The things I have learned
What have you learned….? In Santiago? In Melbourne? in Mexico? All over your trip…? It is one of these questions people will undoubtedly ask at one point when talking about my trip around the world. I can’t really tell (yet) for sure – some things I realised early on, some are evident, some only materialize […] Read More
Adulthood
I have a feeling like I’m growing up again, just faster. If the sabbatical and the trip around the world was like a huge time out to live as a kid, carefree, doing what I wanted, whenever and wherever I wanted, then coming back feels like a fast track to responsible adulthood. I always thought […] Read More
Three months later
I’m back for three months. At the risk of repeating myself, I’ll keep updating the blog on how I feel, returning… People still ask me about it daily, and I am still really busy sorting out my feelings and memories. I guess this trip has been a life changer. Funnily, even though the preparations were […] Read More
To rent or to buy?
Since I moved to Belgium in 2001, first as a student in a residence, then working here, I always rented. I shied away from buying, for several reasons: the thought of chaining me to a bank for decades, the thought of signing a contract, in legalistic, financial lawyer’s French I would not understand (I hardly understand […] Read More
Meet the world
I can retrace my journey on every map, or in my mind. But I can also retrace it with the people I have met along the way, the friends I have made. It is amazing to see how many people I have met, and how much they contributed to shape this journey. In the end, it […] Read More
The men in grey
I am back at work. I usually go very casual. Some proper pants, maybe a jeans, then a shirt and some moderately colorful pullover over it. Banana Republic style. It usually works. Occasionally though I have to go in full fledged uniform. ‘Costume/cravatte’, as we say in French. The sight has become so rare that […] Read More
Processing
Three weeks ago my plane took off from Buenos Aires, and I was on my way back to Europe, back to my old life, a new apartment, old friends, a (nearly) new job… I was functioning pretty much on autopilot, without thinking too much, without even being too melancholic. Last week was my first nearly […] Read More
Baby steps
It has been a couple of days that I am back home. I haven’t found anything like stability so far, but I didn’t expect to find it so soon. Of course the first few days were spent unpacking, then I went to London for the weekend, and had one final day in Brussels before going […] Read More
Changes
Continuing to be introspective on this cloudy day, I have thought a lot about what I have learned on this trip (blog post writing in progress), but also what has changed. As said yesterday, I can’t really tell. I’m still me. It might be friends who may or may not realize a change, once I am back […] Read More
Countdown to Brussels
There is not much going on, and I’m in a pensive mood. I hang out by the pool, swim at the gym (makes me think, quiet under water), avoid the daytime heat in Buenos Aires… And the end of the journey is so close, so I start to reflect a lot… I have no idea how […] Read More