D-Day to Dairy Cows

Another riveting week in my European life! Thursday evening was our monthly EPA dinner. EPA has arranged our internships and is known throughout Europe for offering a wide variety of internship opportunities for college students. Be sure to check out their website! My blog may be appearing in their newsletter… http://www.epa-internships.org/index.html.

Friday, my classmates and I left for Normandy. Unfortunately, the trip was not as pleasant as we would have hoped – 8 of 20 of us caught some kind of flu bug. I was fortunate enough to be alright, but one of my roommates, not so lucky. Nevertheless, we made our way to Utah and Omaha Beach, the two beaches where American soldiers commenced D-Day, and Pointe-du-Hoc, with 150-200 foot cliffs. It was unbelievable and moving to experience these landmarks. To conclude our Saturday tour, we visited the American Cemetery in Normandy. Over 170 acres commemorating the soldiers of World War II. The landscape was painstakingly beautiful, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, while home to 30% of the American soldiers killed in Normandy.

Needless to say, it was a memorable weekend that touched many of us. However, I think all of us were grateful to arrive home in Brussels and protect our immune systems from whatever bug is going around our group.

Monday morning marked the first major protest of our stay. About 1,000 farmers drove tractors (actual tractors!) and farm animals (image cows and professionals in business suits united on the sidewalk) into Brussels during the early hours to protest the falling prices of milk. Since Brussels is home to the European Union, the Belgium capital has become a place to demonstrate. On my way to my internship, I encountered at least 50 security and policy vehicles. Ironically, the metro stop closest to our apartments is actual the stop closest to the European Council and European Commission. Great location on a typical day. Unfortunately, due to the number of tractors and numerous cows on the streets, daily Brussels traffic was quite chaotic. I made it home after an extra hour on the public transportation system. However, I shouldn’t complain, I did live to see a dozen cows in the middle of a European capital. =)

If you don’t believe me, be sure to visit the link below for more details on my outrageous day in Brussels! http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jAzYMRjkcPkwqjcEZEvjefV_3NzgD9B4V96O3

Home is where the heart is.

This week has been a time of personal reflection. I never imagined that this European adventure would make me ponder so many aspects of my life. Nor did I think I would be in Brussels a year ago! First and foremost, this trip has reaffirmed many of my decisions of the past year. Last fall, I think many friends thought I was having a mid-life crisis at twenty years old! I faced a crossroad and made three major, life changing decisions – moving on from golf, deciding to study away and work in a foreign country (where I did not know the language), and changing my career path. The risks were worth it, as fortunately, I’ve never looked back nor regretted any of them. And thank goodness I haven’t because then this experience would not be nearly as meaningful.

While this sounds clique, I could never do this without the love and support of my family. They are truly my biggest fans. I find they are the best confidants as well. =) The other day, my aunt said something that deeply impacted me. “All stairs go up.” And of course, being too analytical at times, I questioned this… Sure, stairs can go down, but essentially they have the opportunity to go up. That’s exactly what this opportunity in Brussels is for me. An opportunity to rise to any future occasion, to excel when met with adversity and the unexpected.

Though this is probably not the blog post that many of you expected (for those who really want to know, I’m traveling to Normandy this weekend with my fellow Furman students to visit Omaha Beach), part of this experience is not simply the traveling and becoming a temporary European citizen. For four months, I am learning from something completely unique and different to everything I’ve ever known – even failing at the few things that are familiar to me. Ironically, one of my favorite bands is NeedToBreathe and their new album rings true to much of what I am encountering:

“In the crowd of the dead and disappointed
We're ashamed, giving up on what we wanted
Take a chance on a long shot this time
Aren't we all just at least worth another try.”

So here I am – taking a chance on a long shot. And I’ll keep trying.

Life is short. Make the most of it. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Smile in the face of challenges.