Friday: I got to go take advantage of the NHS for one last time before I come home, woot! Yeah free health care! Considering my medicine, if I get the non-generic brand will cost me about $200 a month, this is amazing! I got to have one last coffee date with Glendragon, and it was a good one. Only 3 hours at the coffee shop, that's pretty good for us. They last at least 2 hours and have been known to go up to 6 if we just keep talking. I'm going to miss him.
Saturday: JOUSTING TOURNAMENT! It was so absolutely everything I hoped for and more! There were knights, a guy dressed as Robin Hood, and an American Civil War buff (I will explain shortly)! Katy got to sword fight, we cheered on knights in their jousting and horrible grammar, and got rained all over! It was just such a good time, I would say that anyone who has the chance should do this every year at Cardiff Castle, you'll see me there! Now for the American Civil War guy, who actually was the guy dressed as Robin Hood... It was kinda freaky when after a sword fighting display he came over because he heard my accent and asked me where I was from. When I told him I was from Virginia, he said "I should have known, you look like a true Southern Bell, I can tell from the way you say y'all and how you carry yourself." It just made my day. We spent a good hour talking about the American Civil War, when he should visit Virginia and when they do all the reenactments, and the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley in the fall. Of all places, I find a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan who owns a Museum quality 3-star general outfit at a glorified Renaissance Fair. Granted, this blows Medieval Times out of the water. That may be because it was in a castle and was really really funny.
After the jousting, came back, packed then made an awesome dinner and got dressed to the nine's to meet some good friends at a pub in town. I wore my 4 inch high heeled shoes and rocked a LBD, I looked way too over dressed, but it was fun while it lasted :)
Sunday: This morning, after getting home last night at 2 AM woke up at 5:30 AM to go drive to Gower and jump in the Irish Sea/Bristol Channel/Atlantic Ocean... Where it's located, it could have been any of the 3. At 5:45 we headed out the door in clothes that were easy to take off and put back on with many towels and warm thoughts in our heads. Around 8 AM at least 390 people ran into the body of water completely naked and swam around with the jellyfish. It was great! There was a stag party next to us, and that was how they ended their stag weekend, people who awkwardly ran into their neighbours from Port Talbot and feeling a bit embarrassed, and the nudists. It was a great way to raise money for the Marie Curie Foundation, and well worth the impending pneumonia ! We broke a world record, my name will be in a book for at least a week until the next attempt to break it in Ireland. It was great, and side note: people have tattoos in the weirdest places.
So to end my shenanigans in Cardiff, I've had more than enough to fill my plate. I've had an amazing year filled with good, bad, awkward, fun, mind blowing, and crazy good times that I hope to never forget. It has brought so many opportunities for me to do things that I never would have done at home. It may be an expensive year, and I need to learn to manage my finances, but it was worth every second I spent here. I learned a lot, and hope to learn more over the next few years. And moving internationally, if you have the chance- do it. You really learn how to pack efficiently and its worth the stress :) There are many people I will miss this summer, and a few of them will be all moved away somewhere when I get back in September and I guess that'll just give me an opportunity to travel the UK some more. And maybe get some real home cooked food :)
