AL and LD arrive...Spring Break 2010 :)

What an unbelievable/fun/fast-paced week it has been! Soooo much to update on but I'll just have to start from the beginning with this post :D Last Friday morning (the 12th) I woke up bright and early to the annoying sound of my alarm at 6:30, checked their flight to find out that it was delayed 30 minutes into Brussels International, then officially woke up at 7am and ran out the door. Arrived at Grand Central Station soon after, hopped on the 20 minute train to the airport, and waited for about an hour for them to get their luggage and walk through the gate. During that hour I saw what I thought was one of the internationals that lived near me in the CEC last semester that I became friends with (David from Belgium who is studying abroad in Clemson this entire year) walk through the gate and run up to his dad. I thought, "there is no way that David would have randomly left Clemson to go to Brussels for the weekend (I was totally forgetting it was their Spring Break), so that cannot be him." I found out later from Anna Lauren that he did come to Belgium for the week and I was so upset with myself that I didn't say hey! Oh well, such is life.

When Anna Lauren came through the gate, we ran and jumped on each other like we hadn't seen each other in 5 years!! Actually though, she was the last Clemson friend I saw before coming to Europe.

  

New Years Eve 2010 

She and Peter drove up to Lexington to spend NYE together with us at the Kellis's...such a fun time. After giving her the longest hug ever, I met her friend Laura who would also be staying here too. We quickly became fast friends. First order of business: take them to get their first Belgian waffles. They instantly fell in love...I think they got them every single day they were here. Then I took them back to the apartment, and after being there about an hour, my roommate Samantha's friends arrived too.  She has two friends (Chris and Scott) studying abroad in Spain that flew over for the weekend to stay with us and explore Brussels. We definitely had a packed house last weekend and it was quite chaotic but such a blast...I wouldn't have it any other way. I thought everyone would be jet lagged (especially the girls coming from the US), but they were ready to see the city (Laura on the other hand stayed to nap on the couch :D). We started off in Grand Place....

by far one of the most beautiful squares in Europe

 

(me, Chris, Sam, Scott, and AL)

 

  

mmm Belgian waffles :)

 

frites! (French fries originated in Belgium)

 

relaxing in the apartment

 

In Grand Place we saw chocolate dipped strawberries for a euro each, we decided to be creative and cheap and make our own at home :)

 

 

always on the metro...I feel like I live there now!

 

taking everyone to Delirium, world famous bar for having over 2000 different types of beer

 

and then continuing on to dancing at Celtica !

 

making pancakes for all the lovely children the next morning...

 

starting Saturday out by taking the metro to visit a basilica

 

always getting Belgian waffles...

 

 

outside of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the 6th largest Roman Catholic Church in the world!

  

  

 

full house

Everyone went out Saturday night too, except the hosts haha :D Sam, Michelle, and I decided to stay in because we truly needed to study. Andddd the girls (Laura and AL) and I were leaving for Paris bright and early Sunday morning!!!! I cannot wait to write about Paris...it was one of the most incredible trips. We left Sunday at 11am and returned Tuesday. Many stories to be told about our trip in the next blog update! I'm ready to go back :D