Fulbright Belgium has organized some killer trips for its grantees, including an evening at Ambassador Denise Bauer's official residence in Brussels and a guided tour of Mons (next weekend). In addition to trips organized specifically for grantees, we've also been given the opportunity to tag along on field trips organized by CIEE, a college study abroad program. This weekend, we joined the CIEE Brussels students on a trip to Normandy!
After a long (and I mean looooong) bus ride from Brussels, we made our first stop at the Mont-Saint-Michel. It had been a long time -- we're talking fifteen years -- since my last visit and I was so excited to get out and explore!
In retrospect, the trip itself was more than a little surreal ... especially on the very first day. As a Fulbright ETA in Luxembourg, I am very conscious of my American identity. (In fact, four thousand miles away from the United States may be where I feel the most "American.") While in Luxembourg, I spend a lot of time both consciously addressing American stereotypes and unconsciously trying to avoid fulfilling them. And although I speak English daily in my residence and in school, I am growing accustomed to a place in which I am very much an outsider trying to fit in.
It's been over a month now since I was last surrounded by Americans ... and as you can imagine, to be thrown on an eight-hour bus trip with fifty of them was a little overwhelming! Still, I had a wonderful time getting to know the CIEE students and faculty and spending time with my fellow Fulbright grantees.
