To Aberystwyth

Today we leave Aberystwyth. We will be returning to sort out loose ends and the like but today marks the end of a major chapter in our lives. I was eighteen when I first arrived with a head full of dreams as I think we all are when we leave to go to university and lead independent lives. I had already chosen to live in seafront halls but I had no idea which one I would be in until we arrived on that Saturday in September 2005. I ended up in Ceredigion, a beautiful pale pink building in the middle of the seafront and I was fortunate enough to have a room with a sea view. I spent many an autumn evening that first term looking out at the sunsets and watching the starling formations. I made some lovely friends, all now flown the Aber nest and now it's our turn. I met my husband towards the end of the first term and we became firm friends but it wasn't until one night in Custom House Street that it changed in June 2007 and we've been together ever since. I can't believe we will have been married for a year in a matter of a few weeks! After we graduated in 2008 we drifted into working at one of the main supermarkets in the UK, a career in retail was never something I had considered but we have both been fortunate to get promoted and now I am considering staying with the company longer term but in a different role hopefully.

Aberystwyth has given me a lot. It has changed me to who I am today but the time has come to chase new opportunities elsewhere as unfortunately if we stay here we would struggle to have what we hope to achieve long term which is a little sad as had those opportunities been here we would have been more than happy to stay longer. Eight years has been spent enjoying seafront walks, doing university work in the National Library of Wales and serving cheese to the good people of Aberystwyth. I am ready for a new set of challenges. The next six months are going to be full of testing times as we start our new jobs setting up a new store as we wait for our house to be finished. I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging this year and really hope I don't lose too much momentum over the next few months but I will do my best to make sure this doesn't happen.