Home Sweet Home

You know, it's funny.  Three weeks has been enough to make Brussels feel like home.  I enjoy coming back to my own bed, my own space, a familiar area.  Everything just feels comfortable.  Coming back last night, I walked into Grand Central and thought to myself, "Good, I'm home. I know where I'm going now."

Today was fairly uneventful.  Slept in really really late, did some homework, watched Psych and went to the grocery store with Sam, Kristin, James, and  Brinley. 

We went to a new grocery store.  I think calling it a warehouse would be more accurate.  It was huge.  And super cheap.  There was an entire aisle of chocolate, floor to 20-foot ceiling, at least 30 meters long.  They had socks and pots and index cards (the first we've been able to find) and produce and ice cream and stuffed animals and toys and lots and lots of wine.  It was incredible.  Everything you could ever want, everything we hadn't been able to find.  Except for peanut butter... They had Milky Way bars and Snickers and Sprite and animal crackers and fish sticks and frosted flakes (which I hadn't been able to find).  It's only two stops by tram and the only drawback is that they don't take credit or debit.  I'll be going back later this week to get ingredients for Shepard's Pie. (Mom, could you send me the recipe... again?)  It should be cheap and allow me to get a lot because I'm feeding up to 15 this time around.

Yup, we're starting Wednesday Night Dinners at our apartment.  I"ll be cooking every week and everyone will chip in.  If you know a good recipe, let me know.  I'm looking forward to it.  And it gives everyone a chance to hang out together without having a class or something.

Sam and I got a chicken, corn, spinach, tomato and feta pizza to share for dinner, and we ate with Kristin, who has unofficially moved in.  After, I did a little homework and am now sitting here writing this. 

I'm going to Venice this weekend, hopefully taking my computer.  Taking Ryan Air, which will be interesting, and we're the first to use it, so we have to report back next week.  James decided that he would come with, so that makes three of us.  I'm really looking forward to it, but also curious as to how I'll manage to pack for 5 nights in under 10 kilos.  Shouldn't be too hard. 

It really surprises me how much traveling makes you tired.  Even when you're gone for two or three days, you're exhausted when you get back, and we're going for five nights this weekend.  And then we have two days before we go to Madrid for a week. I will literally come home Tuesday morning and then leave again Thursday night, and then not be back until Wednesday night, but then I have a week and a half before going to the UK for a week. It will be fun, and I'm looking forward to it, but I know I will be dead on my feet by the end of it.  I'm glad I have the opportunity to be here in Europe, and I'm trying to make the most of it.  It's terribly exciting to see new cities, and I'm making the most of it.  By the end of four months, I will (hopefully and planning to) have seen: Brussels, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Zurich, Venice, Madrid, Barcelona, Bruges, Dublin, London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris and most likely some others.  That comes out to an average of a city a week.  Not bad, if you ask me.

Being here has it's ups and downs, but I can't say enough how much I'm enjoying seeing the sights and learning as much as I have and will.  Every day has its adventures, and I want to take advantage of that. 

But to have those adventures, I have to have the energy to get up in the morning. =P

Goodnight, world.