For Better or Antwerp - Oct 2023

Finally, a gymnastics competition, in person. That was my goal in 2023, and we did it in a big way by going to the World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.

We arrived late on Friday, after a quick flight and a train ride from Brussels, we made our way through the charming streets of Antwerp to our cute little hotel - we somehow managed to get a junior suite with a vaulted ceiling and wooden beams that date back to the 16th century.

After a nice breakfast the following morning, we made our way to the Het Steen - a castle from the 13th century that has a statue with a lot of character out in front of it. We strolled the lovely lanes, stopping into a chocolate shop to stock up on the local specialty, before running into Spain Day at the central square. We enjoyed a glass of red and an impressive flamenco show before stopping for a quick poke bowl before day one of event finals.

The arena was beautiful, with the slogan "get moved by motion" beamed onto the floor between events. It was so much fun to see everyone wave their flags when their gymnasts did well, and it was crazy to see everyone's phones honed in on Simone as she did her Yurchenko double pike. Even though she over-rotated it, it was so impressive to watch!

After the show, we enjoyed a walk back to old town, where we enjoyed a dinner of empanadas before meeting up for an evening tour highlighting "the dark side" of Antwerp. After hearing plenty of fun stories, lots of cool sites, and appreciating a rooftop view of the city, we stopped by a bar for a quick drink before calling it a night.

For our last leisurely morning, we walked over to the striking Central Station. Not only is the architecture gorgeous, they also have multilevel platforms. Just outside the station is the diamond district - though most places are closed on Sundays, we still did a little window shopping. We took a stroll around a local park, grabbed lunch at a cafe, then made our way to the arena for day two.

Day two featured more thrills and excitement. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to see such amazing skills in person - it's something I'll never forget. After the competition, we had a tasty dinner at a cute wine bar before taking a final stroll to say good bye to Antwerp.