Blog #9

I have met so many amazing people during my gap year and I think I will remember some of them for the rest of my life. One in particular was a friend I made in school. Her name was Lilou and she arrived at my school a week after I arrived.

Lilou was always kind to me at any moment she had. When we first met we instantly became friends and soon started going out for lunch during school almost everyday. She was always patient with me in speaking french and understanding what she was saying but she also did not treat me completely differently as all the other Belgian students or friends we had. Oftentimes other students would treat me differently, in a nice way, as compared to the other students. It wasn’t a mean thing, but at a certain point it got old.

My friend Lilou was one of the most fun and carefree people that I met while on my gap year. Even after disappointing news or when our original plans were to get thrown out of the way, she would maintain such a positive attitude. There was almost nothing that could turn her negative. She was also very vocal about her opinions and was not afraid to voice her opinion on politics or controversial issues. I also admired her for how she was able to convey her messages and opinions in such a calm manner. She wasn’t afraid of people judging her for her opinions and she was able to state them in a way that others always understood her.

Lilou was able to teach me to let go of a lot of the anxieties that I had in regard to other peoples’ opinions on me. Her carefree attitude to how others perceived her really inspired me to be more like her. I saw how she was never held back by the opinions of others and lived her life to her fullest. If I ever doubted something we were doing, she would always reassure me that the opinions of others do not matter when we are just trying to enjoy our own life. She is a big part of the reason why I began to let go of caring so much about how others think of me.

Additionally, Lilou was always so determined and hardworking towards everything she did. She didn’t let setbacks remain setbacks. She always pushed through whatever problem stood in her way and she seemed to always have met her goals. Her positive outlook on life and how she was able to tackle any problem made me want to be just like her. If I hadn’t met her during my gap year, I think I would not have changed as much as I did.