Filling pails with snails in Wales

I can safely say I arrived home after a 3 1/2 hour long journey yesterday.
My first trip to Swansea and what can I say!
I think after spending the best of 3 days with me for the first time, my team mates have realise just how much I can talk! I think the times where there was silence were rare but the banter was high.
I had such a great weekend. I finally got to meet Rae and Phil. Although I feel a little embarrassed as I'd been on the lager and lime so anything I said would have been gibberish (makes a change eh). Oh well, lets just hope first impressions don't really count that much! I was given the pleasure of seeing Dan, Dave and Becs again and also meeting the boy's housemate who was very lovely. I think I can be quite intimidating to those who have never met me before but the guys who got the unfortunate pleasure of meeting me handled me exceptionally well. Also they've seen the habit of mine that I wouldn't necessarily describe as bad. It's always nice to be polite and because I'm a bit of a people pleaser I have to make certain that I don't offend people. So I tend to apologise a lot and say 'don't hate me'. Just to check!!!
I do have to say thankyou so so much to Dan for giving up his bed for me! So so kind of him and I'm very grateful. I even got a head warming device for no extra charge!! Kiwa, Dave's catty came and sat on my head on the first night then at my feet on the second. How sweet. She's a bit mad and likes string. Very mischievous too!
The day I got there I brought out the car stickers that my darling friend, Lee had made. Everyone's faces lit up with glee. We cleaned Dan's car window, boot and bonnet area and set about putting these stickers on. Lee would go mad if he knew. Oh dear, the air bubbles. Such amateurs are we. I blame Dave though. Tsk!
We proceeded to relax as I took in the fact that I was in the nerve centre of BoardFree. The excitement was upon me! In the evening Dave and I went to see Becs at the battle of the bands that she was judging. It was at that point, that Dave saw my driving talent. When someone says left I have to get it into my head that it doesn't mean right!!
The next morning I was woken at 7.15 with a cupy of tea. How lush! Such gentlemen in the BoardFree house! I grabbed my camera and a big brolly and we headed to the place where Link's Hitch was commencing. It was pouring it down and all these students were beginning to hitchhike from Swansea to Morocco. CRAZY! Although having seen and read more and more about it, it's quite an appealing thing to do.
After having spoken to Dan and Dave's housemate, Sam about his music there are now plans to do a photoshoot for his band which I'm thoroughly looking forward to doing next time I'm there!
Dave, Dan and I also took great pleasure in pinning the board up. On a wall in the study of Dave's house are two maps. One of Uk (already pinned) and one of Australia. One by one and taking photographs in between each one we popped blue pins into towns/places in Australia to show our route. It felt so so good to know that in five months that's where I'll be!
On Friday night we went to the SU bar/pub. I walked in and felt so out of place. I think I'm one of the only one out of my friends that hasn't gone to uni and it felt very bizarre to be in the situation that they're in nearly every night of the week. I felt very uninspired when asked what I want to drink so I did the traditional lager and lime. The pints kept coming. And the conversation was flowing. I think I discussed boobs and sharing clothes with Becki. I discussed heels with Rae and Selby with Phil. It turns out he's only from about 20 miles down the road from me. He's got quite a familiar face too! I discussed cameras and I fought my corner when my digital SLR was patronised, but had quite an interesting chat with a guy from the SU.
I saw mental orange coloured wrestlers who were play fighting. I overheard girls in the toilet asking each other if they were fat and talking about thrush! Niiice and classy! Sam and I discussed instruments and jazz and then we went to a houseparty. Having never been to a houseparty before I didn't know what to expect. Dave found some red glasses frames and popped them on but then threw them away in a fit of drunkeness which I think he should regret. It's so him dahhling!
When we got home Dan was still up after work about a fourteenhundred hour shift at his new job. Dave fell asleep on the sofa and we decided whether to use a permanent marker or highlighter to draw a mustache on him with! Highlighter it is!
Bed time for us all!
Then on Saturday I set off to Reading armed with a Dave and an Elsa to drop him off at his Kate's. Her Mum and Dad kindly fed me with lots of yummy stuff before I got on my way back to good ol' Fareham.
Today I've sat down and ordered all of my stuff for my longboard including the deck! So exciting. I went with green wheels in the end. I call that peer pressure!!
So tomorrow I'm expecting an email from Mr Cornthwaite giving me a list of BoardFree errands which I'm looking forward to. Also I plan to go to the gym and plan my route for my little road trip with Nat this Easter. Doncaster, Swansea, Taunton then Cornwall? Maybe going to London a few times too. Who knows!

Keep on smiling.

The Holly and the ivy