Trials & Truffles: Expats in Brussels

by T.D. Arkenberg

“Refreshingly Pure and Endearing” (The BookLife Prize) Chicagoans Todd and Jim embarked upon a grand adventure, an open-ended transfer to Brussels. For Jim, the expat posting fulfilled a professional dream. For Todd, a former global airline executive grappling to reinvent himself as a writer, the move from his family home meant more uprooting. Along with exciting escapades, their new life brought a succession of unexpected trials. The transplanted couple struggled to establish new roots. Isolation pushed Todd into depression. Office politics blindsided Jim. Even Sadie, their golden retriever, encountered strange new creatures—exotic snails and a precocious cat. Love, patience, and humor sustained them. Survival seemed within reach. But changing circumstances threatened to uproot them yet again. Seasoned with blogs covering a broad array of topics posted during their residency, the memoir transports readers to Europe, showcasing the realities of expat life and the true meaning of home.

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2020

About the author

T.D. Arkenberg was born in Chicago and raised in the suburb of Arlington Heights. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University, majoring in English Literature & History. T.D. received a Master of Business Administration from The University of Chicago, concentrating in Finance & Accounting with additional studies at The London Business School.

After 23 years working for a global airline T.D. left the corporate executive world behind to pursue his dream of becoming an author. He has published three novels. His first, Final Descent is the story of a airline in chaos, and the three men who battle for the company’s soul. His second, Jell-O and Jackie O is a poignant coming-of-age tale set in the late 1960s. A little boy escapes family struggles with the aid of an active imagination and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The book was awarded a Bronze Medal by Independent Publishers for best regional fiction. The same book was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Faulkner-Wisdom literary competition. T.D.’s latest novel is None Shall Sleep. The book’s heroine declares that Opera is Life as she sets out to re-invent herself from management consultant to opera singer. The story, set in London and Italy, inspires and delights. An early draft of the novel was a short-list finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom literary competition. For his next project, a memoir entitled, Two Towers, T.D. covers the catastrophic consequences of the events of September 11, 2001 on his employer, United Airlines and the near simultaneous deaths of his parents.

T.D. is an alumnus of Chicago’s two oldest writers groups, Off Campus Writers Workshop, and the Barrington Writers Workshop as well as the Brussels Writers Circle in Belgium. He also served on the board of the Barrington Chapter of The Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Program co-chair.

T.D., his spouse, and their Golden Retriever moved to Brussels, Belgium in January 2014. T.D. captured their adventures in his blog. In January of 2016, the couple, their Golden Retriever and a new addition, a cat named Puhi returned to their home in Chicago.

Reviews

[Georgann Prochaska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you even wondered what life could be living in Europe for a year or two? Eating at sidewalk cafés? Meandering down cobblestone streets? Meeting new people? Soaking in the architecture and history? If you have, T.D. Arkenberg’s book, Trials and Truffles: Ex Pats in Brussels is the perfect read. It’s descriptive, glamorous, and an eye-opener.
Todd and Jim went to Brussels to live and work for two years. They lived in an ideal location with easy access to weekend jaunts to Paris, Copenhagen, Germany, and Italy. They enjoyed slow travel because they had time. None of this If it’s Tuesday, it must be Belgium kind of travel. They savored historical buildings and luscious meals. Friends and family came to visit, and they had time to share favorite spots and experiences. They were even able to transport Sadie, their golden retriever, to Belgium. Arkenberg writes rich descriptions and layers in the blog he wrote, which gives a present time feel to moments.
But living in Europe isn’t all amusement and delight. Arkenberg also gives us the nuts-and-bolts of daily living: finding a veterinarian for Sadie, learning to negotiate a parking place, finding a dentist, worrying about medical expenses, finding new friends tolerant of celebrating holidays American style, getting through language misunderstandings.
They worried about back home in America. Working through European bureaucracy can be a headache. Terrorist attacks in Paris affected Brussels then threatened the city they loved. Todd and Jim were not on a vacation. With all the majesty around them, Jim still had the challenges of work.
This travel adventure, however, is also a love story for a city, for people, and for a time. Todd and Jim helped each other cope. Even Sadie, an aging dog learned to accommodate a younger, drop-by cat.
This is the best kind of travel book . . . through deep history and full lives.

[Nathalie G. Roussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite!

I'm an expat. I know what it implies. This couple has done it twice in two years. Not only did they survived, they are both thriving. This is a candid read about the ups n down and how two very smart people pulled through the challenge. No rose colored glasses here, the real deal that every expat has to go through. A great discovery of Belgium and more.

[Georgia Kingsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all of this author’s books and each one gets better and better. I loved this one. The back cover says it’s a memoir, a travelogue, a love story. It’s all of that and more with some history lessons, social studies and a bit of French 101. I’ve been to Brussels, Ghent and Bruge and reveled in the memories shared with family and friends but reading all the places we missed, makes me want to return.
I highly recommend this book to individuals and book clubs to explore the ups and downs of 2 years living overseas.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that came recommended by a friend. Even if you've never been an expat, you could probably relate to moving to a new place and being an outsider til you find you're little niche community. I appreciated all the honesty shared by Todd with all his emotions, good and bad. As a total Francophile with never ending wanderlust, I loved reading about their weekend jaunts to other European cities. An enjoyable read.

[Diane Bellizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, once I started it, I was captivated... I could not put it down!
What a wonderful memoir, love story, travelogue, history lesson and adventure. Not many of us can have the adventure of living abroad as expats , but I felt like I was really there with them as I read this book. The story of the move from Arlington Hts, IL to Brussels, Belgium is told with such honestly I felt both the angst and the joy. There were moments of fear, hope, sadness and some laugh out loud moments (many involving the the sweet cat Puhi).
A great lesson in adapting to changes in our lives..