YEX Belgium: Big Hearts in a Tiny Country

Posted 
on Sep 22, 2014
 
Recently, Emily Peer-Groves, a senior at Simsbury (CT) High School, had the chance to live in Bree, a Flemish town in Belgium, for almost a month through Rotary’s Short Term Youth Exchange program.  Emily wrote to tell us about what she describes it as one of her life’s formative experiences...
 
Dear District 7890 Rotarians,
 
I only spent a few brief weeks with my considerate and welcoming host family in Bree, but in that time I experienced an incredible number of things.
On my first day, I passed through five countries! I departed from JFK Airport in New York, had a layover in London, arrived in Dusseldorf, and then quickly drove through a sliver of the Netherlands before finally arriving in Belgium.
 
Of course, Belgium itself is a very small country.  One can cross it in about two hours.  This allowed my exchange sister Lotte and I to visit a dizzying number of cities during my stay.  And through navigating Belgian cities like Brussels and Bruges, I learned I had a sense of direction and didn’t always need my GPS!
Belgian food was amazing.  I got to eat mussels while gazing out over the North Sea.  And yes, I indulged in chocolate almost every night!  But my favorite treat ended up being the little packaged Suikerwafels – thick, individually wrapped waffles of bliss.  You could heat them up and melt the pockets of crunchy sugar (my dentist was thrilled, I’m sure).
 
But my favorite part of the trip was encountering so many wonderful people, many of whom showed me a genuine kindness that is unparalleled here.  I fully intend to go back and meet them again one day!  I found it interesting that all of Lotte’s friends I met were so similar to my own friends back home – even though they dressed differently and spoke an unfamiliar language.  We may have over 3,000 miles between us, but teenagers are teenagers.  We follow football games, worry about our hair, and wrestle over the proper song to play.  Lotte’s friends were all very welcoming and sweet with me – and Lotte herself is one of the most enthusiastic and bubbly people I know.  We shared so many commonalities: the same back pack, the same wallet, the same fashion sense, a preference for brownie corners, career aspirations, taste in music… even favorite breakfast cereal! 
 
I’m not sure what wizardry the Rotary uses to match host families, but keep it up, please, because it made for a truly unforgettable experience.  In Belgium I learned about myself and a beautiful culture, and made a friend for life.
 
Thanks again to everyone who supports the Student Exchange Program for fostering a truly formative experience.
 
Emily Peer-Groves