One Month in and it Still Feels Like Heaven

So after having been here for a month I would've thought that things would have calmed down some and I would have a little more free time, but these Belgians are all about staying busy! It's great though; I rather be busy than bored : )
I have joined the community band (there are no bands in school) which meets every Friday night from 8-11! I did not bring my French Horn so I'm borrowing one, and while it isn't as wonderful as my horn at home I am just happy to be playing music! Last Friday was really fun; there are people ages 12-85 and just like all the people in Belgium, they are so kind and welcoming! By the end of the night it was like I was part of the family already!
Saturday after swim team I... BABYSAT! Leave it to me to already have a babysitting job after being here just one month! I watched Sarah 10 and Elisa 7, who, because of their dad's job, go to an English speaking school so they are both fluent in French, English, and Nearlandaise as well! I was relieved knowing that they could translate for me if I needed it but we actually spoke French all night! It was fun, plus 35 euros is nice!
Sunday morning I went to Liege with a friend of the family, Manu, for La Forme du Coeur- a 7K race! It was a beautiful day and I guess a good day to run because there were 677 participants and I was first for 18 and under girls and the 5th woman overall! Not too shabby I thought! After that, I went straight home, changed, and my counselor, Jean Marie picked me up to go Golfing... Belgian golfing. You start by putting on a sweater and boots, then you put on a pair of boots, then you take your club- a big wooden stick with a wooden foot on the end- and ball- somewhat like a soccer ball, and you go out into a giant dairy farm and golf among the cows, poop, and barbed wire! It was SO fun! An indescribable experience really.
Tuesday Track team started and I am really glad to have some runner friends now so that I don't have to always run by myself! It is a co-ed team and while the workout was hard it was definitely fun!
Wednesday I decided to meet up with my friend Mollie who is from Kansas in Liege to go shopping! It was a beautiful day and we both bought winter coats in preparation for a Belgian winter! I felt very grown up because to get home from Liege I took the train and two buses all by myself and I made it just fine! How European : )
I have changed my schedule to allow for some fun classes- more gym and cooking classes and less science and religion! Cooking class is great! I am really learning the metric system and how to make a stellar quiche Lorraine- maybe I'll be a cooking teacher instead of a French teacher! Who knows : )
All I can say is that I have learned so much already after this first month! At night it's hard to quiet my mind because I am thinking so much, not just about language, but about life too. This experience is making me so much more aware of who I am and who I want to be. I feel blessed to be able to take a year to just soak in the wonderful life I have been given. I think finding peace and calm and time to just enjoy life can be really difficult, but here I have time to truly appreciate every minute.