It's Brussels - found it

It will be one month on Thursday since Charles and I set out on this new adventure. So far, adventure is what it has been. It isn't that there has been anything "bad" that has happened to us, it's just that there have been setbacks, inconveniences if you will. Luckily for me, I adapt pretty easily to my surroundings. Sometimes this isn't good because you cause yourself a disservice by not demanding the best. However, in this case I think it is a good thing. We currently have little to no furniture in a big empty house. I am sitting on an Ikea futon we purchased this past weekend writing this (see Fenway Francs blog for details about that day!). Things have not been exactly as we have expected. We are slow to meet friends, although I have gone to a Newcomers meeting for American Women and answered a few post on the expat board looking for friends.

I find that looking for friends can be as challenging as finding your significant other. You are trying to find someone who you bond with, have similar interest with, and can get along with. Some people are just too irritating to you, have different ideas of what is fun, or are just downright not your type. When I moved to San Diego, I had similar issues. You just have to put yourself out there and not be too picky at first. Beggers can't be chosers as they say. So Charles and I are answering any ads that say "be my friend" and are emailing as many of our contacts (we were given two) as we can. Hell, I may even post my own be our friend ad on the expat board and see who bites.

So, our first month has been filled with finding a permanent place to stay with the dogs (found one), figuring out how to get all the resident paperwork done, customs, and bank accounts. And for me, my days have been spent trying to figure out how to do the most mundane things like finding a coffee pot. Found one! ;) There are no Targets here. Not sure that is a bad thing, just different. That's been my phrase this month - its just different. It's Brussels.

Shopping Trolley

When did I turn into an old lady? Don't answer that.

Knowledge

Last night I was going to sleep when I remembered the learning model from my previous employer, Intuit. There are basically four steps to learning similar to many other things in life. Four steps to grief, four ways to determine your blue book value of a car (poor, fair, good, excellent), etc. etc. Anyway, the four steps to learning a new concept are basically the same as those values of a car. The idea is to be always in the fair to good category. Once you have mastered "good" it is time to move onto a new subject, unless you want to be an expert at something. It is never good to become so comfortable in your challenges and knowledge that you stop growing.

I say this for a reason. Here I am in Brussels, Belgium. Been here for a bout a week now. I know no one, can't understand the language, have gotten lost many times all over, and probably taken and transferred on more buses than necessary to get from one point to the next. I have also missed two appointments. I feel so lost right now that even thinking of what to cook for dinner seems a daunting task.

What is the best place to be in this world? experiencing things for the first time with a constant state of uncertainty and dread but having the "experience" or already having an experience and feeling pretty good about it?

What is better, having read the story or making one?

Right now, I am "poor" and very happy about it. I think??? :)