Verdant, lush, beautiful: three adjectives aptly suited to describing Wales. Possibly, also ‘damp’. The people are amazingly friendly, kind and welcoming, the ales are strong and delicious, and the towns have unpronounceable names. I think it’s not incorrect to say I may well have fallen in love with the countryside of South Wales. I spent three days at Cwm Farm (pronounced Coom). This is the home of Marion (Gareth’s mother) and belongs to Dave, her boyfriend. It’s not a working farm, although a neighbour does pasture his cattle in one of its fields, but it makes charming habitat for local wildlife, which is essentially Dave’s intention. Birds fill the trees, holly trees and gorse grow everywhere, ivy climbs over everything, and a creak wends its way past the lovely farmhouse. There are outbuildings, one of which is being converted into the leisure/guest house. It already boasts an indoor swimming pool, but is currently being equipped with a film-screening room and getting a rather complete renovation. Despite the technology that fills the house like ivy does the woods, the whole locale is tranquil and extremely relaxed.

Visiting with Gareth was beyond wonderful. I cannot begin to describe how much fun we had. Meeting his family was not stressful as they are as great as he is, though it was possibly a bit embarrassing for him as his mother and I were more than comfortable swapping stories. His brother and sister are funny and warm, just as his mother is and I felt very comfortable with them. It is infrequent that a person gets to fall in love, which is different from loving someone. I’ve loved, and once, a long time ago in my teens, I was in love, but nothing compares to the intensity of feelings I have for Gareth. For the first time, with anyone, I feel like I’m a complete person. Comfortable in each other’s space, able to finish each other’s sentences, we fit together so well that it’s as though we’ve always known each other. We laugh and laugh, tease each other and have heart-felt, deep conversations about everything under the sun. Every moment with him feels as though it’s been well spent, regardless of whether it’s been wasted watching stupid flash animation on the internet or discussing American foreign policy.

Leicester was fun – the conference quite good and hosting numerous interesting speakers. It was nice to be surrounded by so many international museum and gallery workers and graduates of Leicester’s museum studies programmes. It gives me a good feeling about attending the Interpretive Studies degree as I plan. Amazingly, I was something of an exotic coming from an institution in the Yukon, almost as fascinating as the woman from Cameroon. I particularly enjoyed swapping stories about misconceptions of the north with a curator from Norway. It seems they, too, have a proliferation of polar bear images despite the fact that most of Norway does not boast the white beasts. I met interesting people with whom I hope to keep some contact and discussed at great length, well, museums. Surprise ! Leicester was an interesting old city, too, but despite the university and tourism, showed a rougher, seedier side belying the financial depression it seems to be suffering. London, too, was fun, but more than seeing the sites (or is it sights?); it was spending time at my mother’s childhood best friend’s flat in North London. Pat and her partner were generous and humourous hosts and made the last day and a half of my trip truly enjoyable. Gareth came with me to London and they accepted his presence without question and behaved exactly as if they’d always known him. Pat cooked a marvellous lamb stew for our first night, and for the last night, I treated everyone to a delicious meal at their favourite restaurant.

It is a great let-down to be back in Whitehorse and although I love my work, I can’t help thinking that I’d rather be in the UK than here. Nothing is growing yet – the snow in town only cleared a few days ago. Temperatures struggle to reach 5 degrees whereas I had gotten quite used to 15 degrees in England and Wales. I am happy to have had such a grand time, but I wish it was still going on. I said it when I was there the first time, and I maintain it still, I like London, and now I can add that I really love Wales, too. I miss Gareth terribly. It’s amazing how much a person can slot themselves into your life without you even realising until you’re apart. Living nearly half-way around the world from each other will continue to be difficult (and expensive), but now that I’ve got him, I don’t want to let him go. Thank God for the Internet.

Anyway, next post will be stories. I have tons of nifty things to talk about, but this is enough for now.