Autumn

John and I were leaving class one evening. The weather had just turned and it had rained while we were in session.

"Smell that!" he said (John has a Scottish accent. So you have to read it in that voice).
I inhaled but couldn't pick out the particular odor he meant. I looked at him.
"That's autumn," he said with a nod and a grin.
I laughed, "That's autumn!" I agreed.

Anyone who follows me on Instagram, (@corriander by the way in case you want to check it out), knows that I've been a little infatuated with fall in Brussels. Everywhere I go, trees are shedding their leaves and there's something edgy and crisp in the air. It's getting darker earlier. Maybe part of it is not having a car. I'm out in the weather if I go somewhere and all the sights and sounds and smells are more of my experience of this city. It's getting under my skin in a really good way.

Time keeps FLYING by, however. I suddenly realized that it's not the beginning of October as I've been believing, but now I'm staring down the end of the month. Soon it will be November, then Christmas break, then next semester. And I want so much to hang on to this year!! I want it to last as long as possible. Perhaps the key is just to enjoy the mundanity of everyday life.  Except that it's not that mundane!!!

Examples -

• The toilet for my apartment is in the kitchen closet. It looks like it's where the pantry should go, but no, it's the toilet. So if you have people over or your roommate is having a meal.... The bathroom, with the shower and the washing machine is a large room on the next floor of our apartment, where my room is. Where there would be lots of privacy. Why Belgium, why? 
• Every day we must squeeze the sponge. The fridge collects water in the lower shelves so our predecessors in the apartment placed a sponge in the bottom to collect it. So every morning, one of us must squeeze the sponge so that the water doesn't spill out. 
• I have a student visa for a full year, multiple entry. But that doesn't allow me anything once I'm here. What I need is a Resident ID card. So I have to go to the local precinct (called commune) but only once I have signed my rental contract. So this morning at 7:30, I had to go to the commune to register to get an appointment. Which is a month away. At that appointment I'll bring all my relevant documents. Then they will send the police to my house to make sure I live there. Then the police will report back and I will have a final appointment (?? maybe still not clear on this part) to receive my ID card. And with that, I'm official. 
• The largest spider I've ever seen lives in my bathroom. Fortunately by bathroom I mean the very large room with the shower. Mura and I, due to the fact that the large spider was high up on the wall and that he was large, adopted a policy of non-engagement. Obviously frightened by our show of force, the aggressor retreated to his place of origin. Should he advance again or return with greater numbers, we will use deadly force. Whether Mura agrees or not.
• Most people I run into out in the world (not at my university) speak French. So I get to "practice" my French when shopping and, well mostly shopping. However, the campus that Kent uses and is right next to,  is the Dutch university in town. And they don't like it when you speak French to them. If you can't speak perfect Dutch, then you should speak English. So once I tried to order frites at the campus pub. "So you want FRIES?" the woman said with attitude. Yes of course, I answered. Then deliberately shot her a "Merci."
• Sometimes on the weekend we travel to medieval towns for less than the price of spaghetti and a drink at our local restaurant. Belgium. 
• Beer is 2 Euros at most bars. So is water. So is soda. A side of plantains at the market is 5 euros. 
• Some weeks it's taken more effort to NOT eat frites everyday. With mayonnaise. Or mayonnaise sauce. Those were good weeks.

I wouldn't trade a day of it here. I haven't talked a great deal about my friends. I think I'm going to have to do a post just about them. For now, just know that they are a big reason of why I wouldn't trade a day. They are smart, funny, challenging, and make life ... lively. 

So wherever you are in the world, enjoy your autumn, enjoy reading, enjoy your toilet probably being where it's supposed to be in your house and enjoy your friends. I'm going to now get crap from them about being an emotional mushy thing. So, everything's good.