Gent!
So today is my 5th day in Gent and I absolutely love it so far! I got here on my birthday, which that alone was an amazing present. But then I arrived at Simon's apartment to the best present ever, a bicycle!! The main mode of transportation in Gent is bicycles and I was thinking I would have to buy one to get around, but he beat me to it. It is a great old bike that seems to be a pretty typical style of this city. It is going to make getting around town and exploring to things so much easier and fun. I just have to remember to lock it up, because bicycle left is very common. Over my first weekend here we went out with some of Simon's friends in his home town, Zottegem, to this local bar that sponsors his indoor soccer team. Then the next day we had lunch at his house with his family which was really nice to meet all of them. The language barrier is kind of hard, his dad and sister seem to speak pretty good english while his mom doesn't speak quiet as much but definitely some. I find myself just sort of nodding and smiling pretending I know what they are talking about. It is a strange thing because I feel very weird making all of them speak english just for me, I don't want them to do that all the time, but it is also very weird having no idea what they are talking about. I think once I am here a little bit more permanently I will definitely start taking some Dutch classes.
During the week Simon has to go to work for the majority of the day which is hard but also good because it is forcing me to explore on my own and get to know the city. Luckily most people here speak at least some English and I have heard a surprising amount of Spanish from tourists on the street. So who knows, maybe I will make some Spanish friends! Below are some photos from the past few days from walking around the city. The weather has been amazing so far, a very nice change from cold and snowy Colorado. The city is so beautiful, it is hard not to have fun just wandering the streets.
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