In September, I planning a trip with my friend Corinne so as to see each other during our contemporary sojourns on this continent. As I perused Skyscanner, flights to Brussels seemed to be the most affordable and convenient. I knew very little about Belgium aside from the famed chocolate and waffles, so en route to the airport (despite haphazard beginnings), I decided to do some research. I quickly came to discover that Belgium has three official languages (French, Flemish, and German) and I don’t speak a lick of any of them.
Upon realization of this information, I simultaneously cursed the American education system and general attitude of international superiority that has allowed me to get to this point in my life with only meager understanding of any language other than English and thanked that same social construct that means many people in Brussels speak better English than many people in Pittsburgh. All this to say, I entered the weekend with absolutely no idea of what to expect.
When Corinne and I were planning this adventure, the all-important question of “where should we stay?” inevitably arose. Corinne had mentioned having a friend in Brussels, so I humbly suggested, if she felt comfortable, to reach out to said friend and see if she would be willing to host us. Corinne chuckled (well I imagined a chuckle; it was via Facebook messenger; we must be creative in this new technological age we seem to find ourselves in) and said she could ask, but this friend of hers was someone she had only met once and it had been five years since said interaction. However, Corinne reached out and Lina said yes, effectively shaping the way Corinne and I experienced Brussels and, without being too dramatic, the world.
Going into the weekend, all I knew was that Corinne is a great person to be around and that we had a lot to catch up on. As it happens, she was the perfect person for me to visit a new city with: excited to walk around and explore, chat about pretty much everything, and eat our weight in free chocolate samples. Corinne also speaks French and is cosmopolitan in ways I never will be, but also one of the most down-to-Earth and frank people I know: truly a gem to have by my side in a foreign city.
Lina had class all day on Friday, so Corinne and I explored by ourselves, hopping on and off the metro, popping into churches and shops, and eventually making our way to Atomium (pictured below) and Lina had suggested she meet us downtown at around 9:30 to show us her city at night. Having woken up at 3:30 that morning to spend a day traveling and walking around, Corinne and I both lacked confidence in our ability to stay awake to experience Delirium (the bar we had to go to), especially after hearing how Lina and her friends typically stay out until 5 or 6 am so that they can take the morning metro back to campus. However, after some incessant Facebook messages advising us that “there’s no way like the Belgian kind of way to party”, Corinne and I decided to power through and meet up with Lina in the city center.
When we reconnected with Lina, she whisked us away, forcing us into an Olympic-level speedwalking pace as she asked us about our day. We shortly arrived at Juiceland, her favorite waffle shop, where, upon catching a glimpse of Lina, the saleswoman broke into the most joyous of smiles and greeted us with exuberant hugs. She and Lina chatted in French like two dear friends being reunited after years of distance. The scene was nothing short of beautiful and I only wish I could have understood the words they were saying. I did, however, understand the happiness being exchanged and it’s not a scene I will quickly forget.
This shop only got better when our waffles arrived. Days after returning to our respective temporary homes, Corinne and I were still talking about them. And I think I ate 90% of Lina’s because every time I looked up, she was shoveling another bite of speculoos waffle into my mouth. I had no complaints.
The beauty of the woman who served the waffles (whose name Lina didn’t know, by the way) and the absolutely delicious delicacies she served were an unbeatable combination and anyone who ever goes to Brussels needs to take a trip to Juiceland to understand what I mean. (Ideally, Lina would accompany said person on said trip. And she would be more than happy to do so. Therefore, if you ever go to Brussels, tell me and I will put you in contact with this beautiful girl and these waffles will be the first of many wonderful things you will experience.)
Lina was able to spend the next day showing us around her city, and what a time it was. Anyone who has asked me about my trip to Brussels has received a bumbling soliloquy about how amazing Lina was. Lina grew up in Moldova (a small country in eastern Europe), moved to southern France in high school (where she briefly met Corinne) and ended up getting accepted to study medicine in Belgium. She is incredibly hardworking and humble, driven to succeed in the path she has chosen. But she is also full of life and passion, ogling at the gaudiness of American passports (she thinks the watermarks of the American flag and Statue of Liberty are hilarious) and spending hours analyzing the potential meaning of every painting in the Magritte museum, noting “I love how it just fucks with your mind, I love it!”
She was so easy to talk to and eager to engage in deep conversations about life. She was candid, interesting, and, quite frankly, hilarious. Her love of people, language, and culture was so evident in the way she lived, constantly treating others with overwhelming kindness and engaging in conversation with deep interest. We only spent a weekend together, but by the time I left, I truly felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend. Although the waffles were a close second, Lina was definitely my favorite part of Belgium.
I have learned that my favorite aspects of my experience abroad have involved interactions with people that, until recently, were complete strangers. (I know my parents and many of my close childhood friends have probably reread that sentence a few times with bewilderment because for most of my life, I have been extremely averted to interactions with new people. In eighth grade, I may or may not have cried in the middle of the American Girl Doll store rather than approach an employee to ask about the location of the bathroom.) However, this semester, I have had the opportunity to explore new places with people who love those places and call them home, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Cities and cultures are defined by art and architecture and sports and tradition, but most importantly, cities and cultures are defined by the people that inhabit them and bring them to life. I think Corinne would agree that Lina brought Brussels to life for us, whether she was dragging us down the winding, picturesque streets or shoving delicious food in our mouths or sharing her life story and her worldview. My visit to Brussels taught me about the beauty and importance of language and how it can connect, but also isolate us. It inspired me to continue to pursue other languages in order to further connect with people from all over the world and learn their stories and share in their lives. Alas, my only complaint from the weekend is that it completely lacked Brussels sprouts. However,
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I was content with this particular nutritional deficiency due to the abundance of waffles and chocolates.