Motives for the Trip.

A few years ago I learned about a 15km race that happens annually in Liege, Belgium. Liege has held a mythical space in my heart since I spent a gap year attending high school in Liege. It was a magical time. I was away from home, yet under the thumb of the Rotary Club. It is the year I made some of my longest friendships. I met people all over the world -- and have seen some of them since.

I was free. As a recent high school graduate, and not yet a college student, my grades absolutely did not matter. As an American, I could not hold down a job. the Rotary Club paid me about $50 a month to be a good ambassador--at that time, $50 a month covered my minimal expenses. I had a place to live. I was fed three meals a day. There were very few restrictions put on me. It was a time like none other in my life.

As it was the late 1980s, my only means of communicating back home were through letters. I have kept all of the letters I received at that time. I suppose I should have a bonfire before they are discovered by Ashley.

With these feelings of warmth, I decided to extend my trip beyond the race. I booked an apartment in the center of Liege for two weeks. I made plans to see my second host parents, and our exchange son, and tried to make plans with the other families. My actual plans for my time in Liege were scant.

I did make plans to go to Amsterdam for a day, but they were ruined by a train strike. I booked a free walking tour of Liege.

My ulterior motive was to see if Liege was a city where Don and I should consider buying a second home. I even looked at apartment listings in windows. 

What would daily life be like? How hard would it be to navigate as we age? How far away is the grocery store? Are there doctors in the area? How hard is it to communicate?

I realized it would be better for us to rent places for 30-90 days at a time rather than buy something. This would give us a chance to live in a country without the commitment of ownership. Stairs will become an issue (we saw that in Australia). 

The trip gave me a chance to unwind. While some sightseeing happened, I purposely did not make this a go-go-go trip. I paused to take pictures. I played with black and white settings. I explored different places to eat, while also making breakfast. Cheap meals were often a sandwich or fresh soup from the local grocery store. In that sense, I felt life was a lot cheaper in Liege than it is in New Jersey these days.

As I left Liege, I realized I will likely never return. Don and I are already talking about returning to Belgium during the Christmas season, but we'll stay in Antwerp instead. Though Belgium is a small country, there is a lot to see.