Belgium: from Underground to High Above!

Well I have had an eventful week... School is getting better with time. I am making more friends and am becoming more than just the kid you go to when you have questions in English class, and more of a friend and a true classmate to all the 21 other people in my class!
Tuesday, I came in from a run and was stretching inside when all of the sudden Pauline comes rushing in screaming to come quick! So we run outside and there is a GIANT red hot air balloon soaring right over the farm- it was so close that I thought we could almost touch it! Apparently Benoit shares my love for hot air balloons and has gone in one before and would love to go again so we're going to try to go together!! How cool!!
Wednesday school ends at noon, and from 2-6 there was a Rotary activity. They try to have activities at least once a month on Wednesdays so we have something to do. We all met in Liege at the train station, I was supposed to take the train from where I live to Liege, but Benoit was running late so we missed the train! He felt horrible and drove another 25 minutes to get me to Liege! It was nice to see all the Rotary kids. We loaded onto a bus and went off to the Blegny Mine which I thought would be a lot less interesting than it was! It was actually really cool! First we got to wear hardhats and mining jackets (I love a new outfit:) and then we descended 60 meters into a coal mine; I took the tour guided in French, and the guide was very nice and very informative. Fact: They used to use horses to haul coal in the mine and they got the horse into the mine by putting them standing up in the elevator! The horses stayed in the mines until they died because they couldn't haul those things in and out every day! It was great- and afterwards we got waffles so that was amazing! That night I made dinner for the family and some visiting friends; spaghetti with an eggplant and zucchini tomato sauce... let's just say there wasn't a speck left! :)
Thursday at school my class went on an all-day field trip to a giant (6 story) library, Chiroux, in Liege. We are doing all year research projects on a topic of our choice and were getting lots of information. It was very cool. My topic is the evolution of language; how we learn it and they want me to talk about how the Rotary expands our language opportunities and connects us.
Friday was a big day! I went to school and then at 7pm I ran my first race in Belgium! It was called Le Jogging du Cidre, and was 8,4km all around my little village. The weather was great and a friend of the family rode his scooter through the course with a giant American flag cheering me on! There were 130 people in the race; I was 5/15 in my category. After the race I was interviewed for the newspaper!!! And then, there was a raffle and I won a 3 piece gourmet bowl set! I think it'll go well in the new kitchen:) I rushed home, showered, Nicole did my hair, and I met Pauline and friends at a dance party! I crashed at one in the morning, but it was a great day!
Saturday was SO sunny! We had swimming which was easier than the first day, I worked on the farm, and that night I was invited to go to a very fancy dinner with Nicole, Benoit, and their friends. They had a big gift card to this fancy restaurant, so we enjoyed a very long dinner together- we didn't get home until 12:30 but it was lovely!
There is so much to smile about here! The people are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone is so genuine and just so happy with life- you just can't help but love life!