Bye Bye Belgium

Realizing that I have 12 days left here put me in a state of shock. Where did the last 4 months go? Everyone always said that study abroad would fly by, but geez, I'm not ready to go home yet. I am in the sense that I'm ready to spend a chill night on the couch with my family, I'm ready to not have a 6 hour time difference with my boyfriend, I'm ready to eat a huge, juicy bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. But I feel like I still have so much to learn from Europe, from Belgium, from the people I've met here.

Last weekend I went with the K.U. Leuven swim team to a competition in Karlsruhe, Germany. It was probably my favorite weekend since I've been here. Don't get me wrong, I've had lots of wonderful exploration trips throughout the semester, but Karlsruhe was more than seeing a new city for the first time. I really bonded with the Belgian students and felt like I'd made life-long friends. And THAT'S why I studied abroad. For those moments when you learn about the different experiences others have had growing up in a different country, yet you bond on a level above any sort of cultural barrier. It just seems unfair that I really begin to feel a connection with the Belgians in my last two weeks here. The swim meet itself was unbelievable- I've never been to such a fun event. It had teams from all over Europe and we were laughing and joking in different languages with a common sports interest. Cheering and winning doesn't have a language, and it was cool to see that competitive swimming isn't so different across the ocean.

I'll be sad to leave here. And I just know my last two weeks will be filled with studying that I won't get to thoroughly enjoy the end like I should. Oh well, I'll do my best to mix studying with all the experiences I want to have before I leave. I will return to Penn different than when I left in May. Studying abroad has been a truly unforgettable and irreplacable experience that's made me grow up in a lot of ways. Ik hou van jou, Belgie. Bedankt voor vier maanden van het leren. Tot straks- ik zal terugkeren.