Grateful I can claim Welsh ancestry

The people in my program became my family because we were all we had for a support system. I count some of them as my closest friends. I joined the hockey team and suddenly had 120 new friends, guys and girls, knew people all over Bangor, had something to fill my time and keep me active and they showed me a local side of the social scene. I learned how to surf, rock climb, I climbed mountains on a day off, I played hide-and-seek in castles, and I learned how to use the train system and became a huge fan of public transit. I understand the history of Wales, the customs of Wales, and the distinct culture. I can tell a lot of castles apart by a quick glance at a picture and know their individual histories. I have the utmost fondness for Wales as a country, Snowdonia as a region, and Bangor as a community. I did not have as much culture shock entering their culture as I did leaving it and returning to my own. It is still hard for me sometimes, and that's nearly a year after returning. I can go back to Bangor, but I can't go back to the times I had. Overall, I would not have missed it for a million dollars. Or pounds.