So it's finally here. The final hours in Belgium have come. I wish I could say I was sad to leave, but truthfully I am excited. There are things I will miss about Belgium, but I will not miss working as a nanny. I will miss the girls, but I will not miss the constant never ending work and all the other drama that came with it.
However, I will miss Europe. I do love it here, in Benelux and everywhere else I have ever lived and travelled. I am truly fortunate to say that by the age of 23 I have lived in 3 countries, travelled on 3 continents, and visited 14 countries and countless cities. I have seen many people and places and have images and memories etched into my mind that I will never forget. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the breathtaking; all of it has been worth every second of tired feet, delayed trains, missing luggage, sleepless nights and teary moments.
I have always been a firm believer that travel is truly the one thing you can invest in that makes a permanent and irreversible change in your life. My mindset is always changed, tweaked and re imagined with every new place I visit and every new person that I meet. Having a global perspective is invaluable in the world which we live in today. I would gladly continue to be poor and live from a backpack if it meant that I could be blessed with more opportunities like I have had.
Specifically in Belgium, I have learned a lot about myself, from the smallest introspective details to the more tangible things. Since moving here, I have learned to master driving a stick shift car and drive it amongst the insanity that is the European auto route; I have learned to improve my French language and cultural skills; I have learned to navigate the Benelux railway system flawlessly; and most importantly, I have learned about myself.
My limits have been pushed constantly while being here. I remember the first week and feeling so small and sad all the time because I was jet lagged and tired and hearing and speaking nothing but French was so overwhelming that I just wanted to give up and go home. But I have learned now that I am much stronger than that. I can survive the tough times because I know what is waiting on the other side if I continue to push through for just a little bit longer.
After the initial period of adjustment, I began to make friends. Michelle, my American friend, has been an amazing source of comfort and knowledge for me while I have been here. My BBF's, Best Belgian Friends (who aren't even Belgian), Simon and Lora have shown me fun, laughter, and joy. I willful greatly miss these three friends that I have made here. Because the quantity of friends doesn't matter, but the quality of the bond does.
It is always bittersweet to begin a new chapter in life. To look back and fondly remember the good times is good, but as Dumbledore told us "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live". So we must remember the past and learn from it (a lesson from Rafiki) but also remember that the past is just a stop along the journey of life, and another one is just around the corner to come.
When I think of the near future, I am excited and ready. I know that the things I have faced in the past three months have helped to shape who I am and who I will be in the years to come. I am excited to go home and see my family and friends and share a tiny slice of my story with them, hoping that they may enjoy the stories of what I have done.
But the best story of all is yet to be written; "The best is yet to be".
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