- some really cool things going down!), attended a lecture at the uni (what everyone here calls university) on The EU and Preventing World Hunger, then went to my first lesson with my French tutor.
I can't even describe how excited I am to learn French, and although I am a long shot from speaking well, I really did know a lot more than I thought I did, so my confidence has been boosted and I will probably attempt to converse with random people on the train and whatnot now. Exciting!

I finally got home last night, helped my roommate Riikka do laundry for her trip to Georgia (Middle East, not the United States!) and crashed.

Today, I got up, went to Accessible Art office, worked all day, and now I home blogging quickly before I write a short report on Starbucks with my girl, Yonseili. This report is an introduction to one we will be working on all semester regarding Starbucks and their international business- from fair trade to local growers to global expansion. Should be an interesting report when it is all said and done.

 Oh, and one last thing... the WEATHER. Well, it has been absolutely frigid this week.. if you can't tell. Today it was -13degreesC around 1 o'clock. I can't even imagine what it is now at 7PM. I feel like I should invest in subzero-type winter wear, but everyone keeps telling me this is a very short spurt of cold air and the nice spring weather will be here in a flash. For this week I will believe them, if the reports look similar to this next week, I'm investing in an electric parka or a portable sauna. Done with this cold mess.

HOWEVER, today was one of the first completely precipitation-free days that we have had since I have been here, so of course I had to chuck the rainboots and black faux-leather for something a little more spunky and trendy, get some life back into the streets, y'all! I'm so tired of seeing puffy coats, black boots, black mittens, and the occasionally bright and exotic off-white scarf. SO, I pulled out my new, fantastic Steve Madden leopard print loafers. They were definitely the high-lite of my day.

Antwerpen

On the plane ride over a scribbled down a few ideas of places I would like to visit on this 5 month excursion to Brussels, and here is what I came up with:
1.Paris, France
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
3. Antwerp, Belgium
4. Bruges, Belgium
5. London, England
6. Prague, Czech Republic

one of many adorable squares in Antwerp

7. Frankfurt/Munich, Germany
8. Zurich, Switzerland

Two weeks into my study abroad in Brussels, Belgium, I decided it was high time to get out and take a short visit to a different city. So, my new friend, Yonseili and I made the decision on Thursday to visit Antwerp (Antwerpen, to the locals) today. I woke up about the bright fine hour of 6 AM and met Yonseili at the train station at 7:30 for my very first train ride. We arrived in Antwerp around 8:30, sat down for a nice chai tea latte to warm our bones, and set out to explore the city. We walked through the shopping district before it opened and just window shopped, then we stumbled upon some of the most quaint brick streets and small squares that I have ever seen. The architecture of the tall, narrow, individualistic buildings is so adorable and cozy-feeling. Antwerp perfectly captures the image of quaint, old world Europe that is so romantic and utterly mesmerizing. We grabbed a Belgian waffle (I don't think I could ever eat too many of that savory snack) and continued to walk, take pictures, and enjoy the peace and quiet of a Saturday morning while most people are still in bed or just waking up.

De Kleine Post

At about 11:45 we decided it was time to eat some lunch, so of course we hunted down Antwerp's (or maybe Belgium, in general) famous mussels et frites. We found an adorable restaurant named De Kleine Post and shared a huge pot of the best mussels the ever exist. It was not the cheapest lunch, but most definitely a rewarding one. After the restaurant we meandered through the small allies again and found ourselves in the diamond quarter, lusting over stunning collections.

I give Antwerp two thumbs up for its old-world charm, sophisticated shopping district, delectable dishes, and relaxed atmosphere. Antwerp is definitely for the easy-going travelers who enjoy a flexible schedule and calming ambiance.

Something to Consider

http://martynballestero.com/2011/09/15/the-pentecostals-at-the-church-of-christ-funeral/

Read this.
At first glance, someone might think that this a great testimony to the advancement of the Kingdom, or even in a less denominational stance- that so many Christians advanced their walk with God that day.
True, and valid.


BUT. I think we missed a huge point about Christianity today. Did you notice how the whole article is about the "Pentecostals" and the "Church of Christs"? Why is Christianity so divided? Is that what Christ intended?

I don't think so. Actually, I know so. Christ rebuked the Pharisees over and over for their strict lawful practices and their exclusive behavior. Christ died to open up the salvation opportunity to ALL people. And as we know, salvation is not a one-time confession and statement of faith, but a continual, daily walk with the Lord.  Why in the world would we separate ourselves from people who want to know God just as intimately just because we don't see eye-to-eye on every verse in the Bible.

If you ask me, biblical themes are unchanging from denomination to denomination: grace, love, giving, modesty, mercy, sacrifice, devotion, etc.

As the article states, it is a great thing when Christians commune together, but why in the world are we separate in the first place? Battling our own sins and the temptation of the world around us is difficult enough, but add on fighting every denomination but your own? Seems impractical to me.

We are all on the same team here, instead of considering yourself better because you believe a certain way- strive to grow in your relationship with Christ, show that growth to your fellow Christians, and see where that leads them. It's simple, love people into a deeper relationship with Christ.

the newest.

It's been a minute, hasn't it?!

Well.. here's what Sarah has been up to lately.

School.. all consuming and completely exhausting, but I am thoroughly enjoying this semester. I am learning things that I love, working harder than I have ever worked, and it is paying off. I feel so accomplished just juggling my schoolwork, let alone the other things I have committed myself to this semester!

A few months ago I mentioned something about spending more time getting my self physically fit.. mission in progress. I joined Crossfit Murfreesboro almost a month ago and it sounds incredibly clique but the place is changing my life. I have pushed myself farther than I ever have and I know this is only the beginning! I haven't seen a huge physical difference yet but I know it is only a matter of time. Not to mention I have already met some amazing people who love taking care of themselves in every aspect.. physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I know I am in the right place to learn to take better care of myself.

theSpring youth/college age is taking off. This past weekend we had our first "Youth Fallout" which was a big bonfire of ages 12-18. We ended up having some college age kids come too and totaled out at 25. Not a huge number, but I count it as a success. Not to mention we have incredible teens who are funny, talented, smart, beautiful, and wholesome. I am so blessed to know each of them and I know that they are teaching me far more than I could ever teach them.

Yesterday I picked up my guitar and played until my fingertips were numb. Today, I did it again. I'm still learning my chords, but it is progress.. right? I have this fresh breathe of motivation this semester and it is so exhilarating!

And last but not least.. this time in 2 months I will be packing two very large suitcases for a 6 month vacation to the country of Belgium. I say vacation.. more like a work/study opportunity, but to me it screams vacation and opportunity :)

That's it for now! Until next time...