The city I belong to

I want to share my personal experience in the small town of Leuven, located in Flanders, Belgium, about 30 km east of Brussels. My mother and I were planning a trip to Brussels in early March because I fell in love with the city, the buildings, the people, and the whole atmosphere, when I went there with my Political Science course (as a Bachelor's student) in February 2011. I had spoken so kindly of the city for so long that my mother wanted to take me back, so that she could experience the beauty of Brussels herself.

After the trip had been planned, I started to read about the opportunities for me to take a semester abroad. I had started with the Master's programme in Political Science, and I wanted to check out the different exchange programmes offered in my course. That was when I discovered Leuven. The Department of Political Science at the University of Oslo, Norway (I'm from Norway) offered an exchange programme for Political Science students at Master's level at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), through Erasmus. As I love Brussels as much as I do, I wanted to take the opportunity and apply. If I was accepted as a student at the University of Leuven, I would be very close to Brussels. But more importantly, I would get a chance to get to know another city in Belgium. I would also be able to explore many different places, which made me really happy. I have developed a special interest in Belgium, only by being in Brussels, for reasons I am yet to find out. Being a Political Science student, I believe most of the reasons are political, with Belgium having a very different political system from my own country, but also housing the NATO and the institutions of the European Union. I am mostly interested in European issues in Political Science.

Only a few days before my short vacation in Brussels, I received a message that I had been accepted as an Erasmus exchange student at the University of Leuven. I was thrilled! Now I could visit Leuven too, while I was on vacation in Brussels. It was just so convenient!

My mother and I took the train from Brussels to Leuven on September 28th. I was so excited. I looked out the window to see if we had arrived already, knowing that the city we were now travelling to was going to be my home for six months (spring of 2013). It was a weird, but also a very nice thought. I am not a type of person that will easily step out of my comfort zone. I am very predictable and love having absolute control over everything. So my accepting the offer from KU Leuven was a huge step! I am going to study abroad next year, away from everything I know, although not in a country too far away. It will be a real challenge. A challenge I find very healthy for me!

We arrived in Leuven. "Wow. This is the city. I am going to live in as one of them", I thought as I looked at the people in the streets. My mother and I walked from the train station down a very long street, trafficked, with many shops along it. Probably one of the main streets. At the end of the street was Grote Markt (Dutch for the "Grand Square"), with Leuven's famous Town Hall in gothic style, St. Peter's church, the bank, and a lot of cosy restaurants and cafes. I fell in love! It was pure perfection. The sun was shining, highlighting the beauty of the city.

We walked the streets of Leuven for hours, exploring every corner of it, and everything was absolutely gorgeous! Flowers everywhere, people who were laughing and having a good time, and many, many students! Again it hit me that in only five months, I will be wandering down the same streets as a student here.

We visited the oldest building belonging to the KU Leuven, the Arenberg Château, a beautiful building that looks like a castle. This is the original University building. The KU Leuven was founded in 1425 and is one of the oldest Catholic Universities still in use in the World. I was shocked at the beauty of the castle-like building. Located in Heverlee park just outside Leuven city centre, the Arenberg Château is really drawing your attention. It is just stunning!

The University Library speaks for itself; beautifully decorated, it looks like a mix of a town hall and a church, and it takes your breath away.

The city of Leuven went beyond my expectations, and I know now that the cities of Belgium have very much to offer. I will try very hard to visit as many places in Belgium as possible. I cannot wait to be one of the Belgian people - learning the local language (which is Dutch in Leuven), live as the Belgian people do, eat the fantastic food and chocolates, and, of course, drink Belgian beer with my fellow students. Leuven is a true student city, with just under a half of the citizens being students. Approximately 5. 000 of them are international students, just like myself. I look forward to getting to know people from different cultures, hear about their worldviews and experiences, and build myself a whole new network of multicultural friends! To finally step out of my comfort zone, and challenge myself the way I never thought I would.

I feel like Leuven, and Belgium, in general, is the perfect place for me to challenge myself, to find out who I am and who I am going to be. From the moment I arrived, I got the feeling that I truly belong there. I will try my very best to make as much out of my stay there as possible and get to know as much of Belgium, the people, cities, the politics and the culture, as possible. I will also try very hard to offer a lot of myself to my future friends and fellow students.

I am very glad I applied for the Erasmus exchange programme in Leuven. I am even happier that I was accepted, and that I already got the chance to visit the city and fall completely in love.

All the best,

Veronica

Oslo, Norway