Sometimes, I feel like I'll never be dry again

Today marks my two month anniversary of being in the beautiful country of Belgium, and, unfortunately, I can't feel my toes. It rained on my way to school today, and I got really soaked. I need to crack down and buy some rainboots and an umbrella.  I'm not sure how I made it through two months without those essentials.

I've been starting to have some really great days.  Not every moment is filled with excitement and energy, but I'm having conversations with classmates and understanding sarcasm.  The first month really is the hardest, and I understand now that it's not going to magically be easy someday; I have to work at everything.  But, really, things are better.  I have people who are nice to me (and say I'm nice too!) and my French progresses a little every day. 

I've Skyped my family twice since I've been here, and I'm really glad that I'm not doing it more.  I mean, I love my family, sometimes, but I really don't miss them.  Except my little sister, which is weird because we didn't really get along well before I left.  It's my friends that I miss a lot.  I see things all the time that I want tell them about, so I write them postcards and try to deal with it. I know it will take a while to have Belgian friends that I'm close to like that, but trying to make them is part of the experience.

I'm really lucky to have a nice Rotary club.  I've heard a lot of stories about kids who rarely went to the meetings and never participate in the activities, but I like my club a lot.  They always ask me if I have any problems and if I'm making friends, and the president is really nice.  When I told him that I wanted to be a writer and miss reading in English, he got me a copy of The Wind in the Willows, which is really a charming little book.  :)

Speaking of books, last night I finished my first book in French.  Oscar et la dame rose.  It's about a ten-year-old kid in a hospital, dying of cancer.  The whole story is written in letters to God, and it's really, really sad.  I didn't understand every word, but I got the gist of the story.  It is a beautiful book and I encourage the litterary types out there to search for a translated copy.

I think I forgot to mention some unique Belgian things, like fries with mayo (I don't even like mayonaise, but OHSOGOOD) and that everyone wears scarves.  They pay 50 percent taxes here, drink coffee after dessert, and stay out late.  The streets are cobblestone, thus impossible to navigate in high heals, and nearly everyone has perfect skin.  They don't eat peanut butter, but the speculos is amazing, and life, generally, is pretty good. 

Je suis content être en Belgique. 

Bisous!

Greta