Leaving on a jet plane again.....or not?

25 De la Samaritaine
Bruxelles 1000
Belgique

It's my new home, somewhere between traveling and discovering the new...... here I am at 25 de la Samaritaine. Here I am having left Montreal over 5 weeks ago (I can't believe how fast time is flying by) trying to make this place feel like home.

What does making a home consist of? A place you can take refuge at the end of the day and just be. A place where you know all the little things that make it special, the corner store owned by Indians who try to speak French and having it end up sounding like Nepalese with a Bonjour. A place where the Turkish fruit store owner knows you by name. A place where you know you can get the best coffee. A place where you know how long it takes to walk to from your place (10 mins to La Grande Place with waffles.....15 mins from the best bar......35mins after a few Belgian beers).

Here I am trying to establish a routine, taking the train at 7:25 or 7:37 or even 8:07, reading the news paper and having my lait russe and waking up on the train. Getting to work walking through the 15 buildings (I'm not even kidding) to get to my desk. Kissing everyone and I mean EVERYONE hello at the start of the day, before a meeting....

Having lunch with the engineers. Getting a lift home-ish with a friend at 6ish and then starting my evening. Cooking at home with CNN on....going out and having one of the 1000 national beers.....maybe a waffle tonight? Contemplating the Grande Place yet again and taking a moment to pause and go through everything that has happened in my life in the past year.

This is my life, this is me trying to make a new home. I'm not sure how long I'll be here or what will come of it but this is it for now.


Until now being here has been like a big holiday, like a student on an Erasmus exchange. I've been going out for almost every meal, every weekend seems to be like a good excuse to go out and party, either meeting up with old friends or with my wonderful new ones. I haven't really counted my money or my hours of sleep..... but i think 5 weeks marks the end of a travel and the start of a new life :)

So here I am a Bruxeloise for the next XXXX months and very happy about it trying to make it fit.