I was able to study abroad in Japan this past July and it was a life-changing experience that taught me lessons on cultural identity and differences, history from a non-western point of view, and human behavior in times of adversity. During these immersive lessons, I learned to slow down and be hyper-aware and appreciative of my surroundings. Through this, I gained a newfound sense of confidence and independence, and I was shaped into a respectful and attentive traveler. Studying abroad in Europe, I hope to replicate some of the positive experiences I previously had while learning a new subject and lessons to further develop my knowledge of foreign cultures and political systems.

Language 

I’ve been delightfully surprised that although I am not fluent, my French classes at the College of Charleston prepared me with basic conversation skills that I have been able to use in the shops. I already knew that I wanted to study French more, in addition to other languages, out of college, but these interactions both increased my confidence in my current abilities to communicate, and obvious room for improvement is motivational for me to continue my lessons after I graduate. Additionally, the locals have been very friendly and gracious even when there is a language barrier. As Christophe mentioned in our introduction/orientation to Belgium, English speakers often don’t learn other languages because there is an expectation and reality that many people whose first language is not English will learn it. Although it is convenient for Americans and other English speaking countries that it is the most common official language, it is unfortunate many Americans never learn to speak a second language due to the increased reliance on foreigners that have learned English. 

Sightseeing, Culture, and Architecture

I spent my free time on the first day walking around, going into thrift shops, admiring the architecture, and taking many photos of the shops and side streets. I spent some time looking at the 15th century Gothic style town hall and watching singers perform in the Grand-place before The Musèe de la Ville de Bruxelles where I saw the original Manneken Pis statue. I then went to see the fountain statue’s original location where many tourists surrounded to have their photo taken with the replica. 

Food 

My first meal in Belgium was a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. Unfortunately I was disappointed because the waffle was a lot drier and crunchy than I was expecting. I did not go to the right restaurant to try my first Belgian waffle, though, since it was definitely a busy tourist spot that focused more on quick service and presentation rather than taste, in my opinion.  However, the frites that I tried were incredible, and I would go back to the restaurant just for those! 

I enjoyed my second dining experience and both the quiet ambiance early on and the livelier environment close to the end of the meal at Boullion Bruxelles. I liked the cheese croquettes of the first course and thought that they had the perfect texture and temperature and paired nicely with the lemon and charred green garnish. Although I am very grateful that the restaurant prepared three courses of traditional Belgian cuisine for a group as large as ours, I did not try the meatballs because I do not eat meat, but I thought that the Seasonal Vegetable Waterzooi, a traditional Belgian soup, was over-boiled and lacked seasoning.

Although collaboration and integration create the strong foundations of the European Union, Euroscepticism is prevalent in the Eurojust agency as well. Denmark, for example, does not have a national member in the Eurojust but rather a representative due to beliefs of a loss of sovereignty expressed in a 2015 referendum. This has resulted in Denmark's responsibility to pay extra to Eurojust funds, and their defiance has sparked fears that Denmark could be at risk of higher levels of criminal activity due to their lack of cooperation. Additionally, despite leaving the EU, the UK still cooperates by having a liaison prosecutor. It was interesting to learn how EU member states deal with crime scenes compared to the US and the significant differences among member states. Ireland, for instance, has a unique system where the police deal with all elements of a crime up until the prosecution. The issues that may arise from these differences among the multiple countries involved in a crime are dealt with under the guidance of Eurojust. In cases where intense collaboration is required, joint investigations may be arranged, and a police officer from one member state may conduct an investigation in another. Eurojust’s cooperation with thirteen countries that are outside of the EU, known as third countries, also builds trust in foreign relations. Due to this collaboration with non-EU members, some have suggested a change in name to “Interjust,” akin to Interpol, who look for fugitives on a global level.

Regardless of each country having proceedings and legal requirements unique to their criminal justice system regarding the role of juries, judges, and penalties, they are unified under the purview of the Eurojust. A unique component of the Eurojust that I find interesting is the casual interaction between the 39 national members who occupy offices in the high-rise building; they can knock on each other’s offices to consult with and advise about cross-border issues without needing to open official cases and the ability for rapid response as seen in some cases that allow for fast justice in which a sentence can be reached within a few hours. This relaxed system, in addition to the scheduled coordination meetings, exemplifies the importance of communication and even debate, as expressed at all of the visits to EU institutions. Key issues and disagreements are addressed in non-hostile forms of communication through the art of democratic debate, a skill pertinent to the success of the European Union.

In terms of the official visits, it was incredibly inspirational to visit the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the College of Europe, the House of European History, the Permanent Representation of Ireland, the Eurojust, the Parliamentarian, and finally the Permanent Representation of Estonia and see highly intelligent young people and especially young women employed in EU positions that are passionate about furthering the integration and ultimately maintaining the peace that the formation of the European Union originally set out to achieve by making war virtually impossible. It was a privilege to have access to these spaces and the opportunity to listen, learn, and receive incredibly thoughtful responses to our questions from the EU employees who graciously made time to meet with our group. I kept acknowledging that many members of the EU will never have the opportunity to see inside the institutions that we visited, nor have their questions answered by EU employees. In some ways being a foreigner granted us special access to the European Union and the ability to understand the systems better than many who live in the EU and are directly affected by the policies and structure of the institutions, a democratic deficit that the Permanent Representation of Ireland addressed in our visit and plans to resolve during their 2026 presidency of the Council of Ministers through funding to educate Irish citizens on the function of EU institutions, informing them on how they can have their voices heard and opinions represented, and encouraging young people to apply for EU jobs.