A day to remember

We need to make friends with more than just this little guy 

Here in Belgium things have picked up a little bit! Last night Chris and I went to poker night. I assume it's usually a "guys only" type of event but as this is my first week here in Leuven, I was allowed to tag along. Having not played poker since 5th grade with my friend Jen Albrecht (whoa flashback) I luckily was able to back out of participating since our host's wife was also in attendance and not playing either (phew). It was refreshing to talk with another woman living in this town from abroad and though she has a job (like everyone else here) maybe we're starting to make some friends? Funny enough everyone last night was from elsewhere, not a Belgian in sight. There were people from Lithuania, Providence, RI (!), Italy and Sweden.

And what a relief to speak English with a group of people. I've felt over the past few days as if I might as well be deaf walking around this town. Conversations continually go on all around me but as I understand nothing, it's as though I could tune it all out and walk around with no hearing at all. (Though I am VERY thankful to have the ability to hear what with bike riders, cars, trucks and people trying to share the space the size of a hallway on these tiny streets...hearing is important to avoid getting squished)

Okay, a little more flashback for you startingggggggggggg now:

Memorial day 2012 was a marathon of little parties from Rochester to Naples and back out to Spencerport.

We started with a picnic lunch with friends after church. 

Then dinner and a sleepover with the Hanlon group at my parents cabin. 

If you haven't met my Mom's dogs, Ruby and Sully, here's a third of one above (Sully at 1.5 years old...big)

 Then we trekked out to Spencerport for a Maloney party. At first Brady wasn't sure sparklers were interesting or worth his time. He changed his mind after a few but I was waiting in the wings to see if he left any behind. He didn't.

I feel like we don't always get the kind of summer we had this year and who would have known in May that the weather we were getting used to would last almost through September? Even here in Leuven I guess I juuust missed the last few 80 F days, (26 C must get used to that), but no matter. Autumn is here and my sweaters were the only things not wrinkled to death in those space bags so I guess I was prepared already.

Til tomorrow!

Reeewind

Told you I'd be more on the ball now. We're 2 for 2!

When I said we'd be travelling back in time, I meant it...here comes a little LA/Spokane action that I promised back in May:

...there was a girl with oodles of family members to visit. She flew across the country to get started...

 Ultimately, ending up at Disneyland wasn't really surprising. I feel like even though we're getting older, my cousin Gina and I aren't really growing up. My first day in Cali we headed to the theme park and scared ourselves silly on the Tower of Terror; Gina's first time. You can just barely see our reaction to the ride!

I am aiming to be as good a hostess to any Belgian trip takers as Gina was to me during my stay with her. We didn't stop for a moment and we also ate at the most amazing places. This little place was called The Griddle. Frequented by celebrities and consistently packed wall to wall, our breakfast's standard was set high. And it did not disappoint. I completely finished my gigantic helping of "Tis the Season" a pumpkin flavored pancake topped with homemade whipped cream, powdered sugar and a little more pumpkin filling...Christmas in my mouth! Must replicate. I should note that Gina's boyfriend Dave made a comment when I was three bites from the end that he has never seen anyone finish their serving before...whoops.

Side note: We DID see a celebrity while there, Simon Pegg! If you haven't seen him in anything, Hot Fuzz is a pretty stellar movie, albeit a little violent.

A little more California for you: here's the family in Temecula. I haven't seen some of these cousins since their birth, (okay, only some of the 2nd cousins), but it had been waaaay too long. So thrilled to see them all!

And last but definitely not least, I finally got to see Megan at her college in Spokane. The weather was actually better than I'd expected from the northeast, but we brought umbrellas just in case! And mainly what we did was eat. Honestly. So far here in Belgium all I've found that I can figure out what it is to eat has been bread, cheese (and who knows what kind it was), strawberries and the Magnum chocolate ice cream bars. It'd be nice to eat somewhere new where I had someone to show me the ropes again! But, I digress.

Megan and I ate assembly-line sushi, my first experience, mmm. Then headed to Donut Parade which apparently is a big deal. The place was packed. And again, definitely not least (we went twice in two days) was Froyo Earth. It's like Coldstone but with frozen yogurt and make-you-own style. LETS GO BACK.

Tomorrow I may bring back a little bit of Belgium to keep some attention out there. I'm headed out to shop on my own for the first time. Chris told me about a second hand shop where I might find art supplies and more...should he have added the "and more"? I'm thinking no, but I'll try to keep the euros in my pocket!

Forgive the lapse...I'm back

Last time I posted was well over a month ago. I have a LOT of updating to do.

Starting with the most current update and working backward, I'm bringing you my first day in Leuven, Belgium.

Honestly I was beginning to feel as though I'd never be joining Chris here so when I finally received my passport with that little Visa stamped into the third page I thought, oh okay, its the standard unfortunate picture, but oh well. Now what? I'll show you a little "now what" now:

I hopped on the first flight that I could, with a little (read: a LOT) of help from our friend Mike and his airline-employee sorcery, and headed right over to Chris. I'm not sure that this first picture should even be shown (two flights a quarter of the way around the world and going on 72+ hours with no shower and only 9 hours of sleep altogether...) but here it is, for the record: our first photograph together in Leuven, Belgium.

We wasted no time and in an effort to stave off the jet lag, headed out for breakfast, shopping and exploring:

The town square and one of the side streets. I don't think there are many uninteresting places in our town.

 

I think that I may be one of the luckiest girls to have a husband who will hold off on eating a real Belgian waffle for over a month just so we can share the experience together. And I'm not joking. Because these waffles are nothing like what we have for breakfast in the U.S. They are a more of a dessert and, they are delicious. This is one we got while shopping, they're just sold from vendors on the street. I have a feeling I'll be frequenting each one until I find my favorite.

Someone once told me that if runners were super heroes one of our talents might be something like      pathfinder extraordinaire...case in point, second photo on the right.

The harbor outside of our apartment. And our view of it from the balcony (see it? just left of the chair?)


I may have had reservations about moving, and I know that eventually they might come back up and nip at me now and again, but for right now, I'm contented to be living in a tiny historic town with Chris in the middle of Europe. More on the rest of our summer soon, I promise not to leave everyone (is it just you, Mom?) hanging for so long again... until next time, goodbye, goedenavond, au revoir, salukes, or auf wiedersehen!

Just because...

Because when you've had a series of not great news

the only thing that sometimes helps is putting on some

seriously happy music. Stray away from the sad jazz.

And turn on some freaking Little Secrets by Passion Pit:

Cheep,cheep, cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more

Last week I helped find a new lessee for our apartment. Feeling pretty reluctant to let go of this four-room piece of heaven in Rochester, I strapped on my happy face and gave the tour....to over 9 different sets of people. This place is prime, people.

Anyway, one woman in particular was checking it out for her son to rent. When she heard the reason for our leaving she plowed her way through 20 minutes of opportunities I should take, places I need, NEED to go to and foods that were one-of-a-kind and must-eats while we're there.

I immediately forgot most of her speech as I was thinking in the back of my mind about how soon I needed to leave to catch Chris Hemsworth in Snow White and simultaneously watching the sister and girlfriend give each other "the look" as the mother carried on and on.

BUT

I did remember that she said to utilize our American citizenship while we're there. Go to a USO and see what travel deals they can help us with. She said they went away to Italy for a week, all expenses included for $125/person. Sign me up. I thought being an American could only hurt us while being in Europe, so this was great news!

And also, the tulips. I am already excited about Holland's tulips. But her recollection of fields after fields of them in springtime really boosts my spirits.

AND German Christmas Markets! She said that each town in Germany has one almost every weekend leading up to the big day! I know we'll be home for Christmas (YAY) but the anticipation is always my favorite part of the season anyway so bring on the festivals! (That was a lot of exclamation points...can you tell I love Christmastime. And also that word, Christmastime, it's so beautiful)

Okay, that was a longer post than usual. But if I didn't write those down somewhere, I'd forget all about them. Europe, we're getting ready for you!


(my own photo, 2, 3)

Presents

at 8:23am I got a call from Chris in Portland (5:23am his time)

C: Good morning
Me (K): Good morning, it's early!
C: Two things,
K: Yes, go ahead...
C: One, Happy 10 month anniversary.
K: Aw, you're so sweet! (and so on)
C: And two, I got you a present for it.
K: Okay, what is it?
C: The apartment... :)

...commence excitement from my end... -end scene-

So here it is; the big reveal, money is being wired, contracts signed, and we're in as soon as we arrive in in Leuven in August:

Lucky youuu

It's a two post day. Two posts within a morning actually (!)

Cheer up peeps, there's still a little love in this world. 

Hopefully these make you want to spread some today.