Is this Real Life?

                                                                So I've finally made it!

     Since July before my freshman year of college I have been dead set on going to Belgium, a country I’ll admit I had really no knowledge of until my freshman year of college.But I’m here, and ready to learn it all! I still don't think it’s set in a 100% that for the next ten months of my life, I'll spend in the city of Leuven. I’m from a small town with no joke ,three stoplights, so coming to a town that has over 95,000 people  that all speak  Dutch and ride bikes might take a little bit of adjusting to. Going abroad has been a dream ever since Santa bestowed, the now very worn out, Passport to Paris VHS tape, underneath my Christmas tree ten years ago. I mean who wouldn’t want to come to Europe after watching Mary Kate and Ashley as they were whisked away via mopeds by two very attractive Parisian boys, right? Well I no longer have to dream  or live vicariously though the Olsen twins  because not even Hurricane Irene, a 7 hour plane ride or 36 hours of sleep deprivation could stop me. 

City Hall

Although I've only been a Leuvenite for three days, Dr. Hughes, his wonderful wife and our program director, Christel have thrown us right into the mix of life here. Oh yeah, did I mention that they kept us up for 36 hours so we could adjust to jetlag?Let me tell you,  it was struggle keeping a bunch of 20 year old students, fresh off of the summer vacation clock awake, but I’m happy to report that all 17 students are going strong. I'm really excited to get into a routine and start making friends with our fellow international roommates that live in the Loyola Nachbahr Huis. The living arrangements are pretty fantastic nice here, and I have one of the biggest rooms #winning!( if only we had wifi the place would be FANTASTIC – the rough life I live with all my first world problems haha ).

Me and some friends in front of the Huis

I lucked out and am living with a close friend from school, Meaghan and Pavla, my new Slovakian buddy. She seems like a sweetheart and I can't wait to get to know her as the semester goes on. Pavla is also taking in a Dutch class that I will be starting in a few weeks so I hope she can give me and meg a few pointers.

I think that’s all for now, but I’ll be sure to be back with some interesting stories from FRANCE and hopefully I’ll get my hands on my first official Belgium waffle!

ps- I forgot to mention how beautiful it is here and (most importantly) my straightner works!