In this study abroad episode, I took you with me on my first ever solo trip to another country—Brussels, Belgium. It was a 5:30 a.m. start (literally dark outside), a train out of London St Pancras, and a tiny bit of nervous energy because I did not sleep amazing the night before. Once I got there though, it was instantly worth it—Brussels is so beautiful, the architecture is insane, and it felt so freeing to explore without a strict schedule. I walked to the Grand Place first and ended up joining an English “free tour” (you tip at the end), which hit so many bucket list spots—royal areas, views from above, the courthouse, and yes… Manneken Pis (the little boy peeing statue). I’m also gluten-free, so I did a Google search ahead of time and found a gluten-free (also vegan) Belgian waffle spot, because I refuse to come to Brussels and not get a waffle. I also tried frites (massive portion) and grabbed chocolate from Neuhaus (the praline inventors), plus I stopped at St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. My biggest takeaway: Brussels is perfect as a day trip (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. was ideal), and solo travel is genuinely so fun if you’re even thinking about it.