Until We Meet Again...

Over a mere 1200 minutes, I went from jet setter to jetlag and world traveler to homebody. The journey home was tiring; however far from boring. My Saturday morning began at 4am (Brussels time), when I took a cab to a bus to the airport. Unfortunately, the airline altered my itinerary, requiring two different airlines with three transfers during a twenty hour span. My flight from Brussels landed in Manchester with only thirty minutes until my next flight. As time was ticking, I had to claim my luggage and then sprint through three terminals to recheck-in and catch my flight. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much motivation to run! When I finally made it to the second airlines’ check-in, an airline worker notified me that my flight had already taken off and the next plane to Philadelphia was not until the following afternoon. As they tried to schedule me for the other flight, I couldn’t help but think “this would only happen to me.”I know in the scheme of life this was just a little speed bump but I truly wanted to get home and see my family. Apparently someone felt pity for me, and informed us that my original flight had been delayed and could wait ten more minutes for me if I ran. So yet again, I ran! Even though I was given VIP status in the fast lane of security, the honor was overrated and fleeting. Furthermore, late passengers are always asked additional security questions. I was nearly out of breath and my mind was swirling from the events of the past half hour that I had difficulty concentrating on what they asked me. In the end, I was allowed to board the 757, full of impatience, angry passengers. Shamelessly, that didn’t matter to me – I was so happy to be going home! Once I finally landed on American soil in Philadelphia, I was all smiles at border control. For the first time in four months, I entered a country as a native citizen. However, in customs I learned my luggage was MIA, and untraceable. Merely, my two (heavy) bags of souvenirs and gifts were somewhere in Europe. Just my luck! To top it off, I was informed in Manchester that I could take an earlier flight to Columbus. Not the case. Eventually, I made it safely to my hometown but still without luggage. After numerous phone calls Sunday, my luggage was not physically present anywhere or even in cyberspace. Oddly enough, Monday at 2am, I had a call on my cell phone to inform me that my luggage would be delivered momentarily. Sure enough, the luggage arrived and due to my excitement, it was difficult to sleep. Consequently, I am still struggling with jetlag and often clueless to the time of day.

Since being stateside, I’ve had some time to reflect on the past semester. Though the last four months have been incredible and life changing, I’m so grateful for the people at home. Nevertheless, I know that this experience will stay with me for life and the lessons I’ve learned about this global and dynamic world will continue to impact me each and every day. As Ivanka Trump said in her recent book, “the more you travel, the more open you are to whatever comes your way.” Exposing yourself to something new makes you vulnerable, but expands your knowledge and perspective on the world around you.

I may be closing an important chapter, but I’m writing a new book. And I’m certain the people and the places I’ve seen will meet again sometime down the road…

Final Week is Finals Week

Though bittersweet to finish, this marked my last week at Ogilvy PR. I have learned so much and valued my time while assisting with their PR projects. True to form of course, my last week had to end with a bang! On Wednesday evening, the pull-out bed I sleep on (accompanied with built-in bookshelf and closet) came crashing down unexpectedly. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but I’m sure my heart skipped more than a few beats. Just couldn’t leave Belgium without some sort of ruckus.

Nevertheless, things returned to normal for my final days of French class. My roommate, Nora, and I pretended to be Julie & Julia, as we cooked French cuisine for our final presentation. We perfected our dishes including Lapin a la Française (French rabbit – I hope you don’t have a pet bunny, unfortunately, it is what we were assigned), Soupe de choux fleur (cauliflower soup), and Speculoos. For those of you familiar with my favorite Brussels treat, Speculoos is similar to a ginger cookie. Our version did not taste gingery. Rather, it tasted like a pound cake. Regardless, it was dessert so we were pleased. Of course, our entire meal did not look nearly as good as the recipe photos, but it was certainly edible!

My final course of the semester, International Business Negotiations, is extremely interesting and dynamic, especially for a study abroad student. I learned so much about worldwide cultures, debating strategies, and differences in negotiations with international parties. Though I have always loved my business and marketing classes, International Business Negotiations offers a new perspective into the worldwide markets, corporations, and government issues. Needless to say, as today’s society and business is becoming increasingly global, it was a great experience and will greatly assist me in the future.

Today, I visited Brussels’ Winter Wonderland Christmas market. The area surrounding Grand Place is filled with German style booths. Brussels’ Christmas market is one of the largest in Europe, offering an array of gifts and trinkets, perfect for stocking stuffers. Seeing all the Christmas lights and trees around the central square, city hall, and guildhalls, was a great way to set the Christmas spirit. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Last but certainly not least, I have learned that final exams are the same in every country. There is absolutely no way to sugarcoat this one. This past week, I’ve successfully completed 2 presentations and 3 papers. Merely 1 paper and 1 exam to go! And best of luck in exams for my friends at Furman! :)