Offline in Brussels

Although we love our new place (moved in on Friday), we sadly will not have internet until Aug 19. So, posts until then will be a little less frequent. I am currently writing from a book store/cafe called Cook and Book. As you might imagine, not having internet at home can make it a bit difficult to work from home.... So I will do the best I can from cafes, etc. In Chicago, this would not be a problem - I would just go to the library! But people here seem stumped when I ask about internet cafes/internet access at libraries. Fortunately, our GPS can tell us where nearby libraries are so I will go find one tomorrow and see whether I can use the internet there.

Other news - I got my residency permit which means I can now apply for my work permit. It will be a mixed blessing to get my work permit. I'm excited to work at the Brussels office because everyone I've met has been very nice and I really want to get some experience working on European projects. But - working means commuting. It seems I must drive to work, which will take about 30 min each way. I will miss my 15 min walk to the Chicago office but will enjoy passing all the orange-shingled homes on the way to work and determining which Brussels radio station is my favorite. (Will it be French or Dutch-speaking....?)

This weekend we assembled IKEA furniture whenever Eliot was sleeping. It is a combination of new stuff and stuff we've bought from other expats through a website (xpats.com). We are still waiting on our bed (currently using an air mattress), washer, and a few other things. We'll have it all by the end of August. We also went to the Foret de Soignes, a big forest on the South Side of Brussels. Found some great playgrounds and hope to return to do more hiking. Eliot is improving at actually following trails and can be quite a good walker.

On Saturday we will leave on a week-long trip to Germany. We will visit my family and some spots along the way.