Moving, Unpacking and Settling in Wales!
My first year here in Wales has been a voyage of discovery. Finding out where everything is and how it all works. And on a less practical but equally important level, settling into a new world. Being in the second year feels different, being more settled and having more time and bandwidth to notice, enjoy and engage.
I Might Have Finished Unpacking!
Don’t hold me to this, as I have been finding boxes here and there, but I think I might have finished unpacking! It’s the books you see … a lot of books! There have been many revelations moving to Wales just over a year ago, but one of the biggest was how many books I have! I think I’ve found a home for them all over the last year. But as any book lover will tell you, it’s a process and there’s always more! Especially now I want to learn more about Wales – it’s history, language and culture. That may be a whole new bookcase!
The move was some time in the making, but with a plan in place it all happened quite quickly (more about that later!). Meanwhile, what of this first year?
Exploring the Beauty of Wales!
If you read Chantry Health now in Wales you will have seen some photos of the sumptuous spring and summer countryside and coastline here. It has been wonderful continuing to discover my local area and beyond.
As well as the beautiful countryside and bay around Cardigan, further up the coast near Aberystwyth, walking along the sandbars and dunes of Ynyslas is stunning.
Autumn brings its fabulous palette of colours in the woods, hills and mountains. Heading inland from the coast towards Tregaron, a friend and I were blessed to see the remote and atmospheric Capel Soar y Mynydd on a sunny autumnal day. Warm enough for us to enjoy a picnic and then explore the winding roads around Llyn Brianne. This area of Mid-Wales offers a very different kind of landscape with perhaps one of the most remote phone boxes too!
It’s great when friends visit, a catalyst to explore even further. Heading north, Snowdonia offers yet more stunning scenery. We walked part of The Watkin Path, one of the many routes up to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). The views are stunning and inspired me to get fit enough to attempt to get all the way to the summit – maybe even this year!
Having a family connection with North Wales made it all the more lovely to explore this area too. I realise I probably sound like the Visit Wales Tourist Centre, but it’s hard not to enthuse about such a fabulously scenic, interesting and friendly country. I’m really enjoying and appreciating getting to know it more.
Exploring Culture and Creativity in Wales
One of the questions both friends and patients often ask me is how my learning Welsh is going. Well, I think Rhod Gilbert’s Learning Welsh summarises it nicely! Joking aside, it is a hard language to learn but everyone is very encouraging. It’s spoken widely in this part West Wales, and my goal is to be able to speak it in everyday situations, wish me luck! I believe it was also where Tolkien found his inspiration for the Elvish language in Lord of the Rings. So that adds another element to my motivation!
Music runs through the rivers and veins of Wales. With choirs, concerts and musical gatherings a part of life here, it’s also a magnet for musical souls. I met international harpist Monica Stadler, and am enjoying Song of the Welsh Hills, just one of her many recordings.
The Cardigan Craft Festival in September was an astonishing showcase of local artists, craft, music, and produce. It’s wonderful to see traditional skills being kept alive, and creativity thriving.
My Creative Endeavours
An unexpected delight was the Aromist beginners workshop for soap making held in Llangrannog, in Ceredigion. It’s really immersive, and you can enjoy experimenting with colours, essential oils and extra goodies like clay, calendula flowers, rose petals, etc. Tracey is great at explaining and very patient! Totally recommended if you are visiting or local.
I’ll also come clean and share the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition. A drum kit! When I was young it was a whole different century and electronic drum kits didn’t exist. Understandably my pleas to learn drums were unfulfilled. However, second-hand kits are more affordable, and headphones mean I still get on with my neighbours. I don’t think I’ll be a virtuoso this century, but it’s fun and a great way to keep warm.
There are many possibilities yet to explore. Cariad Glass in Llandysul and the Welsh Wool Shop in Newcastle Emlyn offer classes, who knows what I will be reporting back with this time next year!
Chantry Health Online and in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion
If you’ve read this far you could be forgiven for wondering what I am up to with Chantry Health! How do I have time? Well, yes I do, and am still here and happily continuing to work online for both new and existing patients. The world needs natural health with homeopathy, herbs, diet and lifestyle support more than ever. It works well online and means I can offer you support wherever you are in the world.
Hypnotherapy, Talking Therapy and Coaching also work well online. Even hypnotherapy works well online too!
And locally here in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion I’m enjoying meeting local patients and am looking forward to expanding my practice here too. Watch this space!
Another year on and looking forwards, thank you as always to all of you for your interest in and support of Chantry Health. It is a pleasure and greatly appreciated – thank you.
Change – Steps and Staircases!
Nourishment is not just what we eat, it is about how we live. You may not be planning a massive change, but might be wondering what you can do to improve the quality of your life, your health and happiness? Even if it is just one thing … it may have all sorts of positive outcomes.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
If you are working on a change or grappling with a challenge, you may feel in need of a plan. It can be good to clarify your thoughts. You can be your own life coach! Clarify your goal – work top down starting with the big picture of how you want to live, then look at where you are now, and what you need to do or change to get to where you want to be.
That is of course a hugely simplified model! If you feel you would like some help with working out your goals, a plan, and ways to get there, do get in contact.
It makes a difference.
Chantry Health is based in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion in Wales, and I also work online nationally and internationally. I offer a free mini-consultation so we can see if we think my approach might suit you for Homeopathy, NLP, Hypnotherapy and Coaching. Please do contact me. Thank you.