This week marked the start of autumn and our first in Belgium! The temperatures dropped to the 50s during the day and 40s at night, so we closed the windows and turned on the radiators. Unlike the open floor plans in the U.S. with central heating, here each room has a radiator and a door, allowing us to close off unused rooms or those that don’t need to be heated. So far, so good—we enjoy keeping the bedrooms cool, so they don’t need heat yet. Over the weekend, temperatures climbed back into the 60s, so the heat is off again, the windows are open, and clothes are hanging outside in the sunshine.
I started Monday by accepting a DoDEA Substitute Teaching position at SHAPE International High School, where Liam attends. I’ve promised to hug him every time I see him at school, which he’s absolutely thrilled about—ha! As an American citizen, I can’t work in Belgium, but since this job is with the U.S. Government, I’ll be paid in USD and won’t have to deal with Belgian taxes, which is fantastic.
Finding a new hairdresser is always challenging after a move. I found a lovely Dutch woman who does hair at her home. It costs about $82 USD to get my hair done here, compared to around $180 plus tip in the U.S., so saving money has been a pleasant surprise!
This week, I got the details for the next BSRT (Building Strong & Ready Teams) event, which will be in Dublin the second weekend of November. I’ve got our tickets, and the military is covering our hotel and meals, which is amazing! It’ll be all three of our first times in Ireland, and we’re really excited.
On Saturday, Liam had volleyball games against Stuttgart (Germany) and Lakenheath (UK). Though he didn’t get as much playing time as we hoped—since he’s the youngest and newest—he still did an amazing job. He literally IS #1!
We ended the weekend by cooking some delicious meals, taking the dogs for a stroll in the forest, and enjoying ice cream for dinner at a lovely outdoor cafe.
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