A major component of people’s desire to study abroad rests in the idea of immersing oneself into another culture. By living with a family while studying abroad, you are given an immersion into another culture unparalleled to that of any other study abroad. It has only been a few short weeks, but living with a host family has allowed me to experience Brussels as more than just a traveler; it’s becoming my home.
When traveling to other countries, the excitement of exploring that country’s attractions often outweighs the cultural nuances that can be observed. We spent the first couple of days as a class on bus tours and walking tours learning of the history of Brussels and witnessing what draws the 7.5 million tourists to visit this magnificent capital each year. These whirlwind tours showed us the surface of Brussels, and allowed us the following weeks to delve into the depths of the culture and atmosphere of Brussels on our own. Every morning we meet at different locations around the city, and need to know the city well enough to get around without looking at our phones for every turn. As is human nature, we fall into patterns and routines. I know that if I miss the tram next to my house, I have time to grab a coffee from the cafe right next door as the next tram won’t come for at least 8 minutes. The fresh market at Place Flagey every Sunday morning entices me to wake up early to watch the hustle and bustle of the vendors and customers (and it helps that they have fantastic strawberries). I meet some other students under the Arches in the park after class at least once a week, just because the sun doesn’t set until 9 and we have so much more time in the day here. All of these are things I wouldn’t fully experience as simply a traveler in Brussels.
