Goodbye Wales

Signing into my blogging page I came to the sudden realisation that I have not posted a blog since September 2007, nearly 7 months. Considering the intention when opening this blog was to write at least monthly, this is admittedly not the best practise. I could easily blame my lack of posts on the amount of work I have had, particularly due to the amount of time my dissertation took up, but I would be lying. I haven't written in a while simply because I am lazy. So here's an attempt to get back into it.

'Whatever you do, do not bring back home a Welsh girlfriend with some ridiculously Welsh name like Bronwynn'. That was a piece of advice my Dad had for me when embarking on a three year degree at UWIC in Cardiff. That was three years ago and as my university days come to an end
it's hard to comprehend how things could be more different from the day I set out at university back in 2005.

The most notable of these changes has been the passing away of my dad halfway through the first year. I have spoken about this in previous posts so will try not to talk too much about it, but it was a notable step. When we found out that the illness he had was terminal, I thought very seriously about packing in university and getting a job at home so that I could stay at home and look after my Mum, who was to be left alone. Both my parents convinced me, however, that going back and finishing my studies was the best thing to do and looking back now, they were right.

It was the best decision because of two reasons, for one I made some great mates for life at university, relationships I hadn't developed when I thought about leaving at the end of the first term, but secondly because I had underestimated my Mum. Thinking she couldn't cope I was wrong and now she has met someone else, I have never seen her happier.

My relationships with mates at university have certainly been the most important thing I will take out of my three years in Cardiff. Girlfriends have come and gone during student life, some I wish all the best to, and others I wish I had never even met, but my mates have been there from the start, taking the piss when dumped, but knowing as soon I needed a reassuring hug (real men do hugs) they would be there.

I'm not sure many people really know what to expect when embarking on a new journey in life, and I, along with many others I am sure, did not have the slightest clue what to expect at university. Wales offered a completley new start but all I really knew of Wales was a 'mythical' love of sheep (I say mythical, I know a few Valley lads who have had some close encounters) and a love for rugby. The Rugby aspect of Wales is the aspect I came away from Wales knowing most about, but unfortunately for an Englishman in Wales, England lost two of their three Six Nations matches during my time, one of them resulting in Wales' Grand Slam win this year.

Despite the endless abuse I have received from Welsh friends over the years I will have nothing but admiration for the Welsh people when I leave and only hope that their new 'fresh start' doesn't last too long.