Notes from Bruges

Running up a stalled escalator with all my stuff to catch a train.

Successfully figuring out a missed train connection because of a delay.

Tucking into a corner at the hostel bar with a beer and my laptop to work and people watch.

Asking a bartender to make you whatever their favorite drink is to recommend and make.

Crow-stepped gables.

Building a box of Belgian chocolate for 6 euros.

Wandering aimlessly down quiet side streets with your Maps turned off.

Wishing you could take a suitcase full of antique store finds home.

Walking through a quiet, gated community in the middle of a city center.

A fancy tapas menu.

Savory breakfast waffles, flemish red ale, espressos martinis, pork belly, Korean-style ribs, cauliflower smothered in something to make it taste good, tequila chocolate truffles, caesar salad wraps, and some of the al pastor tacos you’ve had in your life.

Getting two dessert waffles in one day.

Bicycles with wicket baskets that people can leave out without locking up.

Food experiences you’ll daydream of for years to come.

Feeling safe enough to walk alone at night down empty, cozy, lamp-lit streets.

Year-round Christmas stores.

Places that slow your heart rate down.

Witnessing a Tinder date at the bar.

Shops full of quirky greeting cards, local art, books, records, old photos, and forgotten antiques and treasures.

Moss-covered brick bridges.

Hostel bed ladders that were death traps for bruised shins.

Talking with the hostel worker while she painted a new mural.