30 Effervescent Things About my Exchange

So I woke up sick this morning (my throat is killing me!) and decided to stay home from school. To celebrate my survival here for over a month (and my love for my best friend!) here are 30 effervescent things about my exchange so far:

1. I have realised a lot of things about myself.. both good and bad... but mostly good :)  
2. I am in love with Belgian food! Mmmm chocolate and bread <3
3. I have a really great host family <3
4. I actually quite enjoy taking the trains now
5. The clothes here are wonderful (but really, REALLY, expensive) 
6. I am now really glad my parents taught me how to be savvy and responsible 
7. I love that the Euro coins go up to 2 Euros
8. I can never tell if it is a cow 'mooing' outside or my phone buzzing....
9. My village is really beautiful 
10. There is a huge river that runs through my town... and I get to cross the bridge to get to school everyday
11. Eclairs
12. Banana Eclairs
13. There is always an endless amount of parties and things to do
14. It is super easy to travel in Belgium
15. I have already been to France twice
16. H&M
17. I have learned so much French! In the beggining I barely knew how to say "bonjour" (hello), "merci" (thank you), and "bonne nuit" (good night). 
18. Everyone stares when I speak English in public with my exchange friends... even the cows stare
19. I have been introduced to two really great Belgian bands: Stromae and Puggy
20. My Belgian friends! :) I love them!
21. My exchange friends! I am in love with Australian and New Zealand accents <3
22. A Belgian specialty called "Américain". It is steak tartare. Kinda like tuna salad... but with beef.. raw beef
23. I have realized all the things I take/have taken advantage of
24. My dream came true and I have younger host siblings
25. I am always tired from listening to French all day... 
26. There is no such thing as a 'lazy day at school'. No more Uggs, Nike shorts, and hoodies on Fridays :P
27. I have touched the ocean
28. Beer
29. Chocolate
30. Waffles

xx

Skye

France, Friends, School, and More

Bonjour amis!!

So, let's start off with my last endeavour, France. I went back to France last Thursday with Rotary (my host club, not students, except Joisy). This time I went to the north of France, to a peninsula by the ocean, called Le Crotoy. It was my first time every seeing the ocean. I was completely amazed. It was gorgeous. It rained the entire weekend (except the day we left of course), so it was a bit of a hassle dealing with the weather, but it was all worth it. During the weekend Frederic (my counsler here) said "You will only do this once in your life". It really made me realize that he was right, I am lucky, most people will never see the things I have the chance to, and for me to complain that the weather isn't perfect and I'm a little tired, is completely selfish. During the weekend, I drank hot chocolate with every meal (even when we had seafood), had three course meals every meal (the first thing I did when I got home was went to the scale! Not too bad!), and stayed in a house with people I had never met (Rotarians). On Friday we went to a nearby city for a boat tour (it was just like you see in the movies... gorgeous! Even with the rain!) and to visit the church, Notre Dame Amiens. The church was like nothing I have even seen. It took 68 years to build (back in like 1400). The architecture, decor, and size was utterly amazing.  GAH. On Saturday we woke up early and went for a nature hike through the peninsula we were staying at. We walked through a marsh to another city where we took a train back. The hike was beautiful, despite the cold weather and all the mud. During the hike we stopped for lunch. A picnic lunch the 'Rotary' style here included: wine in wine glasses (for the adults), hard sausage, cheeses, procuttio, and of course baguettes. Very fancy. :) On the car ride home I had a realization.. "I am both adding and crossing something off my bucket list everyday". I am so blessed to have this!

Second, school. First off, my (little) hand hurts from all the note taking I have been doing! I am so used to typing! In Cody I was so spoiled to have such great classrooms, learning materials, and a laptop. Second, I don't even know what the notes I am taking are saying. I usually just copy off the person I am sitting next too (lord knows if I am spelling right). All the kids in my classes like to ask me questions Constantly. And most of the questions are the same.. "Is Wyoming by California? Closer to New York? What is your take on your contires gun control? Do you get a free gun when you open a bank account? Your family has 'more' than one gun?! Have you ever shot a bear? Do you take a gun to school?! Do you know what basketball is?". Let's just say my answers are getting more sarcastic everytime I hear the same question... ;)

So the other day I texted Abbey. Yes, texted, off my Belgian phone. I don't even want to know how many of my precious minutes it cost. I had a free period and was sitting alone on the stairs, and realized how much I longed to talk to 'my people'. By 'my people' I mean my friends and family who I have grown up with. It's hard to describe the feeling of leaving behind all the people, places, and things you have become accustomed to.

Another realization: I have becoem accustomed to being here. It hit me tonight while I was in the shower (the best thoughts always come in the shower of course), that it feels normal to do 'regular things here... like: take the public bus, walk like 5 blocks to school, shower (at night), sleep, and eat in my house here. I also have become really familier with my town now too. At first, I thought my town was huge (massive!), but now I know a majority of the shops and how to get from one place to another.

And to finish it off... a list of things they don't have here (and I miss... kinda)

1. Peanut butter
2. The Beta (a coffeehouse in my hometown... I want a London Fog!)
3. Starbucks
4. American Eagle nad Victoria Secret
5. Under Armour
6. Hugs
7. Backpacks (I carry an oversized purse to school)
8. Nail Salons (I finally got my gel off!)
9. Seventeen Magazine
10. Sanuks
11. 
    

School and Everything else

So on Monday I started school. -_- School is very different than in Cody. Class starts at 8:20 and finishes at 16:00. Classes are only 50 minutes long, and vary from day to day, just like in college. There are two buildings at my school, because there are too many students for the space (grades 8-12). Also, if you have gym class (like I did), you walk like 6 blocks to another building (like I had to), in the rain (which is very refreshing but ruins your hair). School is extremely difficult for me, because the teachers talk very fast and use words I have not yet learned. I have a statistics class (which could be very easy), but I cannot read the word problems to figure them out. Yesterday in French class (like English class in the US), I could not understand the book the students had to read, so I could not answer the discussion questions. Instead, the teacher made me write a paragraph in French about why I chose Belgium to be my country. Using my dictionary, I was able to make out a couple sentences (although they were the furthest things from being correct), and I was feeling pretty good about myself. At the end of class the teacher had me stand up and read my paragraph to the class. -_- That was the hardest speech I have ever given, but in the end it was for my benefit.

I found this folder at the store.. should I get it?! ;)
So in my little town Huy (pronounced like 'oui') there are two other exchange students plus me. Deanna arrived in February and will leave in December, she is with a program called YFU (YOuth For Understanding). Joisy, arrived just a couple days after me and will leave around the same time (she is also using Rotary). These girls are literally my soul sisters! I love them to death and we stick together like three peas in a pod. It is still really hard for me to leave my friends in Cody (I still get the urge to text them every time something exciting happens), but in the end, if I had never done exchange, I would have never met these amazing ladies (or my amazing host families).

It's starting to get chilly here! I am going to have to invest in a bigger jacket and better shoes then I brought (I have to walk a block to the bus and then 3 or 4 blocks from the bus stop to school morning and night).

Joisy and I were talking the other day, and she asked me "Is this where you pictured your life 2 years ago?". I have to admit.. HELL NO. I would have pictured myself playing tennis and going to football games, sitting on the senior wall and sleeping my my (wonderful) bed. I do not in anyway regret this decision. I thank myself everyday that I did it. It was defiantly harder then I expected, it isn't always rainbows and butterflies, but I can already feel myself becoming more responsible and honest everyday.

I am off to France now for  couple days! Leave me feedback!
xx,
Skye

Observations

Bonjour!
There are many things that are different than the US. Traditions, cuisine, family structure, and people in general are all different. At the birthday dinner I attended the other night, I was asked 1) If Americans eat vegetables 2) If we are allowed to own guns and the gun control regulations. Both of these came to a shock to me, but after thinking about it, there are many prejudices about America that  I had never noticed before.
Anyways, here are a couple customs I have learned (and love)
1) A kiss on the cheek to greet and say goodbye. Even men kiss other men and children kiss adults. I find it a very friendly (as are all the people in Belgium) way to greet someone, even if you don't know them. It is much less formal than a handshake.

2) When you are finished with a meal, you place your silverware together on the plate. This shows that you are done and no longer want to be offered food. Also, at restaurants, it signals the waiter to come take you plate.

3) Meal times are quite a bit later. Breakfast is whenever you can, lunch is around 2 o'clock, there is sometimes a dessert or snack around 3, and dinner is between 630 and 7. There is a lot less snacking, which is helping me (I am 2 kilos down! haha), and I haven't eaten fast food since I have been here!

Also, yesterday I went to Liege. It was probably one of my higher points. :) People were very friendly and helped me from each train and bus. It was one of the most 'responsible' experiences I have ever had. Public transit is easier/harder than it looks.

 A 'Liege' waffle (graufe)