My week in Belgium has been fast, busy and pretty great. It feels like I’ve been here way longer or like I never left!

I never expected this, but the weather is so good. During the day it’s sunny and 28 degrees –  can you imagine, coming from 0 degrees at night in New Zealand? I especially adore the long days! I wake up every day at 6.30am (jetlag?), see the light through the curtains and think it’s 9am. It feels like I’m tricking the world, by flying from a NZ winter into a Belgian summer.

The long days make it possible for me to stuff a lot of things in one day – which is pretty convenient at the moment! Yesterday I managed to have three coffee&beer dates and go shopping in between. I definitely prefer these long days above the darkness at 6pm in New Zealand.

What caught my attention is that my fellow Belgians are so friendly. I had always in my mind that New Zealand is the friendliest, but I was happily surprised to get a few random smiles and talks in the coffee shop.  Or maybe I changed and I am more approachable now?

However it could be better apparently. I saw a story on the news (where I used to work 😉 ) that people aren’t saying hello to each other anymore . Check out the link below and try to do better and smile to that stranger in the street! It’s just so easy to be nice to other people.

Zeg eens goeiendag tegen een vreemde!

Regarding feeling home in Belgium I don’t know yet what to say. I have a lot of contradictory feelings. It feels good being with my family and walking around in my beloved Leuven and Antwerp. I just don’t know if I could see myself really living here again. And if you don’t see yourself living here anymore, is it still your home? On the other hand, New Zealand doesn’t feel like home home either, because I don’t have my friends and family there. Looks like were coming back to the same conclusion: my family and friends have to move to New Zealand!

And I’m seeing those friends and family non stop these holidays. It’s such a great feeling to hug your little brother again, go shopping with your mum or drink a glass of wine with some girlfriends.

I am experiencing one problem though. I’m not used to driving on the right anymore… A year and a half I’ve been driving in an automatic car on the left. They’re almost all automatic in NZ. When my parents picked me up at the airport my heart made some jumps (and I was only in the passengers seat!!). Can you imagine how I felt when driving myself? It kills me to say, but I’m driving like a granny at the moment.

I’m also loving the french fries, the beers and the cute little cafes , but I do miss the mountains and stunning nature.

And for my non-Belgian readers: French fries are from Belgium!!