It’s been almost two months since I moved to the beautiful city of Brussels and I cannot believe it. It didn’t take me long to settle in and make myself at home here and my experience so far has been really pleasant, everyone is so kind and welcoming. I have been on so many adventures already and I’m excited to share some of my experiences with you!

The Social Aspect

I have found myself really making an effort to go out and socialise this semester. I took it upon myself to invest in getting an ESN card. ESN (Erasmus Student Network) is an organisation which plans events, meet-ups and information sessions for international students. So far I have been to parties, a day trip to Ghent (more on that and other day trips in a future post), a city tour of Brussels and I am signed up to go on a day trip to Antwerp soon which I am looking forward to!

There is an ESN group in almost every city so I definitely recommend keeping an eye out for them and have a look at their social media pages to see when their next events are! The ESN card costs around 10 euros and is valid for 12 months and it allows discounts on any trips and events organised by any ESN group as well as discounts elsewhere, such as with Flixbus or Ryan Air. For me, this has been one of the best ways to meet people from all around the world and learn more about the country and city which I am studying in.

I have also been able to make friends with the people in my classes this semester, although I do believe it is worth noting that this isn’t always as easy as it seems. The classes which I am taking here often include an aspect of group work and communicating with other students in French which has meant that I have been able to interact with other French learners and native speakers. This has not only helped my language skills to improve but also my confidence in speaking spontaneously.

I am also taking part in a Tandem with a native French speaker at Université libre de Bruxelles. We paired up through the university and have been set the task to meet up on a regular basis to improve our language skills in each other’s native language. So far my partner has taken me to a Salsa dance lesson which was really fun and I was able to converse with other students in French, and we have also met up for lunch at the university’s canteen. This was something I was very keen on taking part in due to my past experience of having a German Tandem partner (who I still keep in touch with) as I noticed that my ability to speak fluidly in German had improved over time. Tandems are one of the best ways to improve your language skills as you have to learn how to have confidence speaking with others but also learn how to use more idiomatic language and slang terms. I had to learn how to understand abbreviations and text talk, for example, when messaging my Tandem partner as this was something I had never encountered before and would sometimes lead to a bit of miscommunication between the two of us.

I would definitely have to say that meeting people whilst on my year abroad and making sure to get out of my flat has been key to maintaining my mental health and also making the most of my time here.

Exploring the City Solo

Touring solo. Seems a little bit nerve-wracking? At least I thought so when I first arrived. New place, big city, lots to discover. It can be a bit daunting at first but taking those first few steps into the city centre and finally seeing all of those sites which you had searched up online and planned to visit in person is such a fun and rewarding experience!

I personally quite enjoy exploring a city solo. I get to plan out my day as I wish and spend as much or as little time as I want outside of the flat. I have made it my goal to make sure that I visit somewhere I haven’t been before at least once a week as I have created a lengthy list of must-do and must-see places which need to be ticked off before my time here in Belgium comes to an end. I have definitely got enough to keep me busy!

For some fresh air, I enjoy going out and sitting on a bench in one of the city’s outdoor spaces or, on a rainy day, venturing indoors to a museum to learn more about the history and culture of the area, or even to a cute little coffee shop recommended by the internet or my flatmates.

There is so much to see and do in Belgium and you don’t need to be confined just to the capital city.

A Visit from my Parents & Back to Reality

My parents recently came to visit me in Brussels for a week. I was allocated the job of tour guide and interpreter/translator which I was excited about. We managed to fit in a lot in such a short space of time and there were still parts of the city we missed! Goes to show how life in a capital city never gets boring!

On the first day I took them on a tram ride to Le Petit Sablon and to see the view of the city from the View Ferris Wheel. We then stopped at Le Pain Quotidien for a quick coffee and pastry before going to Brussels Park to see Le Chat. After, we paid a visit to the Comics Museum where we saw Tintin and the Smurfs! In need of some dinner, we headed to ‘Wolf Sharing Market’ which is a big cafeteria surrounded by restaurants serving different cuisines from Italian to Syrian and all can be ordered straight from your phone- I highly recommend this place!

On day two, we took a train ride to see Kasteel van Beersel which is just outside of Brussels. We were provided with an audio guide by scanning various QR codes across the site which taught us about the history of the building and what each room was historically used for. It was a beautiful castle in a very peaceful area and a great place for some pictures. Definitely a hidden gem of Belgium that is worth a visit!

Day three, we took the train and went on a day trip to Bruges, a city around an hour north of Brussels. This is a well-known and highly recommended place for tourists to visit when in Belgium and for good reason! The streets of the city felt as though you were in some sort of fantasy land- beautifully cobbled and each street lined with cute and cosy shops. We took a boat tour around the city with a very humorous guide and ate some frites and waffles in some local shops. I also introduced my parents to Cuberdons which are small cone-shaped jellies that are specific to Belgium.

We got the train back to Brussels arriving in at 7pm, we had enjoyed our day out and were settling back in their hotel room blissfully unaware of what was being reported on the news when I received a message from my friend. I was informed that there had been a terrorist attack in the city centre, two people shot dead and a gunman on the loose. With the shocking news, we decided that it would be best for me to get home to my flat as soon as possible. It had been some time since the incident occurred and the gunman had not yet been caught. Videos of the horrific incident were circulating online and an entire stadium of football fans had been put on lockdown until further notice. I sat with my flatmates in our dining room until late at night, watching for updates and hoping that they would find the suspect soon. My flatmate’s friends who had been horse riding in the south of the city had asked to stay the night as they both lived in close proximity of the incident which had now been blocked off (the incident happened in the north and I stay in the south). The threat level had been raised to level four which is the highest it has been since the Brussels airport attack in 2016.

I went to sleep that night feeling anxious of what was happening but I woke up the next morning to the news of the suspect being shot dead after being reported seen in a café. I received emails from both of my universities to ensure that I understood what had occurred and that I needed to stay vigilant and follow local advice. It was obvious in the following days that there was a heavier police presence in the city. It made me feel safer but also very anxious as this was the first time I had ever been in the same city at the time of something this horrific happening. The university also heightened their security in light of the incident and halted all social events for a few days. The whole experience was quite scary and really brought me back to reality.

After being given the all-clear, we decided to do some more sightseeing in the city centre. We found all of the peeing statues, went to Mont des Arts to see the view, visited the Grand Place and Gallerie St Hubert, and did some mural spotting along the way!

On my parents last day in Belgium, we took a trip to see the world-famous Atomium! We went inside and witnessed the exciting light show, amazing views of the city and learned a bit more about the site itself. And of course, it goes without saying that we took way more photos than we needed! After, we stopped for some frites and then continued on to walk around Mini-Europe which is right next door. These places are a definite must-see when in Belgium but I recommend visiting on a cool yet sunny day for some good pictures (also it can get really hot inside the Atomium).

Final Thoughts

It is safe to say that having a very busy social life and having the confidence to go out and explore as an individual plays a huge role on the experience of the year abroad. I feel as though it is key that I make the effort to plan little day trips for myself and make the most of the good weather whilst it is still around- it’s only getting colder now!

The whole experience of the terrorist attack will probably stay on my mind for a while. It was a complete shock and nothing I had expected whilst on my stay here. It has made me more aware of what is happening around me and how important it is to keep up with local news. My final recommendation in this post is to sign up to the UK Government’s travel abroad alerts through email, you can find this on their website which is also linked in emails sent by the University of Edinburgh. This allows you to keep up-to-date with any significant events and changes in advice- something I should have been more aware of beforehand.