A few days ago my mother emailed me this: “If you weren’t from New York, you would never come home.”
My friends constantly rag on me for comparing everything to New York. The trees, the traffic, the trains. And I can get how it can be annoying. The river near Prague really isn’t anything like the Hudson Valley. The Alps aren’t really anything like the Adirondacks. The Brussels subway isn’t really anything like New York’s. They are all better (sorry, New York).
This past week we travelled to Brussels: the DC of Europe. Ever since our bus rolled onto the cobblestone ground and head first into traffic, I knew this city would be one of my favorites. Since our program is centered on the European Union, this trip (more than others before) focused on academia relating to our courses. Like, I went to the European Commission. I can cross that off my governmental bucket list.
But most importantly, this trip was filled with beer (don’t worry friends, I still don’t drink it), waffles, and mussels. A full cultural immersion! At home I live on the water, so I have unrealistically high expectations for seafood. But I have to say, Brussels, your mussels and salmon were not a let down. Either were your drinks. I do not know much about beer—but according to my friends, Brussels was the best.
Speaking of beer, our two hotels were conveniently located next to Delirium—a bar with over 2000 beers (and a few ciders!) on tap. A few friends and I spent all three nights there, dancing to Queen, talking to Scotts, and trying different beers and ciders. Surrounded by cheery flavored beer and international accents, it hit me that far away from New York.
Although I do compare everything to New York, I know the second I touch down on American soil in two (!) months, I will contrast everything to Europe. So, Mom you are right: if I weren’t from New York I probably would never come home. So be happy that I am because this place is going to be really hard to leave. But there is one thing that will forever be unmatched: my life-changing experiences with irreplaceable people.
Sorry for the brevity of this post, I have to go to class (see Mom, I am doing some things educational . Tonight, I will write about my love for crepes and tall towers–and my travels to Paris.