36 things to look forward to

I'm almost sad to post this list... I've had a ton of fun coming up with the items for it. This list has made me genuinely excited for Belgium. Before, it was more of an anxious, holly-shit-what-am-I-doing feeling. Since then, the number of days left before my depature no longer terrifies me. How could it when I have 36 fantastic experiences to look forward to? Obviously, compiling a list of fun adventures to be had in Europe is not difficult... with a little help from 1000 things to do before you die, friends and family.

There are so many things to do on the list that I don't know if it's realistic for me to do all of them. Regardless, it's fun to have goals. I won't be disappointed if I don't get around to finishing the list... it'll just be postponed for a future trip. Also, I realize that it's not 25 things, are any other kind of sensible round number, but 36 is just how many I came up with.

1. Visit the countries that border my host nation: Germany, Netherlands, France, Luxembourg.

2. Visit Bruges: t’Brugs Beertje bar and the Chocolate Museum (Belgium)

3. Enjoy a spa (Spa, Belgium)

4. Visit La Grande Place (Brussels, Belgium)

5. Eat moules et frites at Léon de Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium)

6. Eat chocolate at Mary Chocolatier (Brussels, Belgium)

7. Visit the Westvleteren brewery (Belgium)

8. Visit Stonehenge (Amesbury, England)

9. Cheesy picture 1: With the guards at Buckingham Palace (London, England)

10. Visit Tower of London (London, England)

11. Visit my grandfather’s cousin (Wookey Hole, England)

12. Travel by the Channel Tunnel (England to France)

13. Attend Remembrance Day Ceremony and visit WW1/W2 battlefields (Vimy Ridge, Arras, France)

14. Drink wine under the Eiffel Tower (Paris, France)

15. Yell “Sanctuary!” from the top of Notre Dame de Paris (Paris, France)

16. Go to VIP Room (extra points for a picture with a celeb) (Paris, France)

17. Visit a vineyard and do wine tasting (France or Italy or Spain)

18. Cheese picture 2: Make a wish in the Trevi Fountain (Rome, Italy)

19. Take the Angels & Demons Tour (Rome, Italy)

20. Take a gondola ride (Venice, Italy)

21. Say hi to Benedict XVI (Vatican City)

22. Visit Florence (Italy)

23. Attend Oktoberfest – Sept 16 to Oct 4 (Munich, Germany)

24. Visit the royal castle of Neuschwanstein (Fussen, Germany)

25. Visit the Berlin Wall and the Anne Frank Museum (Berlin, Germany & Amsterdam, Netherlands)

26. Ski the Alps: Little Matterhorn by taking the cablecar (Zermatt, Switzerland)

27. Hike the Alps (France, or Italy, or Spain, or Austria)

28. Try to watch an entire bullfight… see ‘em before they ban ‘em. (Spain)

29. Drink a mojito on a beach in Spain (extra points for doing it topless)

30. Winter Markets in December (Vienna, Austria)

31. Use the two-way mirror bathroom (Prague, Czech Republic)

32. Become a bandwagon fan at a pro football game (Anywhere, Europe)

33. Rent a bike and cycle (Netherlands)

34. Check out what’s up (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

35. Learn pick-up lines and swear words in three different languages

36. Blog at least once a week

I'm still open to suggestions, so leave a comment with any crazy ideas you might have. Which one is your favorite?

'till later, gang.

peace& love.
-O

One month away

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog!

In one month (minus one day), I'll be on my way to Belgium to begin a three month study exchange (aka: best three months of my life) at l'Université Catholique de Louvain. At a friend's suggestion , I have begun a blog to keep everyone back home posted on my adventures.... in particular, those gearing up for winter exchange can marvel at what awaits them.

At this point, exchange is starting to become very 'real'. A few of my classmates have already left, or are days from departure. Since classes don't start until September 20th at UCL, I'll be finising the summer with everyone else. Nothing, however, makes a lengthy trip feel more real than a visa application.... which proved to be more complicated than expected. First, I quickly learned that visa matters are taken care of at the consulate in Montréal, not at the embassy in Ottawa. Next, it was easy enough to find the list of documents required, although some items were difficult to decifer... a medical certificate following a TB test that needs to be certified by the College of Physicians in Toronto, financial guarantor's (parents) three consecutive pay cheques to prove a certain level of income, a police check, proof of transport arrangements  (including return ticket). For the entire list, people travelling to Belgium can find it here. I suggest getting a start on that at least a month before departure.
 http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/travel_to_belgium/visa_for_belgium/long_stay/study/

Other than that, I know I have room in residence at UCL but contrary to other schools, they have yet to let us know what our schedules will look like (even after classes are chosen)... Hopefully, I can get me some four day weekends!

Soon enough, I'll be posting my 25 things to do on exchange list and playing around with the layout and colours. Stay tuned!

Peace&Love.