Bonjour la Belgique

Bonjour la Belgique

It feels like I haven’t even had two minutes to settle in South Wales before packing my suitcase and heading off on the road again. Well technically heading off in the sky, but whatever.

So as you may know from my last blog post, we moved to South Wales. We were painting, decorating and making the house feel like home and then 3 weeks later I started my new job.

I know what you’re thinking, if you read one of my previous blogs, you may have noticed me mention my new role at boohooMAN. Well, as you know I no longer live in Manchester, so I began looking for something which suited our lifestyle a little more. I was quite fussy when looking for another role, so I took a few months out of work to job hunt and find something that works for me, not that I just ‘work for’.

Now let me tell you, the job market in South Wales isn’t great if you work in fashion. Although my degree is in broadcast journalism, I’ve spent the last 7 years working in fashion marketing and I’ve really enjoyed it. A few companies did head hunt me, asking if I’d be interested in marketing roles, however they all seemed to be tech industries and as good as the jobs sounded, I wanted to continue my career in fashion.

For me, I think work takes up so much of your time, so it’s important, if you’re able, to enjoy what you do. The other thing I have learnt is work isn’t everything and it’s something I’ve realised since leaving size? as my world kinda revolved around my job in the past.

Anyways my check list was - marketing role, remote but with travel, fashion industry, flexible and of course, a good salary. Easy right?

I’m really into manifestation and I believe that if you have a vision of the life you want to live and you genuinely believe you’re going to live it, ultimately you will.

I began the interview process with a clothing distributor back in August for a Brand Ambassador role for one of the brands they distribute. The role combined both marketing and a little bit of sales. However fortunately it’s not exactly sales, theres a designated sales team for the nitty gritty stuff. Essentially the role was learning about the brand, understanding their products and upcoming releases and showcasing them to customers. Home based with travel around the UK and to their head quarters in Belgium. Not having a fixed office role meant that if me and my boyfriend had to move again for his work, I could, as I could work from anywhere.

Then at the beginning of September I started my new role. I visited the distributers head quarters which is based in Chester for a week, before heading back home for my boyfriends football match, a quick cuddle with him and the dogs and then back on the road to the brand’s head quarters in Brussels.

Which leads me onto my title Bonjour la Belgique.

So I’ve never been to Brussels before and I was pretty excited for a little city break. I flew out on the Sunday so I could have bit of time exploring the city before starting work on Monday.

That weekend it was Belgium’s beer festival, meaning when I visited the famous Grand Place, it was filled with tents showcasing different kinds of beer. Now I don’t drink beer, other than the odd Corona with my boyfriend, I’m definitely more of a red wine kinda girl, but I decided to indulge in the culture and order a beer. This was the tricky part because 1. Everything on the menu was in French and 2. I don’t drink beer. I opted for something blonde, I assumed it would be pretty light and I also thought it was cute, since I’m blonde. All for the aesthetics, you know? Surprisingly it was so nice! Like sweet and fruity and actually got me a little tipsy after one glass. If beer was like that in the UK, I’d probably drink it more. Bottoms up.

I explored some more of the city, I am the queen of solo travel, I love time on my own and although I loveeee travelling with Court, I also love spending some alone time, hiring a lime bike, exploring the city and finding nice restaurants. My Mum and my friends always ask if it bothers me to eat alone in restaurants or visit tourist attractions on my own, but surprisingly, I love it and I don’t feel awkward at all. I love sitting with an espresso in a cute little cafe, people watching. It’s giving Emily in Paris, or should I say Nicole in Brussels?

Anyways the work week commenced and I had intense training every day on the brand, the products and their focus on sustainability. I’m not going to lie, I’d get back to my hotel room on an evening with a social battery of -10000.

In the evenings I’d find a cute restaurant near my hotel, eat some good food and enjoy a glass of red wine. Très bien.

Did I mention, everyone in Belgium either speaks French, Dutch or a native language which I can’t remember. Alongside that, most people at the office speak German and Italian (and of course English). So believe me when I say, I felt stupid and ignorant, only speaking English.

To be fair, someone at the office mentioned I speak English ‘very well’… I should hope so honey, it’s the only language I know.

Although I took French in school, I only know the absolute basics and while I’ve wanted to learn another language for a while, I’ve never actually done it. So I made the decision to actually start learning French since it will be beneficial for my trips to Belgium. Each evening I spent an hour on Duolingo and while my Italian colleagues told me that French is much harder when you consider the slang and how fast people speak, I’m still pretty determined. Wish me luck.

Anyways, I’m closing this blog off while I’m in the airport, ready to fly back to London Heathrow and finaaaallly see my boyfriend. As much as I’ve had a really fun week, I’ve missed him and our doggo so much! I’m ready to curl up in bed and catch up on Suits, as I know he’s watched it without me. Not cool Courtney, not cool.

Au revoir

Until next time x