I
have officially and successfully completed my first solo European
expedition!! And by that I mean that I traveled from Prague, through
London, and then on to Wales to meet up with PRESSLY BLACKLEY!! Other
than having to leave the Pension at 3am in order to catch my 6am flight,
traveling alone was actually really fun. When I arrived in London, I
was weirdly surprised that I was surprised to see and hear English
EVERYWHERE!! (Does that make sense?) It was the first time I had been in
an English speaking country, and it felt like such a luxury to be able
to understand so much of my surroundings. For instance, I was able to
purchase a magazine AND a newspaper that was printed in ENGLISH!! And I
was able to purchase this amazing find on a SELF SCANNER, because I
could actually follow the directions! It was funny to be so excited for
such seemingly typical things!
So
after many hours and various modes of transportation later, I finally
arrived in Cardiff, Wales, where my best friend was waiting with open
arms, a big smile, and a stack of Welsh Cakes (my new FAVORITE
dessert/breakfast/snack food. I mean YUM)!!
On A Side Note:
To fully understand the significance of this weekend, here is a quick
snapshot of me and Pressly, and the events leading up to this special
time!
We
were destined from day one (literally), to be bffs! Not only do we share the
same birthday, but we were born only hours apart, in the same hospital. Knowing
us, we probably shared some giggles in the nursery! Though we didn't meet until
high school, Pressly has pictures of us running against each other in middle
school track meets. High school cross country allowed us to get to know each
other, but being college roommates is what really brought us together. She is
the one person who knows me inside and out, and I couldn't be happier to call
her my best friend! The
beginning of freshman year we talked about how we both wanted to study
abroad spring semester of junior year, and we have finally made it
happen! When we both realized we were going to be in Europe, we knew we
had to meet up. So months and months of planning and finagling, this was
our weekend...together in Wales!!
Now
back to the weekend. Pressly and I took some time to explore Cardiff,
Wales' largest city, while we had some time before catching our
westbound train. We explored the Cardiff Castle grounds...
Later
that day, we took a train to Preseli Venture, which is an adventure
lodge located on the BEAUTIFUL Pembrokeshire Coast! The staff was
incredibly generous, as they kept warm food waiting for us when our
train arrived late. We ate dinner and then they put us to bed. The next
morning, Pressly and I went on a seven mile hike along the stunning
Wales Coastal Path! There were green pastures, that met rocky cliffs,
that collided into the deep blue sea. Every step we took lead us to a
place that was equally as jaw dropping as where we just came from.
I
know I have always been a country girl at heart, but being abroad has confirmed
my need for nature and open spaces. It was unbelievably refreshing getting away
from the buildings, congested streets, public transportation and crowds of
people that can all be found in cities. Ahhh!
Sheep
were EVERYWHERE, and they were so funny! I got so many laughs out of
just watching them be. Apparently there are more sheep in Wales than
there are people!
There were horses roaming on open range! Gosh, I could live here!
After eating a yummy meal back at the lodge, we headed out for more
adventuring! We spent the afternoon COASTEERING, which was by far one of
the coolest things I have ever done!! If you are like me, and have
never heard of coasteering before, according to Webster's Dictionary,
"coasteering is the sport of exploring a shoreline that does not have a
continuous pedestrian route." In other words, we climbed on rock faces,
swam through caves, and jumped off cliffs! Before heading out to the
coast, we were put into fancy wetsuits that covered us from head to toe.
I was skeptical of how warm my suit would keep me, (seeing as I am the
most cold natured human being on the face of the planet) but to my great
surprise there wasn't a moment in which I was even chilly! I should
probably wear wetsuits more often ;) As we swam trough sea kelp, climbed
on cliffs, and jumped off boulders, I had the time of my life! Pressly
and I shared a disposable waterproof camera, so hopefully we will have
some good pictures that captured these awesome memories!
The next
morning, Easter, was unlike any Easter I have ever experienced. Right
after breakfast, we suited up into our wetsuits again and went sea
kayaking! It was a little nerve wrecking because I have always been wary
of closed kayaks. The water was also pretty choppy, which didn't help
settle the nerves. Fortunately, I quickly found my balance in the kayak
and was able to easily maneuver myself through the rocks and caves that
lined the coast! Gosh, it was a great time!
Though I
wasn't with my family on Easter (which was a little strange), I am so
glad I got to spend it with such a special best friend, and to be
surrounded by God's gorgeous creation! Praise be to God!
Later that afternoon, we said goodbye to the western coast of Wales and
hello to Swansea! Swansea is where Press is studying this semester, and
it was so good to see how she has been living for the past couple of
months. We have had very different experiences, which was fun to
discover as I walked around her town and campus.
Our last day in Wales together, we decided to go on another hike on the Wales
Coastal Path. We had a destination in mind, but with transportation not
running because of the holiday, we had to walk MUCH further than
expected. It was pouring down the rain, windy, and cold all day long,
but we were determined to not let that keep us from exploring! Pressly
is just about the ONLY friend who would ever joyfully do this with me,
and I am so glad for our similar "sense of adventure."
Hours later of wandering across sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and open meadows we stopped for lunch, with this as our view!
We
mapped our hike when we finished, and we ended up walking over 13
miles! Though most would find hiking a half marathon (in the rain) to be
a horribly miserable task, it has actually been one of my favorite
memories thus far! I got to spend hours looking at magnificent scenery,
while spending that time with my best friend. Pretty cool!
The next day we walked comparable mileage, but this time we wandered
through the streets of LONDON! It was a pretty stark contrast going from
fresh coastal air, to "black booger" city air, but it was a blast none
the less!
To top off this perfect weekend, we saw Jersey Boys on Broadway!! It was such a fun show, with really great music.
Here is one of my favorite pictures that I took this past weekend! What a beautiful world we live in!!
