University of Arkansas Office of Study Abroad: Dépaysement #HogsAbroad in England

Last week was the official halfway point for all my lectures! Unfortunately, it means that all my assignments are due soon. I’ve had to switch gears back to doing homework and lab reports, which means full days in the library and low daily step counts. For this reason, this week’s update will be a brief one.

Anyway, recently I’ve learned a French word, Dépaysement, which is the feeling you get when you aren’t in your home country. It can be anything from culture shock to slight disorientation, but it’s not directly translated to English. Dépaysement is the perfect word to describe how I felt last week during the midterm elections. Although I had already sent in my absentee ballot, it was an odd feeling to know that no one around me knew or cared. It was one of the first big elections I didn’t get to watch the news for, and I had to wait until the following morning to find out the results. It’s weird to feel like you have a hot topic of conversation that’s irrelevant to everyone else. However, I do have a friend here from Kansas City and we have lunch debriefs each week where we talk about the latest news and happenings back home.

Speaking of, when I woke up yesterday, I couldn’t believe everyone was saying it was snowing in Arkansas! I love the snow, and it always seems to avoid me. When I lived in Little Rock, it would snow in Fayetteville, and when I lived in Fayetteville, it would snow in Little Rock. I shouldn’t complain because that also means it’s colder back home – brrr!

In more exciting news, this weekend I trekked to my favorite place yet: Brussels! Initially, I didn’t really have a desire to go to Brussels, but it was my mother who said that Brussels is the place she’d want to go. Unfortunately, she’s recently had foot surgery and couldn’t make the trip. Don’t worry; I ate enough for both of us!

When I arrived, it was raining, but that didn’t stop me from heading straight for a real Belgian waffle (pictured below). I swear, it was the perfect amount fluffy and crispy! However, I wish I would’ve tried a plain waffle because the chocolate sauce was a bit much. That night, I had an Eat, Pray, Love experience over a pot of mussels stewed in onions and celery. I later learned that this is the best time of year to eat mussels because they have to swim against the cold water (or something like that).

On Sunday, I took a Belgian Chocolate walking tour, and I can now say that I am an official chocolate snob. We tasted so many flavors and types of chocolate that by the end of the tour I could hardly walk. I also saw the Atomium (pictured below) and the Mannequin Pis, and ate the best frites (fries).

I’ll have to go back one day to see other parts of Belgium and spend more time in Brussels because it was just that fabulous! Hopefully, I can convince my mom to come with me next time.

Wish me luck on all my assignments, and I hope you enjoy these pictures!