a poem about a poem about you

• if you like beer, you will like belgium.
• if you like shopping, you will like antwerp.
• if you like venice but wish it were colder and that the official language spoken was flemish rather than italian, you will like bruges.
• if you want to visit a city that represents the european union but which is itself the capital of a country that is considering disbanding, you will like brussels.
• if you like traveling through countries in the span of three days while still managing to see three famous cities within it, you will like the belgian train system.
• if you have strong thighs and a desire to burn calories, the medieval tower in bruges' central square was made for you [366 narrow narrow tall tall steps to get to the top. and then all the way down as others try to get up the same tiny little staircase].
• if you have been in europe for five months and miss urban outfitters and your first name is jennifer, you will go to the three story urban in antwerp and purchase a heart necklace with a j on it [oh god, but i havent taken it off since]
• if you like watching fit and not fit people [30,000 of them] run 20 km through a city, you will like brussels on a certain sunday in may.
• if you like cobblestone streets and chocolate and thinking and hostels that are attached to bars [actually the only thing i didn't like about belgium was this hostel/bar. it was lamelamelame], go to bruges.
• if you like waffles with toppings [many different ones, your choice] or street waffles with sugar in them, belgium will make you drool on yourself.
• if you like buying espadrilles for 3.50 [and even though you will ruin them a week later in greece during a freakish rain storm], bruges will make you sing.
• if you like light, sweet, delicious beer that gets you quickly tipsy [heyy, 9% alcohol], try a belgian beer on a terrace in antwerp with a friend.
• if you like thinking about the dynamics of nationalism, the reasons for statehood--like, how can this state that has two national languages even consider surviving its inability to keep a stable government in check? and if it can't do that, how does the european union even think it stands a chance??--definitely talk to me because i am obviously interested. but talk to me about it when we're in belgium together, duh.
• if you have two friends in belgium, you should visit them there. if you don't have friends in belgium, you should go anyways.

i bet you'll like it.