2 years ago.

Two years ago today...i had just arrived in belgium. I cannot begin to express to you how weird of a feeling it is to know that in a sense, it's all over. that adventure, that stage of my life, everything there is now just one giant memory. the weirdest part is that although it's over, my experience in belgium is really never-ending. I would not be who i am and where i am today without having gone on such a life-changing adventure. It's just weird how it feels like yesterday i was eating french fries on the cobblestone streets with my classmates, or going to language school with the mail order brides, or even just hopping on a train and going to one of the most beautiful train stations in the world as an after school adventure. just take me back.... In the mean time, my life has gone on. I finished my first year of college and had a pretty good time. Managed to build up my GPA by working hard and also got to participate in multiple music ensembles and activities. I also had my first serious boyfriend and got to experience life living almost completely alone. I liked it. One thing i find very interesting is my current living situation. i will start by telling you that i absolutely hated my current roommate in high school. i have no idea why, but we just didnt get along. As soon as i got back from belgium we were totally fine. She's Dutch, and we speak Dutch together quite a bit. It's gotta be the coolest thing in the world. Another fun thing is that my mom and i went on vacation to New York this summer to take some time to relax and to see my 1st host family while they were there visiting.

It was so awesome for my real mom to meet the people that took me in as their foreign daughter and helped shape me into who i am today. I hope after completing college my mom can come with me to see firsthand what it was i've blogged about all along. Little things like that remind me everyday that belgium really did happen and that it truly changed my life. I guess what i'm trying to say is that you honestly don't know what you have until its gone. at one point, i had the entire country of belgium at my fingertips, and i probably didn't care nearly as much as i should have. don't be afraid to enjoy the stupid stuff and the little stuff in life, but dont be afraid to tell the pointless, depressing crap to get out. I wish i could be stuck at a train station in the middle of the night again, or wish i could be riding my bike to school in the snow. Don't have things you wish you could do..just do them and enjoy them enough the first time that you don't have to prove to yourself that you don't miss them by trying to go back. There is no delete key in life. Do it, and do it well...whatever it is you do. Fill your life with adventure, love, truth, and grace. You won't regret it. Thanks for always being there for me, readers. wherever you are, thanks for reading. love, yours truly. jamie.