Brussels bombings won't deter Edmonton student from travelling

A University of Alberta student says being in Brussels at the time of the bombings will not deter herfrom travelling.

"Does it cross my mind and do I think about it?" asked Kate Farlinger. "Yes, I do. It does make me nervous. But at the same time, am I going to stop travelling altogether? Definitely not."

Farlinger, who is studying for a semester in Lille, France, a short drive from Belgium, agreed to meet a childhood friend in Brussels on March 21, a day before the bombings that killed more than 30 people.

Farlinger said she was aware that one of the suspects in the Paris attacks was known to be in Belgium.

"At the time I thought, the police have it under control, the likelihood of something of this magnitude happening again is very small.These kind of attacks are fairly new, so I don't think I really thought this would happen again so quickly and so close to Paris."

That night, Farlinger and her friend had dinner and bedded down in a hostel.

The next morning her smartphone was frantic.

Her classmates in Lille were messaging her, asking her if she was OK, if she was safe,tellingher what happened.

'We were shocked'

"We were shocked," she said. "To be in a city while this was happening just made it all the more real. And immediate."

Their hostel was about 15 minutes from the site of metro bombing location, and the pair decided to heed the advice of authorities and stay in most of the day.

When they emerged to get a bite to eat, they found the city eerie andunsettling.

They were staying near a popular square,now quiet, but normally filled with tourists, making it a prime terrorism target.

"We were wondering if there would be any follow-up attacks in that area. We were very worried and very stressed."

Entering a store near the square, the tension was palpable, she said.

"You could just see on their face, the stress. Every once in awhile they would talk about it, then they would go through long periods of silence," Farlinger recalled.

'It took its toll on everybody'

"It was very obviously affecting them. It took its toll on everybody."

Farlinger and her friend cut short their stay the next day.

"We just left a bit ahead of time because it just wasn't fun and enjoyable at that time."

But even getting out of the country wasn't easy.

"We were left in limbo for a while. We didn't know what to do. We didn't know if the border was closed. We didn't know if we could get home. We didn't know if transportation was still working.

"So a lot of that logistical information that as travellers, we didn't have. That would have made us feel a lot better and safer."

While Farlinger said she will continue to travel, she will be more aware of her surroundings.

"I don't think I can honestly say that I'll travel to Paris or other large cities without looking over my shoulder."