“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -Bilbo Baggins of the Shire
Here it is, the end, the finish, the great leaving. It is something I have begged for in times of deep homesickness, and now wish to postpone indefinitely. I love it here! I love the forests, the endless rolling farmland, the plentiful sheep, heck, I even love all the tea.
When I first arrived in the UK, I hated it. Cardiff, London, Bristol, etc. are all over-crowded and full of horrendous traffic on dirty busy roads. Everywhere you go you see empty bottles and beer cans, listening to endless sirens in the distance. For being another English speaking country, I still saw all the cultural differences and suffered with adjusting. While I never came to enjoy those aspects, I learned to focus on all the other wonders of being here!
It was a slow process, but I eventually came to belong to the wonderful Cardiff University Mountaineering Club family. Through them I made friends, went on adventures and escaped the loneliness of being 4,900 miles from home. I’ll fondly remember the fresher challenges, having the burning in my legs during the human-table challenge quenched by Sam Talbot pouring shots into my mouth, and beating my sis Katie at table bouldering (the only time I’d ever excel over her at anything….), ending the nights by wandering through the familiar damp dark streets. Soon I was going on trips, meeting Steve Grigg, MegWan (the true Meg), and Eben on a crash-course introduction to Cornwall coastal climbing. Through the club I soon learned to Trad lead after hours of cleaning gear from Kieran and Rosa. By November not only had I found a family large enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with, I was leading Camilla up mighty multi-pitch cliffs in the fine Autumn sun! In Scotland I got to bond with even more people, taking an unforgettable ride around the Highlands with Leo, warming Barney and my’s soul with Christmas carols in the bitter sharp wind, and general drunken shenanigans with the gang.
So much happened with the CUMC that I could write a novel (most likely a comedy). Together we’ve made roaring fires in the forests of France, literally slid out of half cooked chickens, waded merrily through incoming tides at the Gower, sheltered from the elements in North Wales by doing assisted acro-yoga (and dominating at the cardboard box game! Dan- come try and claim your title!), and even ate a whole salmon in one sitting in the Peak District. It’s been fun. It’s been life changing. I cannot express how grateful I am for your company, and how dearly I will miss you all.
I’m sorry for those commitments I was never able to make. Olli, I’m sorry we’ll never do Pine Tree, but our super hard incorrect route was fun in its own way! Steph- I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you again to reaffirm what an amazing housemate you were! And Lottie and Camilla, I’m sorry that the Adventure Team didn’t get one final climb, a multi-pitch where each of us could show off our skills! Katie, I’m sorry I never got South to climb with you… love ya sister-from-another-continent, stay strong and stay lookin’ like my twin~!
Even around all the climbing jazz, I got out to see Switzerland, France (three times!), and Germany! Those are whole stories in themselves, and experiences I will cherish forever.
And of course, Max. This is the man who got me out on my bike despite my fear of busy British roads, who gave me a loving home for Christmas, who was an absolute idiot and broke his spine in December and had me care for him for months, and who was my partner in crime for weekly adventures. He knows how I feel, so I’ll just state how excited I am to show him around Oregon later this month! (English boy is gonna baaaaake in the Summer heat.)
Besides, as Gandalf once said, “All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us”. And I don’t want to dwell on the sadness of leaving. My time here has been undoubtedly the best of my life. I have laughed, loved, cried, sang, cheered, screamed, and napped a plenty. There’s nothing I wouldn’t change, because I lived it exactly how I wanted it.
I have learned a lot on this journey. I’ve learned that every friendship should be approached with a desire for it to last a lifetime, every journey is worth just as much as the destination, and that I’m very, very ready to be graduated and done with university and out into the real world.
I want to travel the world, see all the things I haven’t seen. I want to come back to the UK in a few years and reminisce, see my favorite spots. I want to turn Federstark and my tidal turbine ideas into a reality… and I will!
This year has given me independence and motivation like never before. I’ve been forced to battle my own demons, and stay strong and motivated without any familiar safety nets. Shit, I could keep going on, but I’d much rather just have a conversation with you.
And with that, my friends, I leave you with this.
“All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost” – Bilbo
The Meg’s crushing it at an old Castle in Cornwall
Ice skating in Berlin!
One of the many nights ending in Live Lounge!
Thanksgiving!
Winter caroling with the Cardiff Cycling Team!
SCOOOOOOOOTLAND!
Fountainebleau photo- I’m somewhere under Sam’s elbow
The final bouldering problem!
The Adventure Team at the award ceremony!
Sushi in the park with my special one