Ten media students; seven days in Belgium and a day in Paris, France; one trip of a lifetime.

I am so grateful that the College of Media James Scholar program at the Univeristy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has allowed me to make my first trip out of the country with their spring break trip to Belgium and Paris.

Preparation for this week has mainly included stressing over what to pack, bonding with my fellow freshman travelers, and counting down the days until we could make this journey.

It’s almost hard to believe that the day has finally come that I get to visit the country I’ve read about and researched ever since I learned I was accepted to go on the trip. But even with the time change and long flight, the day has been incredible and full of laughs.

We arrived at around 8:15 a.m. in Brussels, and, after obsessing over the new stamp in our passport books, took the train to Leuven, snapping excited pictures with our cameras along the way.

After settling into our rooms, we made an excursion to find some waffles – a staple Belgian treat.

Yet walking the sidewalks of Leuven on a Sunday morning was a treat in itself. There were few passerby, couples strolling with arms linked along the gray cobblestone paths. It was quiet, with only the sound of busses whirring by every few minutes.

 

 

We found out our desired waffle stop was closed and settled for another place to get our first Belgian meal, and some coffee.

Sleepily, we then made our second excursion into the city for a tour, where we spotted many landmarks, such as the Lueven Town Hall, and buildings of the University of Leuven.

 

 

 

We then selected from the dozens of bars and restaurants along the Markt for a place to eat before heading back to our hotel.