One year after our big move OUTCAN

It has already been a year since our family left Nova Scotia to settle in Brussels. My husband was offered a wonderful career opportunity, and we chose to seize it — to introduce our children to new cultures and broaden their horizons. After living in Greenwood for 11 years, this was our children’s first move and my first military relocation.

From the very beginning, we wanted our children to feel involved in the process and to have a sense of actively participating in this new adventure. Naturally, they joined us on our house-hunting trip. They shared their impressions of the chosen home and neighborhood, helped assign bedrooms, and organized their play areas. We also took the opportunity to introduce them to the charm of Belgian cities and local culinary specialties like carbonade flamande and waffles.

I had to leave my job as a healthcare professional in the provincial public service due to the lack of remote work options. Fortunately, I found a position with the Military Family Services (MFS) team in Brussels, where I now work as a Community Services Provider.

Our first few months were a mix of wonder and a wide range of emotions. We’ve had to tailor our cooking to the ingredients available locally, grow more comfortable driving in Europe, embrace the challenge of making new friends at school, adapt to studying in Belgian French and British English — along with periodic Dutch lessons. The children had to work hard to catch up academically and learn to read and write in their second language. Our eldest daughter especially struggled with the separation from her Canadian friends.

While navigating these everyday challenges, we continued to explore Europe as a family. At first, we looked for activities that reminded us of home — apple picking, forest walks, discovering new playgrounds. We also took every opportunity to travel and discover new countries. The children help plan our trips and prepare by reading educational books about the places we’ll visit. It’s now easier for them to understand the historical and geographical context of the movies we watch from time to time, and that brings them a great sense of satisfaction.

It goes without saying that the exceptional support we received upon our arrival—and continue to receive as members of Brussels’ vibrant Canadian community—has greatly eased our ongoing adaptation to this unfamiliar environment. We feel privileged to be part of this community, and there are few days when we don’t feel deeply grateful for this beautiful adventure.