You might have seen me and my friend Ine sit on various terraces all over Brussels with a glass of cheap champagne in our hands while shouting at everyone who doesn't even ask for it: WE ARE SO HAPPY!!! Don't think we've gone completely mad. And no, we are no alcoholics, we didn't win the lotto and not even one moustached man was in our sight. Then why on earth would two women yell out -louder than the average teenager- they found happiness? The champagne helps turn up the volume, but mostly we are overexcited because WE FOUND A FLAT IN BRUSSELS! Praise the lord and the guy who told us about the place! It was love at first sight. Especially when we started to doubt if there even was a thing called love after seeing some hideous, hilarious and straight out weird apartments.
I like all things weird, but when you want to turn it into a home, it's gotta work. Let's just say it didn't work out between us and some flats we visited. There was the one with the shower in the middle of the kitchen, in between oven and fridge. Then there was the lady who thought we were a lesbian couple and showed us the door before we could even make up our mind about the flat. But the best apartment was the nonexistent one. In the neighbourhood we love, for a tiny price, two bedrooms, perfect. Until we called and a woman replied she had had enough of all the phone calls. There was no flat for rent but somebody had put her number online.
I still don't realise I'm doing this. Staying in one place for a while, building a nest. Thoughts of Canada and South America have been wandering through my head. But for now, creating a home in Brussels is what makes the butterflies in my belly go wild. Crazy times! Don't fear, I still have tons of travel stories to share with you and I'll be happy to guide you around our beloved Brussels.
It's a strange thing to be in love with a city. Especially if that city contains memories of a man spitting in my face. Walking home at night was always an adventure and many purses were stolen in many different bars. Brussels isn't a sweet lady. It's a swearing trooper. It changes colours through the day like no other place. Mornings are orange and afternoons turn yellow and blue. But when it's grey, it's grey. It's filled with people I adore, every single one with a different story. When the train reaches our capital, my heart starts beating a little faster. Ready for new adventures. You never know what you might bump into. No day is the same. Brussels. Bring. It. On.