Belgium: Life, Travel, and the NATO Experience

I have been thinking about writing a post about our time in Belgium for a while now. With everything we’ve been hearing in the news lately about NATO and the criticisms some people have about the alliance, I figured this would be a good time to describe my three years there and give my community a different perspective.

Belgium was our second accompanied overseas tour when I was in the Army, and when we received our orders, we were super excited. Shortly after that, we received our passports, packed our household goods, and flew from Kansas to beautiful Belgium in 2011.

We had moved about six times before our relocation to Belgium, so we expected the typical 10 days to settle into our new home and start our routine in the new place. However, when I reported on my first day and received my in-processing paperwork with instructions to complete everything in 30 days (with the option to request an extension), I thought, “My goodness, 30 days? What’s going on here?” Needless to say, I completed everything, including moving into a house, within those 30 days—but it was rough. In hindsight, I should have asked for an extension and taken 45 days, but it is what it is.

The first few months were challenging as we adjusted to living in a new country. This wasn’t a typical one-week vacation; this was full integration into a community in a foreign country, where French—not English—was the day-to-day language.

Belgium is divided into three regions: the Flemish Region (northern side—Dutch-speaking), the Walloon Region (southern side—French-speaking), and the Brussels-Capital Region (centrally located—where Dutch, French, English, and many other languages, including Spanish, are spoken).

We found a beautiful house in the municipality of Havré, in the city of Mons, part of the Walloon region. The house was close to where I was assigned—the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Allied Command Operations. For those who don’t know, there are two NATO headquarters in Belgium: the military one in Mons and the civilian/political one in Brussels. The other major NATO headquarters is in the United States, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Once in our new home, we started integrating into the community. My wife and son registered with the local commune, and we began the process of transferring utilities from our landlords to us. By the way, our landlords were the best, and we built a great friendship—we are still in touch with them today. Over the years, we had many landlords, but none quite like our friends from Belgium. We also got new cell phones, cable TV, and internet. All of this took a while, and as Americans, we initially went a little crazy wanting everything immediately. But we soon learned that there was no reason to rush and stress over things that weren’t really that important. This was a big lesson we learned in Belgium, and it has served us well ever since.

At the same time we were getting our house in order, I received my credentials to enter the NATO installation and began an incredible three-year journey working with NATO’s finest—a coalition of 28 nations (now 32 nations) in the NATO Special Operations Headquarters. We worked together, and our families formed a wonderful community during those three years.

I know firsthand how capable NATO is and the professionalism of its members. I spent three years working side by side with these outstanding men and women. Some people think that because they make an occasional call to NATO leaders or attend an annual meeting in Brussels, they understand NATO—but they really don’t. NATO’s strength isn’t just about money. The knowledge and diversity that the NATO partnership brings are extraordinary, and you cannot put a price on that, no matter what politicians say. At the end of the day, it is the men and women of NATO who will fight for our freedoms—not the politicians.

Once we finally settled—probably close to two months after arriving—we began our explorations.
Belgium is at the heart of Europe, so we wanted to see everything we could in the country and, of course, travel to other countries.

During our three years there, we visited many places in Belgium, including Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, and Liège, among others. But our neighborhood in Havré was the best. From our house on Rue de Boussoit, we were within walking distance of the train stop, which we used frequently to go to the airport and from there to many countries in Europe. (Below are some of my photos from Brussels, Bruges, and Château d’Havré, which was near our house.)

One of our favorite things to do was stop by Boulangerie Pâtisserie d’Or, where we picked up fresh baguettes and delicious pastries on our way home.

So delicious- Photo taken from the Boulangerie Pâtisserie d’Or website

We were also fans of Pizzeria Da Serafino. Their brick oven pizza was excellent, and the owner treated us like family. I still can’t believe that every time we ate there, they would make a small free pizza for my son. He was young and a picky eater, so the owner’s generosity toward him was exceptional. I have never encountered such kindness from any restaurant before or after our experience at Serafino.

Our go-to store was Carrefour, which is similar to Walmart. There was a large Carrefour in the city of Soignies (about 20 minutes from our house) where we shopped for big purchases, but there were also smaller stores in the communities, including one near our house where we picked up essentials. We also went to Chièvres US Air Base for most of our groceries. Life in Belgium was great and pretty relaxed once we settled in.

We started traveling around the country and taking short trips within driving distance to Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK. We had a great time and experienced so many wonderful things—each of which could be a post of its own. The country makes travel incredibly easy.

Our travel routine was simple: walk to the train stop, hop on the train, and go to Charleroi Airport. Our go-to airline was Ryanair. I just checked this morning, and a flight from Belgium to Hungary is only $105 (100 Euros). It was even cheaper back then, but it’s still a great deal. (Below are some maps showing our neighborhood, distance to the Charleroi airport, and some of the countries we visited)

We had a great time in Belgium, and at least once a year, we mention how much we’d love to go back to visit. We enjoyed so many things—the culture, architecture, food (Belgian waffles are the best!), and the relaxed environment. But most of all, we cherished the people. Our landlords, the owner of Serafino, and many others made us feel welcome.

We had similar warm and welcoming experiences in the other NATO countries we visited. It pains me that we are now treating human relationships like financial transactions. Regardless of whether NATO members need to spend 2%, 3%, or 5% of their GDP on defense to counter threats, the key to this wonderful alliance is its people—not money.

Belgium’s hosting of two of NATO’s most important headquarters is wonderful—just like the country itself. We are so glad we had the opportunity to experience both.

68 thoughts on “Belgium: Life, Travel, and the NATO Experience”

    1. Oh, yeah—super accessible. We used every available mode of transportation when we visited the UK: train, car (driving was an adventure, especially going through the Chunnel and switching sides), air, and ferry. Just an amazing experience.

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    1. Thank you for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I wanted to share some thoughts on a great organization that some of our leaders don’t fully understand but is currently receiving an unfair amount of hate.

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  4. Wonderful warm post … thanks for including us all in your reminiscing… Your concern about relationships being replaced with a dollar sign sounds very close to the heartbeat of my upcoming poetry book.. once available, would you be interested in reviewing an advanced reader copy? Your posts are always so thorough and thoughtful.. would love if your interested.. if not I understand that you have a lot of books to read!…:)

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    1. Cool! Carrefour is a great store. Oh my goodness, you are so right about misinformation, and it’s going to get worse now that some of the social media companies are removing some of the protections they had in place.

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      1. I absolutely agree, it’s only going to get worse which is why we have to be so careful about what we read online. With people believing AI created content is real and social media companies removing some of the protections, it’s tough out there.

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  6. No vacation to a destination can compare to living there for a period of time. I’m happy to hear your experience in Belgium and with NATO was exceptional. Thank you for sharing this with us, Edward. It’s important to hear.

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  7. Thank you so much for sharing this experience with us. I can’t imagine how much transition is involved in moving your household to a new country and getting it done in 30 days! And this lesson is so good, “But we soon learned that there was no reason to rush and stress over things that weren’t really that important. This was a big lesson we learned in Belgium, and it has served us well ever since.”

    And your observation that “the key to this wonderful alliance is its people—not money.” seems so essential. Praying that we don’t violate this alliance.

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    1. You’re welcome, Wynne. It’s amazing how much we can learn from other cultures. Most Belgians continue to practice the tradition of gathering the family together at dinnertime, and they have no problem closing their shops early to make it happen. There are a lot of great things people can do while waiting for the internet and cable to be installed in the house, like going out for a walk and checking out the new neighborhood.

      Yes, I’m praying for the alliance too. There are some so-called “leaders” who don’t know anything about leadership, and it’s frustrating. But I’m more upset with the bad followers than the actual bad leader. We don’t learn from our past, for sure.

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  8. What a wonderful experience, Edward! Thank you for sharing your Belgian visit and bringing some light on the ways of NATO. I never visited Belgium, so your post took me there in some way. Looks like a typical country of Central Europe; very ordered and welcoming. The rich pâtisserie is a highlight, like in most countries in Europe (Portugal included!). Lovely photos! I learned many interesting aspects about NATO, which in practical terms are quite unknown for most people, though I never doubt on its competence and value. Your background and expertise are quite impressive, my friend! I humbly bow to you! I greatly appreciated your post. Lots of light and blessings your way*

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  10. Wow, Edward! This was beautiful! The experiences you shared and the photos! I had no idea there was so much water there! It reminded me of Venice, Italy a bit!
    And Serafino’s sounds delightful! Their owner really understood customer service! Treat everyone the way you would like them to treat you. Ah!
    I had the opportunity to go to Belgium decades ago and never went (long story). I sometimes wonder how different my life would have been had I gone. But alas, I am where I am! And there’s so much good in my life that I can’t imagine changing it! Ha!
    Those pastries are making me hungry. Bravo!
    Glad to hear about the positive side of NATO and the people working there. And no, I didn’t know Belgium had two NATO offices in two different cities.

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  11. How wonderful that you have the NATO experience first hand, providing yourself and now us, with a unique perspective. Belgium looks and sounds lovely. I’ve never been. The beauty of course, once you are in Europe is the ability to travel to so many other countries. The location of your neighborhood was great for that. Thanks for taking us along Edward.

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  12. What an incredible and heartfelt reflection on your time in Belgium! Your story beautifully captures not just the challenges of adapting to a new country but also the deep connections and meaningful experiences that made your journey so special. It’s inspiring to see how you embraced the culture, built lasting relationships, and experienced NATO’s true strength—the people.

    Your words remind us that life is about more than just policies and numbers; it’s about the friendships we form, the lessons we learn, and the memories we create. Thank you for sharing this unique perspective—it’s a refreshing and much-needed reminder of the power of unity and collaboration.

    Also, the pictures you shared are absolutely fascinating! They bring your experiences to life and make me want to explore Belgium even more. Keep sharing your stories—they truly inspire and uplift!

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      1. Thanks, Edward. Experiencing other cultures is a true gift. So far I’ve only visited 7% of the 195 countries in the world, not as extensive as I’d like. I hope to have the opportunity to go to Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam one day.

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  16. Thank you for sharing your experiences and perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Belgium and would love a longer visit. You gave me a lot to consider and isn’t always the front line who truly make a difference.

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    1. You’re very welcome, my friend. I remember your posts about your visit to Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, and how much I enjoyed looking at your photos. Belgium is definitely a country to go back to again and again.

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    1. You’re welcome, Liz. I think they still do. They know that it’s just one person and some followers making noise. The alliance is still strong, and we’ll be okay. We just need to endure the next four years.

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  19. There are people who can visit a place and find endless good things to say about it, and there are others who do the opposite. I’m glad you’re one of the people who find so much goodness around you. This was a very interesting and educational post. I appreciate your perspective and wish more people like you would share their first-hand accounts of working in these important places around the world (and close to home). The general public has little idea how important these alliances are. Aside from seeing the acronyms, or hearing the divisive political opinions, they don’t really know how these systems work and why they are needed. I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know much either, but I do try to learn about organizations like NATO, WHO, the UN, Council on Foreign Relations, our own governmental structure, departments, and agencies, etc…. via their own sites to get information directly from them about who they are and what they do. I had not heard of SHAPE before googling it and finding the website. I’d actually like to hear more about your daily activities with NATO and how important that alliance is in the world. And I’d like to hear more about your family’s travels around Europe. I’ve only been there a few times but it’s so fun to hear other people’s experiences, what they saw, where they ate, where they stayed…

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    1. Thank you for your comments, Rose. I had the choice between an assignment at the Pentagon or NATO and chose NATO because I wanted to learn more about the alliance. I’m so glad I went to NATO. I’ll definitely write more posts about our travels throughout Europe, especially the cruises we took each December while we were there. The food in Belgium was delicious, and I especially enjoyed the rabbit dishes. Every time I saw it on the menu, I ordered it because it was so good. I don’t eat meat anymore, but I still remember how good it was. Oh, and the Crème brûlée was the best.

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  20. Thank you for this enlightening and very informative post, Edward. It’s so important for everyone to understand how NATO works and the strong sense of cooperation is. I’m delighted that you have such positive memories of your time in Europe. I think you would have similar memories of friendliness and community if you’d ever been posted to Base Gagetown near us as well. 😊

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    1. You’re welcome, Jane. You’re definitely right. I enjoyed working with Canadian soldiers over the years, and we had a great time during the three times we visited Canada before COVID. I actually requested an assignment to Canada once, but the Army had a different plan for me.

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  22. I will forever be impressed by your service, Edward, and although I’ve only flown over Belgium, I’d love to visit. I have a writer friend who’s working on a short story right now featuring the cultural conflict he saw while living there – the subtleties and differences between the Walloon and Flemish regions and another dear friend will be jetting to Belgium in two months to visit her daughter who’s going to graduate school there. Thank you for taking us along in your post. Lovely! 🥰

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    1. You’re very welcome, Vicki. Oh yes, the difference between Walloon and Flemish is definitely interesting. If I remember correctly, when I went there, there was no central government, so the Walloon and Flemish regions were governing on their own pretty much.

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    1. You’re very welcome, Michelle. They have an amazing transportation system, especially the high-speed train from Belgium to France and London—just awesome. I wish we had a better system in the U.S. I took the Amtrak train from Chicago to Syracuse, New York, once, and it took me almost 24 hours to get there. It was better and cheaper than driving, but it was painful.

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  24. What an enthralling visit. I was wrapped up in your words and pictures for quite some time and came to the conclusion that once again, I am ashamed to be an American. It took nearly sixty years for me to ever feel the pangs of shame surrounding my own beloved country, and here we are after four short years, (not nearly long enough to even be able to begin unravelling the damages done) right back under the same cloud of flatulence that evoked my first ever feelings of shame for our nation. I stand behind NATO and have to believe that we will recover from this, just very likely it will not be within my lifetime. I only hope our allies are still willing to accept us back and forgive us for ever allowing this to happen.

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