A Warm Welcome

This time three years ago I wrote a blog entry on how much a smile can brighten someone's day. Having moved to a new city to embark upon a new degree is both exciting yet also a little bit trepidatious because of the weight of knowledge with which I must engage in order to paint the beginning brushstrokes to become an academic. It's wonderful because it's such a passion of mine, but also something which requires continual self-awareness, discipline and motivation.

With regards to the smiles though, I feel like I've already achieved that. And in and of itself this is a huge accomplishment. Durham is a gorgeous city, full of the most welcoming people. The North-East is definitely very homely, and because I hail from a small Welsh market town, it means a lot that I can dwell in a city and feel relatively safe, secure and welcomed. I've already made so many friends and I feel really blessed with the community provided here. Settling in is hard for anyone and although I'm definitely not a wallflower, I admittedly did feel a little nervous not knowing what to expect.

One of my favourite places already is Palace Green. The quad atmosphere reminds me of my undergrad days in St Mary's College in St Andrews and sitting on the grass against the backdrop of Durham cathedral, in the dappled sunlight amidst the rapidly falling autumn leaves gazing up at the immense towers above is just a stunning setting for any scholar. And to know that my department overlooks this beautiful view is just amazing.

I'm enjoying orientation week - it's nice to have time to settle in before the real work gets started! It can be tough getting up so early each morning, especially after my LONG summer recess of over three months of "recovering" from the plague that is an undergrad dissertation! But the chill of the 8am walk to breakfast also reminds me that each day is a blessing and time is a gift not to be wasted.

One thing I certainly do completely reiterate from that post I wrote from three years ago is that the seasons come around so quickly and time passes and flies before our very eyes and we just can't catch it, take hold of it and tell it to slow down. I wish we could but blink and you miss it. That's why I really want to appreciate every second of my Masters degree this year. I feel like I've already settled so well in Durham but that, of course, does not mean that I will ever forget my time as an undergraduate in St Andrews or indeed my treasured roots in Wales. My flirtation with a year here is bittersweet because I know I'll come to treasure this place so much. Durham may well be my short-term mistress, St Andrews the long-term lover, but Wales is, and always shall be, the adored wife I return home to. And I know she'll always keep a welcome.

The changing of the seasons and the passing of time mark out for me a crucial metaphor for changes in human experience. We know that even though we might not be completely ready for change or adjustment somehow we always know we'll cope and there is the possibility that the transition can be prove to be really beautiful too, at least in retrospective sepia nostalgia. Whether you're moving to a new university, starting a new job, apprenticeship or placement, or just feeling like you need a fresh beginning; these can all appear to be daunting prospects yet somehow as humans we find the ability to structure ourselves, grab onto friends, hold onto them like you absolutely depend upon it and take the plunge into the stormy waters of life. As you battle with the change of the tide in your own life I hope you come to find a smoother shore amongst it all.