Road Trippin’ Wales

Day 1

We started at London Victoria on the dreary Friday morning of Easter weekend. The six of us met about 9 AM to pick up the passenger van we’d rented for the weekend. It took us forever to find the budget car rental company to discover they didn’t actually have the vehicle we’d rented. By 11, it was beginning to feeling like the trip might be off when they loaded us into transfer cars and drove us across London to the only left in the city. After a bit of a battle with the manager and 2 hours after our original planned departure we were crammed in like sardines but on our way! The traffic was horrendous until we reached the Welsh boarder, but then, as if right on cue, the cars disappeared and the clouds parted and we found ourselves excitedly approaching our first stop; Brecon Beacon.

Though daylight was beginning to dwindle we still took the time to make a little pit stop to have a chat with some sheep. I mean, it was Easter weekend after all and they were just so cute!

We made it to Llyn y Fan Fach (or what we pronounced Lynn Fanny Fuk) just before nightfall. We all took some time to enjoy the sincerity of such a beautiful place (also stretch our legs and get some peace from the others)! 

After a few outdoor potty breaks, we crammed back in our six sitter and we were off to find our Bed and Breakfast in Haverfordwest. We arrived about 9 pm and were greeted by a friendly lady with a big smile and lots of area recommendations. We tried to find food in the nearest village but were a bit late so we settled for our van snacks and a pint and then called it an early night.

Day 2

The next morning we awoke early and were fed a full English breakfast (Welsh style) compliments of our host. Then we were off! Up the coast of Western Wales for a day of pit stops and adventure!

We spent a good bit of time in St. David’s exploring the cathedral, climbing through old castle ruins and snacking on ice cream as we strolled through the town. As we continued up the coast we stopped frequently to take a cool photo, walk on the beach or just have a little play on the side of the road side. When we were in the car we found ourselves enthralled with the Audible story and investigation into the Anan Syed’s murder case. Did he do it? Did he not? The debate still continues …

Our lone Brit of the trip gave us a scenic tour we couldn’t have created ourselves and we stopped in his Uni town for a stroll and some food! I wish we could have stayed longer, but we made the most of the break with a stop in the local arcade where I discovered I can’t dance even when I computer is telling me how to do it!

Another ice cream and we were back on the road in search of the place we’d lay our heads for the next two nights!

The caravan park was tucked deep back in the hills. We arrived after dark and as we pulled up to the little farm house at the welcome gate we joked of murders and crime (thanks, Anan!) but, in true Welsh fashion, the family that lived there was lovely and helped us get settled in to our two bedroom, pull our sofa caravan for six (needless to say - we were cozy)! We spent the evening drinking, eating, playing games and genuinely just enjoying each other’s company. As we started to wind down we all bundled up and headed out into the cold night sky to stare up at the stars in the cloudless sky. A prefect end to Day Two of our road tripping adventure!

Day 3

Sunday Morning gave a slow start as we ate breakfast and made our plan for the day. Once again we jammed ourselves in to our little family van but were pleased to find we had a bit more space this time (sans the bags)! We drove past Snowdonia (we didn’t go up), did a little hike (of all the beautiful hiking spots we accidentally picked the one rock ‘farm’ that was actually the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen making for lots of laughs and jokes), explored a few little Wales towns and found ourselves on the beach just in time for the sunset in the perfectly clear sky. Once the sun went down and we found it too chilly to sit on the sand we headed back to our caravan for a little R & R! We’d had had a jam-packed few days!

Day 4

It was about time to head back to London, but who wants a holiday to end? Especially without some kind of big bang! We cleaned up the caravan, loaded up the car and set our sights on flying through the sky at the Zip World adventure.

Then it was back in the car for the drive back to London. We stopped in a little town to eat outside by the river. The weather was amazing the entire weekend and it really felt like a proper English holiday (that was ending way too soon)! On the ride back we danced and sang, finished the Anan story (of course) and delivered the car back to Victoria just as they were closing up shop (ok, they were already closed but we sweet talked a worker into opening back up for us).

I’ve found since living in London my favorite trips are the simplest ones and it’s really the people that make the time amazing. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people who are up for spending a sunny weekend crammed in a car driving around the English coast.

Ten Years Gone By

May marks 10 years since graduating High School and entering the big scary world of adulthood. Sweet reminders have been slipping into my daily life; from the nostalgic comment on an old photo to a random work conversation which triggered the memory of my favorite song in 2005 (Graduation by Vitamin C, of course!). I listened to it on repeat that entire year and yet today I couldn’t even recall the name without Google assistance. However, as the song streamed from YouTube I remembered just how it nailed exactly how my 18 year old self felt as I moved out of my Mom’s house and began to care for myself.

So we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25

So if we get the big jobs and we make the big money
When we look back now, will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be tryna break every single rule?

Will Little Brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Can I find a job that won't interfere with my tan?

So here we are, 10 years later, with the answers to the most important questions of the time. Turning 25 felt like a lifetime away, but in reality it came and went just like 26, 27 and currently 28 are doing. We we’re paying bills, our car insurance got cheaper, our parents couldn’t claim us on their taxes, we probably didn’t “get home” as much as we liked and we finally started to realize we aren’t 21 anymore!  

Did we get the big jobs and make the big money? Now we know that’s what you’re thirties are for, right? I know I definitely didn’t find a job that didn’t interfere with my tan. In fact, I moved to a country lacking sunshine and where summer lasts four days on the good years!

I don’t remember even half of what I learned in school, but the life lessons have stuck with me and gotten me here today. The things I placed so much importance on when I was graduating school don’t seem as important. We’ve all gone and made wonderful lives for ourselves. I am consistently amazed at my incredible friends. How is it that we are old enough to buy houses, have babies, be parents? (Obviously I don’t feel I am – but lets be frank – it was always the joke that I would be the one still gallivanting around some foreign city at 30? I wouldn’t want to let anyone down!)  

Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men

We know we can survive it out there and make it somehow, but I think we will always be wondering if we’ll think about tomorrow like we think about now. Personally, I’m looking forward to being able to celebrate the last 10 years and can’t wait to see what the next 10 have in store!