The internships--we've settled into them. The morning commutes--they've become routine. The rhythms of daily life--well, they've found their way into our Brussels apartment.
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We are now a full month into our Furman study away program, which means we're also a quarter of the way done (hard to believe!). The longer we have been here, the less Brussels has felt like a foreign city and the more it has felt like our home. Fewer maps are required to get around than one month ago, and stopping in a cafe for a drink or steaming mug of hot chocolate after work is no longer just for the locals. Many of us are enjoying internships that have us performing meaningful tasks, learning about political, educational, economic, medical and business issues, and being given real responsibilities and deadlines. In fact, some have been fortunate enough to get to travel for work--one of us is currently in Lithuania for his office, another two are taking a trip to Doncaster, UK with their MEP (Member of European Parliament), and a number of students will be heading to Strasbourg, France with their MEPs for the monthly gathering of the European Parliament in the city.
In addition to internships, we are continuing with our classes at Vesalius College. Some have found their classes to be interesting and stimulating, while others have been frustrated with their experiences. We have also continued with Dr. Vecchio's course on WWII, women and resistance movements, which has provided us with inspiring examples of individuals and communities who acted to save Jews, usurp the Nazis, or combat racism even when the penalty, if caught, was death. For example, we recently read excerpts from Nechama Tec's When Light Pierced the Darkness and learned about Polish resistors, the majority of whom said they rescued Jewish families for no other reason than that they could not bear to see other humans in a state of such suffering. It was a lesson for all of us about the goodness of the human heart that can be found in times of great darkness and adversity, and it challenged us to think about the way we view those in our communities (whether immediate, regional or global) who are suffering.
Being a full month into the program also means that we've realized everything isn't perfect. Not every internship is working the way people hoped for, and those individuals with tough situations are working to keep their heads up and find positives in their respective workplaces. Also, living in close quarters with 20 people can be overwhelming (as any college roommates can attest to), especially in a new city where we're responsible for cooking all of our own food, washing our dishes, planning a morning schedule for who gets to shower when, and keeping dirty clothes from roaming the apartment. In such a small space, it can be hard to find solitude. Thus, while it's safe to say that we've done a great job getting along with one another so far, we'll have to continue communicating well so as to prevent thoughts of strangling each other by the semester's end! (kidding)
To end on a more positive note, we are taking full advantage of Brussels' central location. One class trip has been taken to Ypres, Belgium, and another is being taken this weekend to Amsterdam. Outside of class travel, we've been going to a number of other places--Paris, Milan, Lake Como (Italy), Luxemburg City, Trier (the oldest city in Germany), Switzerland...and more trips are upcoming. This past weekend, I had the privilege of visiting Interlaken, Switzerland, and Grindelwald, Switzerland with four of my classmates. We climbed to the top of mountains. We rested our feet in crystal clear streams running down the mountains. We lounged by lakes nestled in mountainsides two miles above sea level. We spent some quality time with cows. We stumbled upon the finish of a marathon that concluded with a 16 km climb straight up a mountain. When I say these are some of the most beautiful places in the world, don't take my word for it; look at the pictures. Words can't do these places justice (not that the pictures really can either, but it gives you a better sense of things).
Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres
At the Versailles Palace Gardens
Paris from the Eiffel Tower
Interlaken, Switzerland from the top of the Harder Kulm Trail
Top of Männlichen in Grindelwald, Switzerland
Life is good
One of our four cloven-hoofed friends taking in the view at Lake Bachalpsee
Making friends
Nothing but blue skies
The Swiss Alps from Männlichen
Well, that's life in Brussels. Keep following our blog-- we're eager to see what awaits us in the coming months and will be eager to share it with you!
Until Next Time,
Nathan
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