Where Are You From?

We have been in Belgium for six months now! It has gone so fast! One of the things that has surprised me (among other things) is that we are often asked where we are from. It's surprising to me because I feel like we stick out as Americans so much. I don't know why I feel that way, but I really do feel like there's an American flag hovering over my head when we go out. But really, a lot of people can't tell. The other day, I went into a store and asked if we could speak in English. Throughout the course of our conversation, the lady who was helping me told me that I spoke English very well. In my head I was laughing and wondering where she thought I was from?! I don't know where she thought I was from, but it seemed like such an odd comment.

The funny thing is that I feel like we totally belong here now. I can't believe that, in the short six months we've been here, I feel so at home. I know I have posted before about being nervous that we would never feel at home here. Before we left, Cole and I decided that, if we were going to feel comfortable here, we would have to be committed to making this our home. And we have worked really hard to do that...making our loft a space where we feel comfortable and at home, trying to learn the language and culture here, finding community, and making ourselves get out, explore, and become comfortable with our surroundings. In fact, I have become so comfortable here that I often forget that we are in a different country until I go out and everyone around me is speaking a different language!

I have no doubt that our ability to adjust and feel comfortable so quickly are signs that we are right where God wants us to be...that's a good feeling! Even though there are lonely and frustrating days, we are so thankful for this opportunity and the ways we have grown as individuals and as a family! We are looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing what the next six months entail!

A Catch-up Post - Our First Two Months

Well, we've covered the decision process, traveling/moving, the first week, and recent events, but I wanted to share what happened in those first two months. First of all, we spent (and still do spend) a lot of our time asking people "do you speak English?"...Hence, the title of the blog.

The second week we were in Gent, we continued to try to adjust to our new life here, Cole started working a little bit (which was scary for me), and we received our sea shipment from the U.S. We were supposed to get our air and sea shipments on the same day, but we received an email the day before the delivery letting us know that they had accidentally shipped someone else's air freight to Belgium instead of ours!! We were frustrated, but probably not as frustrated as the people who were told that their valuables were in Belgium instead of the U.S. Anyway, we were VERY excited to get some of our things so we could feel a little more at home here...especially all of our beds! The movers who came were fantastic! I have never lived in a city, and definitely have never lived on the 5th floor of a building, so I had no idea how they were planning to get our things into the loft. Here are some pictures of the process...I was impressed and amazed!

Moving our things in through the window

Looking down at the street from our fifth story window

The movers put all of our things on this lift, hauled it in through our fifth story window, and put it in the loft! I would have been terrified, but they were obviously very experienced!

We had a ton of boxes, paper, and trash from unpacking, but thankfully, they took it all with them!

We received our air freight the next week and I spent the next couple weeks continuing to clean, unpack, put things away, adjust to life in Belgium, explore, and entertain the boys. I'm still moving things around as we find out what works best, but after the first few weeks, we really started to feel like we were at home. On top of unpacking, we had to purchase some new appliances with the proper European plugs, and some furniture for the loft. We really haven't purchased anything big since either of the boys were born, so it was quite an experience trying to pick out furniture and make a good/united decision while also trying to rein in the troops! I don't remember how many times we went to the store to furnish the loft, but it was several too many! As a side note, we have yet to find any furniture stores here that have much in stock. For example, we ordered a couch from a store called Gaverzicht and were told it would be 10 weeks before it would be delivered! 10 weeks!!! That was hard for our American brains to comprehend. We still don't have couches in our living room, but we're making it somehow. :) 

We have started to get a bit of a routine. It's not so much a routine as it is I know where things are, when they are open, and what they have, etc. I feel confident getting places, and I'm even starting to get more confident just walking around, even if I get lost. People have been very helpful so far and so I'm not as afraid as I was. This may sound weird, but when we arrived, I was so worried that we stuck out like a sore thumb. I also felt like a very dumb American. Belgians typically know three languages (Dutch, French, and English). These are taught standard in school, so I felt really dumb only knowing one language. It took me a long time to stop feeling so self-conscious and just be. It wasn't until just the other day that I realized that people can't even really tell I'm from America! I have had several people ask in the past couple weeks where I am from...none of them could tell I was from America. I thought there was a red, white, and blue flag waving above my head signaling that I was American. And I was sure that as soon as I opened my mouth, they would know. Because of all the negative things that America has been involved with over the last  couple years, it's hard to know what people think about Americans. I didn't want anyone to know for the longest time. I was worried they wouldn't like me or immediately think less of me. So I was very quiet if and when we went out. I didn't say anything or look at anyone. Of course every time we went out, Cameron would immediately blow my cover because, if you know Cameron, you know that he is not quiet, nor does he hide in the shadows! :) I am thankful that I feel more confident and less worried about what other people think. I am American, I like America, I like Belgium, and that's ok!   

Here are a few stories from our first two months here...

I was very hesitant to go out by myself and explore because I didn't want to get lost. One of the first times I really ventured out with the boys on my own, I tried to go over to visit Cole at work. Cameron wanted to get him a pastry from the bakery nearby and give it to him for dinner. I had forgotten that Cole had dinner plans with a colleague, so we decided to walk to where he works and take it to him before dinner. I didn't really know how to get there, but I decided I could make it! So, I strapped Harrison in the backpack (all 24 lbs of him) and put Cameron on his bike and off we went. To make a long story short, I got REALLY lost and ended up in the red light district instead of with Cole. It was quite a scene...me with my two little boys in the middle of the red light district! There were many people in the windows (I'm sure you know what I mean), and in true Cameron fashion, he was waving and saying "hi" to all of them! I'm glad he was enjoying it, because it was a mess! What should have taken maybe 20 minutes ended up taking an hour and a half and we never even made it to Cole! At one point I was on the phone with Cole, but we were both so confused as to where I was and where I needed to go that we gave up! I was very frustrated and tired (remember the 24 lbs on my back??) by the time we got home. The weekend after that incident, Cole walked with me to show me the way to get to his work and back. We have now successfully been there many times!

The weather has been very interesting since we've been here. It seems like it's been pretty unpredictable everywhere, but we realized pretty quickly after we arrived that we would need to invest in some quality winter gear. Because we grew up in Ohio, we are used to snow and crazy winter weather, but it has been a long time since we have been have had to endure the cold/snow for that long! We had to take Harrison to the doctor the second or third week we were here because of an ear infection. Because the doctor is only a 5 minute walk from our loft (10 minute drive plus parking), we decided that it would be better to just walk. Cole took the morning off to help me get to the doctor. I'm sure you have seen the pictures on Facebook, but let me fill in the details! While it had been snowing on and off the days leading up to the doctor appointment, it hadn't really stuck and we weren't worried about it the night before. However, when we woke up in the morning, this is what we saw...

Lots and lots of snow! We decided that we would not be deterred and that "when in Belgium, do as the Belgians do!" So we bundled the boys up the best we could and were on our way. We were pretty successful until Cameron stepped in a huge snow drift and stepped out without his boot. When I picked him up to try to help, the other boot fell off! So I dug the boots out of the snow and tried to carry him the rest of the way to the doctor (his socks were soaking wet)! It was crazy, but also fun! An adventure! We made it there and back in one piece and, for the most part, we were happy. 

Another thing that we have had to deal with since we've been here is the sale of our house. When I say "deal with," I just mean we had to get some paperwork notarized and send it back to the U.S. To do that, we had to go to Brussels (all of us) to the U.S. embassy to sign the paperwork and have it notarized. Cole was very prepared for this trip...he made an appointment with the embassy, had all the necessary paperwork, passports, payment, etc. In fact, he was so prepared for our trip to Brussels that we went a week early! When we arrived at the gate, the officer tried to find our name on the sheet so we could go in. After he looked for a bit, he asked for our appointment paperwork. After looking over it, he looked at us, almost laughing, and said that it was not yet March 28th...it was only March 21st! He made a call inside and asked if we could be seen anyways and told us we could go in. Our experience at the embassy that day was not great. They were not very friendly with anyone, not even the Americans! We had to stand outside, in the snow, for almost an hour and a French gentleman cut in front of everyone and took a bunch of time so that we had to wait even longer! Once we got to the door, they only let one of us in at a time. So the boys and I went in to go through security while Cole waited outside. Once I was inside, they told me that we had to have an appointment and that we could not be seen that day! Even though we were not there on the right day, it was frustrating that we waited outside for so long in the snow with the boys. When we went back for our actual appointment, we still stood outside for almost an hour and wouldn't you know it, another French gentleman cut in front of everyone again! Cole stood up for all of us that he cut in front of and confronted him about it. After some words, other people backed Cole up, but the man would not move. He took up a lot of time, but ended up being escorted out because he did not have what he needed to complete whatever he was there for. We stayed at the embassy for several hours, but we got the necessary paperwork and, as I have mentioned before, the house is now sold!

One other little adventure that I experienced happened while Cole was on his first work trip to France. The boys and I were planning to go along because I wasn't sure if I could handle things by myself so soon after moving. But after talking through it, it didn't make sense for us to spend all that money to go with him and just sit in our hotel room while he worked. The town he went to is small and there's not much to do or see there, so we decided that, at least for this trip, we would stay home. Anyways, I needed to find things to do with the boys because I knew I would go nuts if I didn't have some things planned. So, I decided to take them to an aquarium in Liege. I had looked it up online and it looked nice. I knew Cameron would love the fish and that Harrison would like looking at them as well. I also thought that it was just 30 minutes from our house. However, after talking it up to Cameron, packing everything up, and making our way to the car, I discovered after punching in the address into the GPS that it was actually 1 1/2 southeast of us  in the French speaking region of Belgium!

Looking at the sharks

 I knew I couldn't back out once we were in the car and I did not have a plan B, so off we went. I decided that once we got there, it would be worth it and the drive wouldn't matter. When we arrived, I found parking on the street, payed, and then prayed I would remember where we parked so I could get back. I found the aquarium pretty easily, but when I got there, I discovered that there was no way in except to go up about 30 stairs! Having the boys, two bags (a diaper bag and a lunch bag), and a double stroller, it was not going to happen! I wanted to cry. I decided that I would at least give it a try. So I got the boys out, folded the stroller, and tried to start up the stairs. Thankfully, a kind soul had pity on me, grabbed the stroller, and carried it up the stairs for me! Once we were inside the building, I quickly realized two things...first, this was not an aquarium that we would find in America, and two, people did not speak English as readily as here in Gent. The aquarium was part of the university in Liege and was more like a place to go study fossils, etc. There were some fish , turtles, and an alligator in a very small, dark room, but we were through there in 10 minutes! Again, I wanted to cry! We went to the room where the fossils were located to see if I could entertain the boys there, but it was very quiet and there were many people studying in there, so I felt like I was a real nuisance! We quickly ate lunch after the fossils, then went to see the fish again. We stayed for maybe another 30 minutes before the boys had had enough! I gave up and decided it would just be better to go home. Luckily, on the way out another good samaritan who worked at the aquarium saw me with the stroller and showed me a way out that did not involve stairs. I made it back to the car without incident and we headed back to Gent. Fortunately, the boys promptly fell asleep and I was able to focus on getting home. Unfortunately, I ran into rush hour traffic and our 1 1/2 hour trip home turned into 3 hours! Harrison was kind enough to scream for the last half hour of the trip! At least it got us out of the loft for the day :)

In the belly of the whale!

Rather than type out all that we have done the past two months, here are a few more pictures of things we have done since we've been here:

bike rides

parks around our loft

 

fun indoor playground

Cole ran his first 10k (with no training)

Celebrated Easter at International Community Church Gent

More Parks

 

Walking to where Cole works for lunch with daddy 

We've eaten lots of ice cream!

Played at the mall or "bus store" as Cameron likes to call it

Picnics at the park near our loft

and this little man turned 1!

One thing that was really difficult for us when we first arrived was that we wanted to get everything done and settled right away. Cole wanted to fix the problems at work that he was sent here to deal with immediately, and I wanted to clean, unpack, and furnish the loft immediately. It took us a few days to remember that we did not have to do it all right away. We needed to take time to enjoy each other and the time that we were given. We made a pact in the second week to give everything 90 days. We did not have to do everything right away. We did not need to stress out about everything. Looking back it's kind of funny because we were REALLY stressed about it. It hasn't even been 90 days yet, but I have cleaned, unpacked everything, and mostly furnished the apartment. Although the problems at work are not an overnight fix, Cole has a good handle on what needs to be done and is moving forward with his colleagues to make necessary changes. We trying to enjoy this experience and remember that we have been very blessed!

Our First Week

Our first week in Gent is a little bit of a blur, but if I'm being honest, I'm not sure we actually did that much other than wonder around and try to acclimate a little bit. Cole had that whole first week off so we could get things done which was very nice. I'm glad I didn't have to do everything by myself!

We met with our landlady Wednesday (I think) to do a walkthrough of the loft to discuss any issues and also so she could show us how to work all the appliances. We turned the heat on that day and decided that, if we could, we wanted to move into the loft by Friday. This meant we had to get a few things to tide us over until our sea and air shipments arrived. We went to Ikea several times the first week. I have never been to Ikea before, but it is one of those stores that I love and hate at the same time. It is so huge and overwhelming, but they do have a lot of stuff to choose from. Anyways, since we didn't have our car yet, we had to make our trip to Ikea on the tram. Now normally, this would not be a problem at all. It's just a short tram ride to Ikea. However, we did not take into account that when we we would be coming home with lots of stuff from Ikea and that it would also be nearing "rush hour". After we purchased our things from Ikea, we walked back to the tram station with the boys, double stroller, and big bags full of a few dishes, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, towels, pillows, and blankets. When we got on the tram, it was completely empty. At that moment, we felt very confident that we could get home no problem. We picked some seats near a door and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible...not happening! :) As we got closer to town, the tram started to get more and more crowded. It got to the point where we realized that there was no way we were going to be able to make a quick exit. We made a valiant effort to get off at our stop, but the doors closed before we could get off. We again made an attempt to get off at the next stop, but we could not get all of our things and children past all the people standing in the way. Between that stop and the next, Cole and I decided that it was every man for himself and we just needed to get off as we could. We began making plans for what we would do if one of us got off and the other one didn't. It's funny now, but stressful at the time. So, armed with the stroller and Harrison, I prepared to push my way off at the next stop. Cole was in charge of Cameron and the bags from Ikea. At the next stop, a kind lady took compassion on us (I think she heard our game plan and didn't think it was very good), grabbed the stroller and ordered people out of the way so we could get off. So much for being inconspicuous!! At least we got off the tram and were able to head to the loft. We dropped off our bags from Ikea then went to the grocery store to get some cleaning supplies. We spent Wednesday evening and a good portion of Thursday cleaning to the point where we felt comfortable moving our things on. Our loft is quite large and the previous tenants left it in bad shape, so it took at loooonnnnngggg time to get it clean enough to move our things in. As I mentioned in a previous post, the loft was partially furnished when we arrived, so we had beds and couches to use until our things arrived.

Thursday, we picked up our temporary lease car . It was nice to have a car, although you really don't need one here that often. However, when we first arrived, it was FREEZING here! So it was nice to have the option to drive places if we wanted to. Other than picking up the car, I don't think we did much else except clean on Thursday.

Friday morning, we packed our bags at the temporary apartment, loaded the car (to full capacity), and drove over to our loft. I'm so glad that I had an excuse not to drive (seizures) because driving here is crazy!! The streets are narrow, there are pedestrians, bikers, trams, and buses everywhere, and the driving laws seem to be a little up to each individuals interpretation. Add to that, pedestrians and bikers have the right of way at almost every cross walk, so they were just walking out right in front of us without notice. Of course it startled us because we did not know that rule at first! Cole did a great job learning how to drive these crazy streets and has kept us safe so far! Now, getting into our teeny, tiny garage is a different story. Out of the first five times we tried to pull in, Cole scraped against the side of the garage 4 times.  Even with me out of the car directing! I suppose you could blame me for bad directing?? Now, we are both able to get the car in and out without scraping, but we definitely had to come up with a game plan.  We spent most of Friday cleaning, putting things away, and figuring out how to work things in the loft. Hands down, Cole's favorite part of the loft is the built-in coffee maker in the kitchen!

Saturday, during the day, we ran errands and continued to work on the loft and getting the boys on their schedules in this time zone. I haven't talked much about the boys, but they were rock stars during this week. We, of course, had some moments where we didn't know what to do with them, but for the most part, they went right along with everything and were great! Saturday night, we were invited to another American expat's house for dinner. We found out (through our mutual hairdresser in South Carolina) that there was another American expat here and we were happy to connect with her as quickly as we could. We also found out that she attended the same church that we anticipated attending! She invited us over to her apartment for dinner with her and some friends of hers from church. It was wonderful to just sit, eat, and talk with people and not have to worry about everything to do. The food and company was great and we felt very blessed to have been connected with so many wonderful people so quickly!

Sunday, we decided that we would attend the service at International Community Church Gent. We found this church even before we accepted the offer to move and had been in communication with the pastor. We even met with him during our trip to find housing. It's an English speaking church just 15 minutes or so from our loft! We were both excited and nervous to go. If I'm being honest, I was a little apprehensive about attending a new church. As I mentioned in a previous post, we have a wonderful church family in South Carolina. We love our pastor, leaders, family, and friends that are there. We grew so much while we attended there. I had a conversation with someone who, at the time, I didn't know very well, but I now consider a friend about this very topic. I didn't think any church could measure up and that we would just have to make due until we returned home. This friend gently reminded me that, even though this church probably would be different, it would be exactly what we need. I am so amazed at those words and how they were spoken to me at just the right time. She opened my heart and mind to the possibility that God would work through me and in me regardless of where we attend church. I am so thankful for her gentle reminder to just seek God where we. So anyway, when we walked in the doors of the church, we were immediately greeted with warm, welcoming smiles. It is instant community! The church is much smaller than our church in South Carolina, maybe 20-40 people on a given Sunday, but the wonderful, gospel-based preaching and sincerity with which the pastor spoke really encouraged us. What are the chances of finding an English speaking, gospel preaching church in such a spiritually dead area?! It is different from our church in South Carolina, very different, but still good! We left feeling encouraged! (I want to write a post to explain more about the church at another time.)

After we arrived back at the loft on Sunday night, we received a call from our realtor in South Carolina who told us about an offer she had received on our house! If you recall from a previous post, we had listed our house just six days prior to her calling us with an offer. Six days!!! After a bit of negotiating, we accepted an offer and were told we would close sometime in April!

That night, as Cole and I talked about the week and about selling our house, we were just amazed at how much we could see God's hand in everything that had been happening, even before we left. He has been so gracious to us and protected us all along the way. We are so thankful!  We have now closed on the house and don't have to worry about it at all anymore! Praise God!

Grocery Shopping!

It may seem absurd to dedicate an entire post to grocery shopping. However, this has probably been one of the most stressful things for me since we have been here.  It's something that can't be ignored and I had to figure out how to be successful at it pretty quickly. This was one of my "jobs" in South Carolina. I had a system and a plan for meals, snacks, etc. during the week. It was a pretty well oiled machine. For probably the first three weeks here, every trip to the store resulted in tears, frustration, and the same five or ten ingredients (milk, bread, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, cheese, eggs, and tomato soup). That doesn't make for very nutritious meals or much variety.

We ate a lot of randomness during that time. I should not complain at all because we did have food to eat. We were not hungry during any of that time. But it was certainly not what we are used to. So why was it so stressful? Well, if you have ever been to the store with children, you know that trips to the store already have the potential to be stressful without adding anything else. Add in completely different products, a completely different language, no carts, and a huge double stroller and you have a recipe for stress! Oh, and I haven't even commented on the fact that you have to bring your own bags or pay for some at the store (while people are staring at you wondering where your bags are), and you have to bag your own groceries...STRESS! Thankfully, I have found that almost everyone here speaks English (at least a little) and no one has refused to help me when I have needed it.  Side note: I have only met one person who did not know any English and would not help me.

Anyway, let me comment on some things that are different about grocery stores and food products here. 

Milk: Most people buy milk that has been ultra, ultra pasteurized and sits out in the middle of the store...meaning, not in the refrigerated section. I know most people do drink that milk here, but it FREAKS ME OUT!! So far, I have not been able to jump on that train. Thankfully, they do have the option to buy milk in the refrigerated section, so that's what I do! The milk comes in small containers (1 liter), so we usually buy 4 of those a week.

Eggs: Also sit in the middle of the store...not refrigerated. Again, obviously it is fine, but again, it freaks me out. Also, sometimes the egg shells have feathers or remnants of poo on them. 

Bread: Bread is very different here. It doesn't seem to me that people buy regular loaves of bread from a store. They have a small selection of bread like you would see in America, but I don't ever see the locals buying that bread. More often, I see people buying bread in the local bakeries, or bakery like bread in groceries stores that they then cut up on their own. Not a bad thing, just different. I do a combination of both.  

Peanut Butter: Pretty much non-exsistent! If you can find it, it comes in these tiny little jars that last our family maybe a week! If you know me well, you know that I like to eat peanut butter by the spoonful, so we have gone through many jars since we have been here.

Trash bags: Trash, for the most part, is a government controlled thing. They have specific bags for specific trash items and the government controls how much the bags are. No matter where you go, they are the same price. In many stores, you can't just pick them up on a shelf in the store. You have to go to the service counter to request and pay for the bags. Again, not bad, just strange! 

Cheese: There is not much cheese here that I used to eat on a regular basis. I have learned to like gouda, which is readily available almost everywhere, but I am still searching for a go-to cheese like cheddar to keep in the fridge. 

Fruit and vegetables: Fruit and vegetables here are awesome! They taste so good, and since I'm so close to the store, I go several times a week to get them meaning they are always very fresh! While I do get some produce at the grocery store, I do more of my produce shopping at the local fruit and vegetable stands or markets. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much more fresh fruits and veggies we have been consuming since being here. Good and good for you! :)

Meat: Well, I now know what the words for chicken (kip) and beef (rundvlees) are in dutch. It has taken a while, but I can find my way around a meat section. 100% ground beef is hard to find...they like to mix beef and pork together, but I recently found a butcher close to our house where I can confidently purchase the exact meat I am looking for! I'm sure we've accidentally eaten some weird meat since we've been here (not muskrat or otters, just meat that we don't normally eat...not super adventurous with meat in our home). 

After the third week or so, things started to calm down as we were feeling more settled in the loft, so I was able to be more meticulous about shopping...making meal and shopping lists, having a route, spending a bit more time at the store, etc. By that time, I was also learning what I could and could not realistically expect to get at the store. I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not going to find all my beloved mexican food ingredients in the store no matter how hard I look! :) So I was able to start making healthy and nutritious meal plans with the knowledge that I would actually be able to follow through with them! As a side note, there are at least two grocery stores within walking distance (three minutes) of our loft. Neither of them really have carts and they are pretty small. This is a problem with my two little ones. What I now do is walk to the store with the double stroller, then when we get to the store, I push the stroller, and Cameron walks behind me pulling a little shopping basket. Sometimes he's a little rambunctious, but for the most part, he is very helpful. He pulls the groceries and then puts them on the conveyer belt while I bag the scanned groceries. We then stack them on the stroller and walk back to the loft. It's a good little partnership!        

So over the past two months, I have refined my grocery shopping and now visit the grocery store, bakery, butcher, and fruit and vegetable markets several times a week. I know it seems strange coming from America where we like to knock everything out in one trip, but I have found this to be the best way to get the best ingredients. I am thankful for all the options and for the ability to walk to all these places. 

One other nice surprise I discovered was the existence of a store called The American Food Store in Antwerp. Antwerp is about 40 minutes north east of Gent, so it's not too far! We decided to make a trip there not too long ago to see what was there. It's a little hole in the wall store, but we were very excited to be there. I know we haven't been gone that long, but it was soooo nice to walk in and know what everything in the store was!! It is mostly packaged, processed junk food, but it's nice to know that if we need a taste of home, we can get it there. The only downside to the store is that the prices are outrageous. (I think we paid $8.00 for a box of Oreos...don't judge us, we really needed some Oreos! :) We also got quite a few cans of black beans (a staple for me back home), chips and salsa, enchilada sauce, and some crackers. We ate almost a whole bag of chips and salsa on the 40 minute drive home!

So here is a rundown of my favorite (so far) places to shop around Gent:

Grocery store: There are several where I shop, but Delhaize is my favorite. I walk to this city Delhaize weekly, but there is another larger branch that I occasionally drive to when I need something more specific. 

Bakery: There are MANY bakeries that I visit, but the locals told me that Himschoot Bakery is the best. It definitely did not disappoint! This is one of the oldest bakeries in Gent and you can definitely tell they know what they are doing. It's always busy and yummy. It's not the closest bakery to our apartment, but it's worth the walk!

Butcher: I first visited Slagerij Aula on the recommendation of a neighbor. I haven't really investigated butchers other than this one, but I am very happy with it so far. There is a ton of variety and, in addition, there is a nice selection of cheeses, produce, bread, pastas, snacks, etc. There is also a nice little restaurant in the middle. 

                                                   Market: Again, I haven't investigated too many other markets because I found this little organic market that I walk to every Friday. I get all kinds of fresh, wonderful fruits and vegetables there. I also usually stop at another fruit and vegetable stand to fill in what I can't find at the organic market.

I am starting to feel more confident going out and about and just exploring to see what is out there to enjoy. I am very thankful that this area is starting to come together. My trips are not always smooth, but they are getting better each time. I hope to continue adding places to find yummy food! 

Looking back...Our First Day in Belgium

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I'm sure we looked a little strange, standing there on the sidewalk with a mountain of luggage.  Thankfully, we were able to snag a luggage cart and move the mountain into the lobby, check in, and finally make it up to our temporary apartment.  We had heard that the best way to beat the jet lag is to force yourself to be on the schedule of wherever you are. Whoever came up with that idea did not have small children. That result of that strategy is likely one less family member by the end of the day. Needless to say, we all crashed and slept for several hours to try to catch up on some of the lost sleep. After three hours, we made ourselves get up, cleaned up a little, and then walked over to meet our relocation agent (Dina) at the loft where we would be living. It was very exciting and nerve racking to see the loft. We already signed the rental papers, so we were hoping we would like it and that it would suit our family.



We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived! We thought the loft was beautiful and very spacious for our extremely rambunctious children. Once again, we felt very blessed to have found such a beautiful loft without having even seen it. The loft was partially furnished and the landlady agreed to leave the items until our things arrived, another blessing.  We spent some time looking around the loft and let the boys explore before we went to the City Center to walk through a grocery store and get something to eat.

Zuid City Center 

The City Center refers to a building (not the middle of the city) which has a mall (very small compared to what we're used to), and a grocery store inside. Thank goodness Dina came with us because everything was SO overwhelming. On top of being tired, we didn't know exactly how to communicate with people, or what to buy at the grocery store. Dina took us to the sandwich shop in the mall and helped us order some food. After we ate, we went to the grocery store so she could show us around. As I was walking in the door to the store, a lady came behind me and pushed me out of the way! I started crying...not sure why except that I was so overwhelmed and, at that moment, I felt like I would never feel comfortable or confident in our new home. I felt like we stood out like a

Match Grocery Store

sore thumb and everyone was looking at us. Dina walked through the store with us and showed us some staples that we would probably need like milk, bread, etc. and explained the way grocery stores work. I know that sounds silly, but it's different here! I'll post more on food and grocery stores at another time. We didn't buy anything, but it was helpful to walk through with someone who knew what was going on. I should mention that the shopping center is about a 3 minute walk from our loft!

After our trip to the City Center, we went back to the Aparthotel to let the boys rest. We also ate dinner at the hotel. We had made plans prior to leaving for Belgium to meet another American expat with the company and his wife to walk through the grocery store. They thought it would be helpful to have some help to get a few things to get us through a couple days. They were right. Even though we were all exhausted, it was good to once again walk through the store. So, back to Match we went. Cole's co-worker, Adam, and his wife, Annelies walked through the store with me while Cole entertained the boys. Adam, an American, and Annelies, a Belgian, gave me tips from different perspectives. Adam was able to show me what was very different from what I was used to, and Annelies was able to give me recommendations about what specific brands were good to buy. In the end, I think I purchased bread, milk, cereal, turkey, cheese, baby food, and some fruit...enough to get us by in our temporary apartment for a few days.  By the end of that trip, my head was ready to explode! We parted ways with Adam and Annelies, grateful for their kindness, went back to the Aparthotel and crashed!

It's difficult to describe how I was feeling at the end of the first day. Before we left for Gent, I went back and forth between calm, cool, and collected, and completely freaked out. I was hardly ever anywhere in between. I think that's the best way to describe how I felt during our first day. Our emotions were all over the place during the day, but when we finally laid down that first night, Cole and I both felt like things were good and that we would be fine. God was and is in Belgium. He had brought us safely to our new home. He allowed us to be uncomfortable, perhaps as a way to point us back to the constant grace He had been and continues to pour out on us.