A warm welcome

Louvain; Ancient - Alive & Kicking

Seasoned expatriates know that moving back to your home country is often harder than a move overseas. In general you need half a year to settle in for expatriation and a year for repatriation. When we moved to Belgium in December, I tried to organise myself for a hard transition. Aware that not only I changed over the years, that family and friends have full agendas and that our “hometown” has developed into a city of the 21st century; cosmopolitan but still very rural compared to The Hague or Bucharest.

Already in January we received an invitation for a welcome evening at the city hall in February. My husband and I were both very curious and interested to take this opportunity but as we were travelling, we asked if we could join a next welcome and two e-mails later we were registered for March 23.
We were welcomed by two aldermen in the room where the city council holds its monthly meetings; a very impressive neogothic room equipped with modern PA and voting system. Everything breathes the slogan of the city “Eeuwenoud, Springlevend” best translated as “Ancient, Alive & kicking”.
Their message was one of warm welcome, of diversity and togetherness, an invitation to settle and feel at home in Louvain the way hundreds of new citizens and thousands of students do every year.
We got a short tour in the beautiful city hall with a Dutch or English speaking guide and a reception with the opportunity to meet and greet the aldermen and fellow new residents. The local brewed beer which was served, certainly added to the joyful ambiance of the evening and we met interesting people.
I was surprised that it was already 10pm when we headed home with a bag full with city info and free tickets to some touristic places.
As a former community officer at the International School of The Hague, I feel pleased with this well organised and warm welcome.  I was born in Leuven, lived here as a student and afterwards a couple of years before my marriage  but now I feel for the first time a resident, ready to get involved in this vibrant city.
Home is where your heart is…