So....
I'm starting this blog to keep a record of my trip to Belgium this summer. I wanted to keep everyone I love
(and others who might just be creepin' on me)
updated on what's going on, and I figured writing a blog for everyone to read would be easier than making the same phone call five times a night while I'm away!
Explaining my random, unexplainable love of Belgium to anyone who's reading might make sense here....
My mom's side of the family descends from Belgium, and I still have a few family members living there.
I've only been to Belgium twice; once when I was really young, and again during the summer after my junior year of high school.
The feeling I had when standing in the square in Bruges, Belgium is something I have never been able to explain to people.
The only way I can think of to describe it is to say that I felt like
I was home.
I felt like I knew I had to be there for a longer period of time, and I felt like I
belonged
right where I was.
It was a wonderful feeling- and ever since that summer after junior year, I've been dreaming of going back to Belgium to figure out what's so special about it. I feel pulled to Belgium- called to live there, and I can't wait to figure out what it is that's waiting for me over there!
A couple of months ago, my parents and I began brainstorming ways to get me to Belgium for this summer (the summer after my junior year of college,) and began looking for a job as a live-in au pair (basically a nanny,) for three months. We created a resume and sent it over to Belgium to my mom's cousin Jo.
Jo began spreading the word- and my resume- and we waited on pins and needles to see if my biggest dream would be coming true.
After some time had passed and we still hadn't found a family for me to work for, I began to lose hope that the trip would actually happen. I started planning my summer in Milledgeville
(the teeny tiny hick town where I go to school,)
and was counting on staying here to work and take classes for the entire summer.
Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed about the way things were turning out. Belgium has always been such a HUGE dream to me, though, that I had begun to accept the fact that it wasn't going to happen just yet.
So this past Monday night, when I checked my e-mail and had one new message from Jo, my heart rate started speeding up rather quickly. I grabbed my roommate Anna's hand as I read the message, and could not say anything except
"Shutup. Shut.Up. Shut.....UUUPPPP!"
(in a giddy high school girl-ish way,)
as I read the e-mail.
In her message, Jo described the family she had found for me to work for and live with this summer.
And they
seem
PERFECT.
They have four children- ages 10, 6, 4, and 1,
and are willing to have me live with them for any period of time I want.
Shedding tears (lots of them,) of utter happiness was the only thing I could do after reading the e-mail. I couldn't stop smiling, and my face is STILL sore two days later from doing so. I've been on top of the world all week.
Repeating "Belgium" over and over again has become some sort of mantra I've used to calm myself down when I'm stressed or to pick me up when I'm upset.
It hasn't really been decided exactly yet what I'll be doing as work,
but I still found a family!!
And that's a HUGE deal!!
The first step has happened, and I am beside myself.
A little
teeny tiny
part of me is still holding back from getting
too
excited,
but I know that once the dates are set
and the plane tickets are booked
I will be the happiest girl
in the world.
And I mean that quite literally-
I don't think
anyone could possibly be as happy as I will be
once this dream is finalized.
So I got in touch with the mother of the family, and received an e-mail back from her today. I responded tonight, and am just waiting to hear back from her about finalizing everything and making this happen!!
(I don't know why the rest of this is bolded- I tried changing the font back to normal after that last word, but it won't turn off. This stuff is still important, but I didn't want it ALL to be bolded....)
I wanted to go ahead and write my first entry now, just to get things started and to put all my feelings down somewhere! I usually prefer a pen and paper to a keyboard and screen, but I want all of my friends and family to be able to keep up with me and stay updated on my trip while I make my biggest dream come true!! So thanks for reading, and for sharing in my excitement in some way as I begin this super exciting time in my life.
Love and Belgian chocolate : )
-BelgiumBoundBixler
