My first few days...

I'm in Brussels! Yay! So to recap my time so far:
Thursday:
Travel day. Small-world theory event: Danielle Stuart (who I went to middle school and high school with for 7 years) was not only on my first two flights but sat across the aisle from me on the first flight. She's studying at Oxford (oooo). So that was awesome. But my flight from Miami to London was a little cramped. I got very little sleep due to the woman in front of me leaning all the way back and me in the middle seat with a guy on either side, the one to the left with a loud iPod and the one to the right moving all the time. And the plane was too warm. The flight from London to Brussels was pretty short but not bad due to me knowing/meeting the other two AU students on the flight.
Friday (Traveling took all night so the last flight was on Friday but is up there ^):
After the flights I basically crashed at the hotel, taking a nap before our orientation at 5. We all had dinner at Le Grand Cafe downtown and then we all went out exploring. My group wandered around looking for chocolate and found it by the famous statue. After that we wandered more and then went back to the hotel to sleep.
Saturday:
More general orientation with a tour of the Grand Place by Jerry (our professor). Very entertaining and informing, actually. One of the best guided tours I've had in a while. Then we met our families. I and Sara Scott, another AU student, are staying with the Layson family composed of Pablo, originally from the Philippines, Sara, originally from Italy, and their youngest, Sophie who's a senior in college. They are all very nice and helpful. And Sara's apparently a wonderful cook and so far, I certainly agree. I'm living on the Rue de la Révolution (such a cool name for a street) which is in Upper Town of the commune of Bruxelles, which is the heart of Brussels). I'm a five minute walk (or so) from the cathedral and only about ten or so more minutes from the Grand Place and the very center of the city. It's a nice area with easy walking distance to the park near the American Embassy, should I feel homesick I can go and look at the flag waving and the 24 hour guard and I'm sure the feeling will cease immediately.
Sunday:
Mass at the Cathedral in French. Didn't understand a word but it seemed shorter than at home. No kneeling either. And the hosts were thicker. Beautiful church though, Gothic with high ceilings and arches and a gorgeous organ. Very nice. I won't mind going every week. Maybe go once or twice to the other church nearby with an English mass. Spent the rest of the day organizing my room which is a little bigger than Sara's but we're going to switch in October. My room has the shower room up a short set of stairs which is unusual but kind of cool.
Monday (today):
Woke up, tried to get an abonnement (which will get me a month of unlimited metro travel which is necessary for getting to school) but failed as it isn't open until 10, got to the AU Brussels Center at Alma just fine, had more orientation and a campus tour, and am now waiting on my internship appointment with Catherine the internship coordinator. All in all, a good time so far.

~ Jennifer