She moved to Belgium to avoid a long-distance relationship

Claire Drinkwater moved to Brussels in May 2015 to avoid a long-distance relationship after meeting her partner while travelling in New Zealand. With a British passport and the UK still in the EU, relocation was straightforward, though she initially wondered if she had made the right choice — the streets felt clogged with traffic and there didn’t seem to be much to do.

The city revealed itself slowly: chocolate shops, friteries, waffle vans and over a thousand Belgian beers. She found rent almost half that of her London flat and discovered Belgium’s high concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants, where a top-tier tasting menu averages 135 euros ($144).

She took French classes, interviewed for jobs, and adjusted to a culture where extended vacations and al fresco after-work drinks are normal; open-air bars, free DJ parties and street markets became part of city life. Brussels’s international community — around 50,000 people work for EU institutions — means many languages are heard in streets and cafés.

Belgium, Brussels

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