Brussels, Bruge, and Brendan

Minnewater Park, Bruge. D.dot in glow

Performing artist Grand Place, Brussels

Brendan w/ Beer. 'T Brugs BeerTJE

Statue. Brussels

Here is what you need to make travels enjoyable:

A good pair of walking shoes, and the attitude your legs will keep moving no matter how tired they say they are!
Some good tunes:
Devotchka seems to keep me rolling, and they help make the environment sparkle just a bit.
A good friend to have a beer with at the end of the day you enjoy talking with.
And the carefree nature that if you miss your plane, train, or whatever--there is always another way home, and the ability to see more.

It was great seeing the cousins for Easter. I believe holidays are a time for family and it was great to have family a small flight away. Brussels was nice to see for a few days, and I was happy people had recommend Bruge to me. Funny how it seemed everyone I was near kept talking about it. You don't mess with signs like that--you just go. Wish I would have had more time there. It was nice to do my thing in the day and then sit with Brendan to have a beer and talk about what we want to do when we get back to the States, or back to the cities we live in, or just talk about the things we are passionate about. For him beer, for me children's literature. It seems a perfect fit don't you think.

Anyhow, I was sad to leave. And maybe there was a part of me that made me miss my flight back. I don't know. But what overwhelmed me was the fact that I didn't care. On the bus ride back to the Sud Charolie train station Dido came on my iPod singing See the Sun, and sure enough at that time the sun was coming up and I had to smile when the lyrics came to "You probably don't want to hear tomorrows another day, but I promise you you'll see the sun again." So I just went with it. Who cared how I got home.
Even Brendan had said he didn't know me that well, but how he did know me, he thought I would be acting completely different. I told him I thought the same thing. I don't know what has come over me here, but life is good. I walk the streets and I just smile. Maybe it's because I'm in coffee and ice cream heaven. But I really feel this experience has opened my eyes to my attitude. I have so many new thoughts on what I can do with my life, and I like everyone of them. I know when I get home things will change for me. I will get back into my routine, but I hope I keep a bit of this experience with me and let myself just go. Nothing holding me back. Options are open and waiting for me to choose, but at the moment I feel there is no rush.

I love you guys back home, and everyone here I have met or re-met. I hope you are smiling as big as me and you have your eyes open to the world around you.