Goodbye Until Tomorrow

I feel that I never adequately gave you guys closure about my exchange year.  I was going through a lot of different tough times, and ultimately, decided that being with my family and friends back home was the best decision for me.  I apologize for those of you who felt that I just left you guys out of what was going on.

Between changing host families and difficulties at school, I did not feel comfortable disclosing that to the whole internet, so I decided it would be best to stop blogging when I left Belgium in February.

Now, here I am, finishing up my freshman year of college over a year later, and reflecting on how integral my time in Belgium was for me.  Although I did not have the BEST YEAR EVER, I learned so much about myself and made friends that I would do anything for.  Not only that, but I've still been in contact with my host family--they have continuously showered me with love even after leaving.

Belgium is a part of me.  The good, the bad, the ugly---it has shaped me and given me a deep appreciation for who I am today and what I have become.

To those who are currently on exchange, I know the year is almost done for you.  Enjoy every moment.  Spend it in the company of the ones you love most.  You will never forget the impact that your exchange year has on your life.  And no matter what your experience was like, you did something most people will never do.  You left the comfort of your home, and choose to be uncomfortable.  Instead of staying with your high school friends, you broadened your horizons and now have friends from around the world.  Cherish the blessing that this year is for you.

And for those who haven't gone on exchange, I urge you to spend some portion of your life in a new environment.  Whether that be abroad or literally the town over from where you grew up, being uncomfortable is a great way to grow.  You will learn so much about yourself and others when you surround yourself with new people who all have different stories.

Thank you all for avidly reading my blog.  I wish you the best.

In the meantime, enjoy the last song of the installment.  I am a fan of musical theater song, and this song came to mind when I think of leaving.  Yes, it's referring romance, but aren't all songs these days?  I'm not sure how many of you dig musical theater, but you can expand your horizons...

So Goodbye. Until Tomorrow. :)

Catherine

"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone"

Today, is my official goodbye "party" before I go to Belgium.  I initially didn't want to make a big deal and have a party but my mom really wanted to make Belgian waffles, haha. So alas, I agreed (although Belgian waffles can't hurt, right?), and decided it would be a casual "get together" to say goodbye to all of my friends, not just to me.  Somehow a small group of friends grew into 15 people, but I wanted to make sure that I could say goodbye to the people who mean the most to me.

Almost all of my friends leave for college this week, and then next Wednesday is the big day! I leave the airport Wednesday morning and fly to New York. My dad adamantly wanted to drive to New York, but I convinced him that it would be much cheaper for me to fly solo. I found a ticket that was only $115, and then he came over to the dark side, mwahahaha! The flight to New York is only an hour or so, compared to driving which would be an eight hour fun filled car ride.

Most of the American exchange students who are going to Europe are flying out from New York (I think), and we are told to arrive at the airport between 12 and 4pm.  After that there is an overnight orientation at a nearby hotel, and then the next night everyone's international flights will leave. After arriving in Brussels, there will be a two day orientation with all the AFSers from all over the world who will be leaving in french-speaking Belgium. After that our host parents come to pick us up, and that starts the beginning of this awesome journey that lies ahead.

I try to be very realistic with my expectations for Belgium.  I like to think of myself as a realist rather than a pessimist, but basically, I have mentally prepared for the first few months of my exchange to be very challenging. I managed to get through AP French, but I am definitely no where close to being a fluent french speaker. The language itself is enough of a challenge, but mix in a new culture, new people, and a new life, and I can definitely say I'm in for a ride! I am so ready for a change in my life, and I'm so excited for the newness of it all as well. Keeping an open mind about everything is going to be a priority of mine over this next year

I am including so many specific details for those of you future exchangers out there :) I know what it is like to scour every blog on the internet to try to find out as much as possible about what exchange is like. I hope that people who are reading my blog can at least learn a little about Belgium and what being an exchange student is like.

Just because this song has been on the radio so much lately--and because I find it to be relevant to my situation--I'd like to post the song "Cups" by Anna Kendrick. And even though I'm usually not into "mainstream" music, I like her voice a lot.

Au revoir,

Catherine

"On Top of the World": Imagine Dragons Concert

Wow...the fact that it is already August is really taking me by surprise. My flight to Belgium leaves exactly 3 weeks from today! The interesting thing is that all my friends are actually leaving for college before I leave for Belgium.  But I'm sure than my last few days will be filled with me frantically packing and saying my goodbyes to my other friends.

I perform my last four shows of the musical I'm in this weekend, and then BAM! I'm getting my wisdom teeth out on August 5th.  Mine are pretty much as bad as it gets..impacted and in the bone...I won't go into too much detail, but it ain't gonna be pretty. Alas, after I recover from that fun filled procedure, I'll have to start packing......

I have no clue where to start...I did put a few of the winter clothes I want to bring in a pile, but that's the extent to what I've done.  The suitcase has to be under 44 pounds, which is not that much considering that 10 pounds of that is the suitcase. We shall see...Slow and steady wins the race, right?

I went to the Imagine Dragons concert on Tuesday and IT WAS AMAZING!!!! I absolutely love Imagine Dragons, and seeing them live was spectacular! I'll post pictures and a few videos below.Since I went to the Imagine Dragons concert on Tuesday, I think it'd be rather appropriate to title this post with one of their songs.

A bientôt (Until next time),

Catherine