This weekend was absolutely wonderful. We, as an entire ISA group got to go to two places in the eastern ( I think) part of Belgium. The more I travel with this group of people the more I am thankful to be apart of such a great program! Being around great Americans who want to know more about the world really makes all the difference with the transition to coming here. These people have become good friends of mine and we have already shared tons of laughs together.
We headed out of Brussels around 830 in the morning and slept all the way to Hans-sur-Lesse, a small town housing some of the most beautiful caves in all of Europe. The first sight I saw after leaving Brussels was a beautiful green pasture, with rolling hills in the background. You sleep for an hour…and all of a sudden you feel like you are in the Sound of Music. Pretty freaking magical.
We visited the caves, walked around the small town. And all wanted to buy houses by the time we left. A large part of me wanted to settle down, buy a goat and just stay in that serenity of a town forever. We had an amazing lunch of frites, frites and frites and then left for Dinant, Belgium. Side note…Belgium’s fries are so good because they fry them twice, but more importantly because they eat them with mayonnaise. TRY IT. It’s changed my life. My diet lately has consisted of crepes, waffles, frites and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. For someone who has grown up her life, asking if she can have another roll at dinner instead of dessert…this place is quite incredible.
Once again I fell asleep on the way to Dinant ( thanks to college sleeping habits, going to sleep on command is a habit) and this time woke up to a cute little town with a huge river running right through it. I felt as if I was in another quiet, little town…and then I looked up: Above me was a large military fortress (or citadel) that was built in 1040 and used in basically every European war since then. We climbed the 403 stairs to the top, took gorgeous pictures and had an awesome tour by a man who didn’t speak any English. We did a lot of guessing in French which was actually quite fun…and we also found out that Flemish/Dutch sounds a lot like broken, weird English. It was neat to walk around a building that was nearly one thousand years old, when in America I am blown away by a building fifty years old. What did those walls know? What kind of death, desperation, violence, passion, perserverance had they seen? Those thoughts ran through my mind all day. What I would give to have a glimpse into what those walls had seen….I feel there is so much we take for granted in our everyday lives and do not look back at our history not only as a country, but as a human race. We need to learn from each other, listen to each other, and know each other’s stories in such a deeper level. As my dad always says….”Bailey, you have two ears and one mouth…just use them proportionally”.
After that, we went on a boat ride and ate ice cream cones by the river. I felt as if I was seven years old again, but still felt as if I was in a movie. We headed home, exhausted and content.
Sadly, when I got home I realized that the pain I was feeling in my feet all day was a big deal. Blisters that I had popped the night before had gotten worse from the day of walking. So I stayed in for the night and limped around the apartment. You never realize how important your feet are until every step hurts. I walk about 3 miles a day here, so my feet have taken a beating. Poor guys…they have no idea what’s going on. They are used to walking about a minute to class…and watching a lot of TV. Not hiking a mile two and from school multiple times a day. Hopefully they will get used to it just like my head and heart have. Ephesians 6:8-10 talks about putting on the armor of God…which includes your feet. These past few days I really have understood the importance of protecting my feet. It says that the armor we put on is “the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”. I love that. Our gospel is peace! The redemptive story of Christ’s life and his mission on Earth gives us peace! This Earth is not our home! Our lives here are not the “end” all, and our mistakes are nothing in the eyes of our King who sacrificed everything from us. I must remember daily to put on this piece of my armor so I will be ready for whatever life hands me because of Christ’s actions for me. For I know that I can face and walk tomorrow because He lives!
Love you all.
Bails
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