Experiences Are Multiplicative: How Brussels Became Part of My Story

Last Fall, I took on the escapade of a lifetime: studying abroad at Sciences Po in Paris. Paris was everything I had dreamed it to be in my first-grade French class. I found a home in it and it was exactly the city I needed. But what I didn’t expect was that my time abroad would also lead me to an unexpected destination that left an equally unremitting impression—Brussels.

It all began with an invitation from my friend Janice. She was a fellow exchange student and had been one of my closest companions during my time in Paris. When she mentioned that she was heading to Brussels to attend her cousin’s wedding, I was intrigued. “You should come with me,” she said with a smile. “I know you’ve never attended a traditional Congolese wedding.”

I had never attended a Congolese wedding before, and to be honest, Belgium wasn’t even on my radar. I knew the basics—chocolate, waffles, and EU headquarters—but not much beyond that. However, the idea of experiencing something new thrilled me. It was an immediate ‘why not?’. 

Arriving in Brussels was like stepping into an alternate reality to Paris. While Paris has a grandeur about it, Brussels has a charm that feels more personal and unpretentious. The city is a mix of Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture, with bizarre street art and a habituated atmosphere that reflects its multicultural makeup. As we made our way through the cobblestone streets, I noticed the subtle differences that made Brussels special. It is a city you can visibly see has been enriched with heritage from elsewhere.

As the weekend came to a halt, I decided to return to Paris while Janice stayed in Brussels to spend more time with her family. On my Flix Bus ride back, I struck up a conversation with the 50-something-year-old man sitting in the leather seat next to mine. He was a diplomat who worked in Brussels and his daughter was around my age. The three-hour bus ride passed with quickness as we batted around the conversations on geopolitics, current events, and the EU. I shared with him my plans for my career; he told me his daughter studied at the Brussels School of Governance and that I should look into it. 

Months later, I had concluded my semester in Paris and was back in Philadelphia, trying to get back into the groove after my life-changing time abroad. Yet, the conversation on the bus kept crossing my mind. One day, I discovered that Drexel offered a study abroad program at the very same Brussels School of Governance. It felt like a sign—a chance to return to the city that had unexpectedly seized my heart. Without hesitation, I decided to pursue the opportunity.

Looking back now, as I sit in the BSoG campus café writing this, I realize that sometimes the most meaningful decisions in life are sparked by fortuitous encounters. A bus ride back to Paris, a conversation with a stranger, and an open mind led me to a new experience—one that I am eager to explore. The seed that was planted on that journey from Brussels had taken root, and I knew that my story with the city was far from over.