Country #5: Belgium

Living in Europe can be complicated. A lot of cultural norms are different, the language is unfamiliar. But, one of the most magical parts of living here is how accessible international travel can be.

Keeping in mind the ultimate goal of visiting as many countries as humanly possible, my friends and I booked a spontaneous trip to Belgium!

Considering our school schedule, we had only the weekend at our disposal. Now, flying directly out of Florence can be incredibly expensive. Although it would be much easier, we found it more economical to take a thirty minute train to Pisa, and fly out of the airport there.

Here's where culture shock comes in yet again: flying in Europe is an absolute joke. There is almost no security. Nobody checked our ID's or boarding passes. If you want to get on a plane, it's pretty darn easy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about how easy it was to get through security; it saves us quite the headache of having to arrive at an obnoxiously early hour in preparation for an international flight. We flew with Ryanair, which I can't say is my favorite airline in the world. It's sort of like the European version of Spirit Airlines: tiny . . . and a little sketchy. But nonetheless, I made it to Belgium in less than two hours, all while narrowly avoiding airsickness, so I can't exactly complain.

Landing in Brussels was a surreal feeling, partially because traveling to new places is euphoric, and partially because I took a lot of drowsy dramamine (No, I still can't swallow pills, and yes I know that's ridiculous). Nonetheless, my exhausted body was resurrected by the absolutely freezing cold air of Belgium at night. I stepped off the plane, immediately added Belgium to my list of country's visited (#5), and joyously made my way to the bus stop. After a thirty minute bus into town, a fifteen minute walk (only to realize we had no clue where we were going, and the clock was creeping upon midnight), and a fifteen minute Uber ride, we finally made it to our hostel.

We stayed at the MEININGER Hostel in the Brussels City Center. This was my first time staying in a hostel, and it was unlike anything I could have imagined. I was picturing a tiny room in a sketchy motel, more similar to the descriptions of my parents who traveled through Europe in the 90s. But no, we found ourselves in what appeared to be a modernized hotel with a restaurant and bar, game room, and hospitable staff. The only catch: you have to share the room. I'll admit, I was hesitant to stay in the mixed bed dorm. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. We enjoyed a pleasant chat with our roommates, one from Iceland and one from Germany, and quickly found ourselves fast asleep.

On Saturday morning, we were up bright and early, as this was our only day to really explore the city of Brussels. Brussels is the capital of the European Union, and as a Political Science major, bearer of the Constitution (iykyk), and overall history nerd, you can imagine how excited I was to get exploring.

Naturally, our first stop was to grab some Belgian Waffles for breakfast. I got a classical waffle with apple sauce and whipped cream and oh. my. god. it was delicious.

After filling our bellies with this Belgian treat, we spent the day casually exploring all that Brussels has to offer. We hadn't fully committed to an itinerary for the day, so we simply wandered around the city and were pleasantly surprised with all we had to find.

We visited the Grand Palace of Brussels, which is considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Currently acting as a town hall, the Grand Palace was definitely a memorable visit.

We also visited the Royal Palace of Brussels (not to be confused with the Grand Palace). Built under the reign of King Leopold II, this palace was once the center of Belgian royal life. Although it is not currently in use for this purpose, the architecture was absolutely breathtaking.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city. We went thrift shopping, tried Belgian chocolate, explored souvenir shops (don't judge, it's a must), and tried some Belgian french fries. As a believer in exploring culture through food, chocolate and french fries were a definite highlight for everyone.

Our last stop of the day was to Manneken Pis, a famous statue in the city center which depicts a little boy urinating into a fountain. It sounds odd, but it is one of the most visited landmarks in Brussels, so of course we had to take a peak. I was surprised to see the statue dressed in winter clothes, only to learn that this is an official position! A man named Nicholas Edelman is currently the only man in Belgium who is allowed to dress the Manneken Pis. He took over the role of the official Manneken Piss Dresser in 2014, and is the 13th person to hold this title. Who would have thought!

Despite it being so short, my trip to Brussels was one of the most amazing experiences I've had since being in Europe. International travel has been a dream of mine for years, so to be able to add yet another country to my list, was a euphoric experience. I can't wait to see how many more countries I can add to my list before the year ends!