@evan , Brussels/Bruxelles is a lovely, cosmopolitan City with warm, wonderful people in it and truly at the heart of Europe. I wish you joy from your visit. One of several things my family did, using Brussels as a base of operations, was a day trip to Bruges/Brugge, a short distance by train and one of the gorgeous, preserved market towns from its flowering in the 15th C.
I'll freely admit the town came to our notice from the mordantly funny 2008 "black-comedy/drama/crime thriller" film In Bruges, by Irish director Martin McDonagh, which, if you haven't seen it, please fix that.
I actually think McDonagh may have been suborned by the Bruges Tourist Bureau to make that flick. It makes the city look as gorgeous and beguiling as it really is, even in the winter rain.
Anyway, have fun. Don't forget to write.