Whenever you plan a trip, there are lots of resources in print and online for all the various things you might want to see and do. As I prepared to travel to Belgium, I did a lot of reading about which attractions were worth visiting, where I could eat the best frites, and how to make the most of my time there.
But then there’s the stuff the guides leave out. Here’s my list of 14 things no one tells you when you’re planning a trip to Belgium:
- You might hate it and wish you’d stayed at home.
- You might have to pay to use the public restrooms.
- The letters on the computer keyboards have a different layout.
- The panhandlers are incredibly persistent and creative.
- Dutch doesn’t sound the way it looks….except when it does.
- You’ll feel like a schlub because everyone will put your fashion sense to shame.
- You’ll drink more beer than water.
- Ketchup will take second place as your favorite condiment to eat with fries…
- …but just don’t call them “French” fries—someone will correct you.
- You might get run over by a bicycle.
Watch out…the bicycles are EVERYWHERE….. - You might develop an addiction to street waffles.
- You’ll get lost constantly.
- You’ll feel like you’re completely out of control…
- …but you’ll eventually love (almost) every minute of it.
I read the first one and got worried you had a horrible trip. But I see it wasn’t all bad. There’s always a learning curve, especially with a new country, and travelling alone. The keyboard layouts in Europe are very different, plus they have accents and other symbols. Trying to email my friends and family at home was hard (I swear it wasn’t just cause I’d been drinking).
Honestly, Alouise, those first few days I wasn’t at all sure how it was all going to go. But I began to find humor and adventure in all the little things (like almost getting run over by several bicyclists) to make me relax into the experience.
Oh yeah! I can totally relate to 2,3,6,8,12, and 13. I felt the same way in Paris.
Sometimes I wish I more to time to spend and just take everything in…slowly and perhaps I might have been able to absorb the experience instead of feeling like I was shoving it all in. But I did end up having a good time!
Oh! Forgot to tell you about “Madames Pipi” (sounds like peepee… the name of the ladies that “tax” the toilette use!)…. For me it took me about 6 months to start appreciating Belgium… It looks that the whole process was faster on you. Maybe because you were a tourist. The thing is… you’ll hate it, but then you’ll love it. And it will open your eyes to new kinds of places and ways to travel! 🙂
You know, I actually don’t mind the idea of the Madames Pipi. It’s kind of nice to have someone making sure the bathrooms are tidy……