Our first trip abroad took us to Brussels, Belgium, where we based ourselves for two weeks of exploring. From wandering the Grand Place and eating Belgian frites with mayo to day-tripping into Lille (France), Dordrecht (Netherlands), and Aachen (Germany), every day brought something new. The highlight was timing our trip with the Rock Werchter Festival, where we saw Pearl Jam, Jack White, and Wiz Khalifa live. Belgium became the perfect starting point for our future travels abroad.
We based ourselves in Brussels for two weeks, and it quickly became a crash course in navigating new places together. The trains were easy once we figured them out, and every corner seemed to offer something unfamiliar—in the best way.
We wandered art museums, checked out chocolate shops, and tried frites with every sauce they had. I’ll admit it I loved mayo mixed with ketchup. Dylan, on the other hand, kept it classic—pizza and frites became his go-to order. Very on brand for a 12-year-old.
🚆 Day Trips from Brussels
We used the train system to explore a few places outside the city:
Dordrecht, Netherlands – quiet, beautiful, and full of canals. I ordered something that I thought was pancakes… it was not. Lille, France – cobblestone streets and a super patient waiter who humored our very broken French. Aachen, Germany – Dylan loved the cathedral and the Knights armor. I just wanted an authentic German pilsner and schnitzel.
🎸 Rock Werchter: Our First Festival Abroad
The big event of the trip? Rock Werchter—a massive music festival that just happened to be happening while we were there.
We went mainly for Pearl Jam (okay, I went for Pearl Jam), but ended up seeing Wiz Khalifa, Jack White, and a whole crowd of fans from all over Europe singing along in the rain. That kind of vibe is hard to explain, but unforgettable.
Pearl Jam would end up becoming a travel theme for us. You’ll see.
✈️ The Start of a Tradition
That Belgium trip set the tone. One trip became a tradition—first one a year, then two: summer and Christmas break. Now that Dylan’s older and can’t always travel with me, I still travel—just solo more often than not.
This blog will be our story: trip by trip, place by place. You’ll get wildlife, local food, music, history, and the kind of unexpected moments that only happen when you’re far from home.
Next stop: Milan. And yep—there’s a story behind that one too.
Thanks for reading. Glad you’re here.
Wherever We May Roam 