Jaclyn - Saying Goodbye to Cardiff

I write my last blog post from a train en route to London. I'm with my family now, as my internship has come to a close. And, man, are there things I'm going to miss….

1) The walk from my flat to work.

Most of the time, I would have my headphones in, playing some inspirational song on repeat as I marched off to work. At 7:45, there aren't all that many cars or people out and Cardiff is peaceful. Even on a hot day, the air is cool at that hour of the morning. And one thing that I've noticed between Cardiff (the UK in general, too) and Chicago (or the States as a whole) is that everyone is enjoying where they are. No one seems to be in a huge rush, even if they are.

2) Admiral

I have made such good friends in the short time that I've been here…. I can still remember the flight from Chicago to Heathrow, way back on the 15th of May. I was trying to sleep so I wouldn't continue focussing on the fact that this was my first overseas flight by myself. I told myself on that flight that everything would be perfectly fine. I would be really friendly at work, but completely expected my weekends to be full of exploring alone. To my surprise, I spent hardly any of my weekends alone. My weekends were jam-packed with plans and events. And the people I spent them with were the best part. Between the incredible personalities of the Recruitment team/Admiral Academy and the constant smiles that stemmed as a result, I didn't have time to miss home.

What can I say, I fell in love with Wales. And even though I will be ready when I have to go back to the States in a week, Cardiff will always have a piece of my heart.

3) My flat mates (and honorary flat mates)

Elisha, Fiona, and Brogan - if you hadn't knocked on my door that Saturday night, who knows how different my experience in Cardiff could have been. You were the first to introduce me to UK nightlife where you don't go home until AFTER the sun has risen. Safe to say, we never had a boring night together.

Thank you all for taking me under your wing and thank you for becoming my friends. xxx

4) The incredible views

Coming from the Midwest of the United States where everything is flat, these gorgeous hills were a nice change. My legs were definitely not used to walking up them, though...









5) Working next to a castle (I'll still never get over that)









6) The food.

And finally, 7) My team

The Recruitment team made such a lasting impact on me that I thought they deserved their own (second) shout-out. I was amazed at how easily I was able to become a real part of the team. They truly became my family. And I just want to extend a thank you to each of them:

Wendy for being the one to help bring me here

Ben for your (not) comical puns ;)

Lee for teaching me that it's rude to say "What?"

Janine for sharing my Starbucks addiction

AV for enduring my "Is there more I can do?" nags

Amie for answering all 239580 questions I had

Louise for giving me future hen (bachelorette) party ideas for my sister

Ian for interrupting a telephone interview just so I could say goodbye

Tom for insisting (and more importantly, no longer insisting) that I hate the English

Carrie (honorarily) for bonding so quickly with me in such a short time

Gary for helping me create THE coolest Recruitment Team logo ever

Amy for giving me a tour on my very first day and being attached to my hip ever since.

I will never forget what I have learned from you all these past two months, work-related and not. You all made my experience and I will never be able to repay you for that. Thank you for the incredible gifts you got for me and, most importantly, thank you for making Cardiff, and Admiral, my home away from home.

Oh, and don't worry, I'll be back :)

                  

All My Love,

Jac xxx