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Tuesday, Dec 24, 2024 | Philadelphia, PA, USA | 10:14 p.m.

Tell a friend to tell a friend, she’s baaaaack!!! And by she, I mean this blog. And also me. And also MY SISTER!!! Tomorrow (12/25) we’re embarking on a winter break sister trip to two of my dream destinations: Spain and Ireland! First up is Madrid, where we’ll be from 12/26 to 12/31. Then we’re heading to Dublin where we’ll be until 12/9. Follow along for photos, travel tidbits, and all the news that’s fit to print (AKA if we fight you won’t read about it here 🤫)

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Sunday, June 12, 2022 | Washington, DC, USA | 11:31 a.m.

On Friday 6/10 we woke up very early and drove the 5 hours from Lampeter to Heathrow. My flight departed around 6:30 UK time and with some delays I arrived in Washington DC around 10:30 EST. I spent yesterday getting settled into my apartment and now have time to start reflecting on my time in Wales.

It feels too early to fully reflect on what these past two weeks have meant to me, but my immediate thoughts are that I’m pretty sure this trip will shape my future in ways I don’t even realize. I arrived in Wales very nervous about the uncertainty that came after graduation. Sure, I had a job and an apartment lined up, but I felt unmoored after spending my entire conscious life in the education system where each year I knew what the next year would hold, and the next, and the next one after that. But after these 10 days, I have seen the ways that the people around me have incorporated writing and creativity into their lives in unique ways. I have also reaffirmed the things I love and want to keep in my life: writing, history, language, community, and maybe even a newfound love of travel. Now I feel excited, not anxious, about the limitless opportunities and paths that lie before me. 

I may post more reflections, photos, and writing here in the coming weeks as people upload photos and as I edit my writing, so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested.

One of my favorite things I’ve written is a short story (about 4,500 words) about legends, landscapes, and lesbian love. It’s a rough draft and far too long to post here, but text or email me if you’d like to read it and I’ll send it to you. It was the kind of story that possessed me and compelled me to write it, and it feels like the most beautiful souvenir I could have brought home from a magical place.

Thanks to everyone who has followed along on my travels, I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

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Thursday, June 9, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | Once Again Very Late O'Clock

Today is my last full day in Wales. Before today I was too busy to get emotional, but today has brought out the feelings in me.

We started the day with one last writing workshop where we reflected on how our experience of Wales compared to what we had anticipated before coming. After the workshop, I went with two friends from the group to retrace our steps from the hike we took on our very first day here. That day it was sunny and warm, and today it was rainy, foggy and cold. But I adored the weather, I think it’s special on a whirlwind trip like this to be able to return back to a place and see it through a new perspective—both because of the different weather and because I am different after these past 10 days. We saw sheep and cows galore, though I have been unsuccessful in my quest to pet one.

We had lunch and then drove to the town of Laugharne to visit the Dylan Thomas Boathouse. This was his last home before he died (he died while on tour in the US) and it is now a museum and cafe. They served us tea and Welsh cakes (a local delicacy like a flat scone) and told us stories about Dylan’s life.

In the museum there was a replica of the town made entirely of hand-embroidered fabric. I couldn’t stop looking at it, and I think it would make a top 5 highlights of this whole trip.

The garage that Dylan used as a writing shed.

On the walk back to the bus we passed Laugharne Castle, a 12th century castle that was one of the most majestic we’ve seen.

By the way, we were reunited with our bus driver Mary for the trip to Laugharne! She baked us all boil cakes from her grandmother’s recipe.

I was absolutely delighted to be back on the bus today. This way of traveling does amazing things for my writing. Seeing incredible sights and then having time to digest them as we drive down scenic Welsh roads has been nothing short of magical. I count myself very lucky that I can write and read on a moving vehicle!

We had a fancy dinner complete with games and jeopardy pulling together all that we’ve done and learned during our time here. It’s also Pam’s birthday tomorrow, so we celebrated with cake!

After dinner I went out to a local pub, The Nag’s Head, with some of the gang. It was open mic night and lots of people sang and played guitar.

I also went to a milk vending machine (!!!) near campus with Sophie and another friend from the program. What a great way to end the night and the program as a whole!

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Lisp Not (What Wales Knows of Me)

This is the prose poem that I shared at the open mic last night.

I was born with the Welsh double-L sound built in. It must have dropped from the hole made by the cleft palate in the roof of my mouth. When it fell, it melted on the tip of my tongue like chocolate and slid softly down my throat like a secret.

The hole in the roof of my mouth was sewn shut, replaced with stitches that would become lifelong phantom companions for my tongue. The double-L sound was a companion too, for a time, slipping out like good news whenever I tried to pronounce the English “s.”

In English, that sound is called a lateral lisp, the hiss of air escaping on either side of your tongue. And in English, if you’re deaf, a lateral lisp is a one way ticket to years of speech therapy. But that double-L sound is part of two accents: the Welsh accent and the deaf accent. At the same time that Welsh children were forced to wear “Welsh Not” around their necks as punishment for speaking their language, deaf children’s hands were bound to their desks to banish sign language and force “normal” speech.

When I try to pronounce the Welsh name for the place where I am staying, the hair on my arms stands up as if it wants to distance itself from my misbehaving mouth. When I touch my tongue to the roof of my mouth and push, I fear something bad will slip out. I hear that sloshy sound and I feel I’ve failed a test by missing one easy question.

I can’t make the sound anymore. Can’t or won’t, maybe. When I try now, the sound threatens to tear the back of my throat open or scrape the inside of my mouth like sandpaper. I remember trying once, years ago, and realizing the sound had left me. I was proud then, but now my tongue reaches for its absence

like a hole in the roof of my mouth.

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Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | Very Late O'Clock

Short post today because it's very late here! Workshop this morning followed by free time and a trip to an AMAZING antique quilt shop, then more free time (during which I sent WAY too much mail), then another workshop.

After dinner we had an open mic performance that was open to the public. People from Lampeter came and shared alongside us, and the range of genres and tones of work was amazing. Not to toot my own horn, but my poem was a big hit and a lot of people came up afterwards to tell me how meaningful it was. I was humbled and honored by their praise, especially because so many of those same people had shared work that I loved throughout the night. I'll post the poem tomorrow when I am more wakeful :) Lots of love tonight ❤️

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Tuesday, June 7, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | 11:12 p.m.

Today we had two writing workshops, one by David Elliott, the author who has been traveling with us and gave us a reading last week, and one by our wonderful director Pam Petro and author Kumari Tilakawardane. We had an afternoon lunch/tea with the provost of University of Wales Lampeter. There were finger sandwiches and biscuts with clotted cream, YUM!

We each had appointments with one of the directors to discuss our writing. I met with Dom, who gave me excellent advice on how and where to submit my writing, and how to keep up the inspiration I’ve found here as I move forward.

Look how beautiful and green the Lampeter campus is!

We had free time for writing in the afternoon. I spent part of it writing over 30 postcards, soon to be over 40 tomorrow once I get a few more downtown. I aim to singlehandedly keep the US & UK postal services in business!

This is the library where we meet for our workshops and where I wrote this afternoon. It’s the perfect setting for some quiet reflection and creativity. (Photo by a member of my cohort, not me 😊)

Some postcards!!! (on my VERY well-loved dorm carpet)

Tonight we had a reading by Mena Elfyn who is an absolute superstar of Welsh literature. She is the most translated minority-language poet in the world and was a leader in Welsh language activism in the 1970s & 80s. She’s a total badass and I think everyone was wowed by her, myself included. She began her career as a playwright and is now mainly a poet, and I got to ask her a question about the relationship between plays and poetry. She seemed to really like the question and I was delighted by her answer because it reflected a lot of my feelings and experiences with the two forms. Yay for Mena Elfyn!!!

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There won't be many photos from today or tomorrow because they are mostly workshop and writing days on the Lampeter campus. So I thought I'd share some photos that the program director (and some other program participants) have taken that have me in them, since I'm absent from my own photos.

In the Breckon Beacons mountain range, 6/3

Look Mom, no hands!! On top of the ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle, 6/3

Wandering off from the group at Carreg Cennen

Writing break near Carreg Cennen (I'm on the far left)

Sharing my writing with the group at a pub, 6/3

The pub had a bouncy castle, need I say more?!

Outside Penderyn Distillery where I did not imbibe :) 6/4

At New Quay where Dylan Thomas set Under Milk Wood, 6/5

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Monday, June 6, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | 11:39 p.m.

Today started with a walk around New Quay, the town where Dylan Thomas set his famous radio play Under Milk Wood. The play is fiction but heavily based on real people and places. Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch, the poet who gave us the tour of the town, grew up there and had family who knew Dylan Thomas. One member of our cohort pointed out that everyone in Wales seems to be on first name basis with Dylan Thomas, no one ever calls him Thomas, it’s always Dylan. In fact, all of Wales feels like one small town where everyone knows everyone. We stopped outside one of the houses referenced in Under Milk Wood and there was a woman working out front who had bought the house from a man who inspired a character in the play.

We had a workshop with Sam in a building overlooking New Quay’s harbor. She had intricate, meaningful, encouraging feedback for everyone who shared. I’m paying close attention to all the workshop leaders on this trip in the hopes that their influence will help me be a better teacher this summer.

Next we had lunch and free time in the coastal town of Abaraeron. I had some very delicious, classic chips with vinegar, as well as one shop’s famous honeycomb ice cream, while sitting and walking along the harbor.

This afternoon we bid goodbye to Mary, our intrepid bus driver. We’ll have other drivers for the rest of the trip, but Mary has become quite an essential and entertaining part of our group.

We returned to Lampeter and our campus home late in the afternoon and had some time to rest. After dinner we had a talk by Horatio Clare, an author who writes memoir, travel writing, journalism, and more! He dispensed wisdom after wisdom, and I think everyone in the audience was really touched by the personal insights he shared about what it means to him to be a writer and write on difficult subjects like immigration, political division, and mental illness.

One of the lovely things about these visiting writer lectures/readings in the evenings is that locals are welcome too. There is a group of Welsh women who come to nearly every one, and Sophie and I have befriended a woman named Sarah. We talk to her before the readings about impressions of American vs Welsh culture, writing (she’s a poet), and life in general. She, like most people I’ve met in Lampeter, is very, very nice.

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Sunday, June 5, 2022 | Swansea, Wales | 10:32 p.m.

We started the day with a trip to the Dylan Thomas Birthplace, the house where he was born and lived until he was in his 20s. He produced 2/3 of his published works there, and many of his poems and stories are grounded in the landscape and community where he grew up. His house is recreated inside to look like it did when he lived there, but it is a living house that hosts events and people can even rent it out as a bed and breakfast. All the furniture and decorations are either from the period or replicas, and visitors are allowed to touch and explore everything. I even wrote a poem (which I posted earlier) sitting at the vanity in the guest room!

Exterior of the Dylan Thomas Birthplace

A nearby park where Thomas spent a lot of his time growing up that contains many memorials and plaques dedicated to him.

Dylan Thomas’s desk in his bedroom

At the house, we had a workshop on the Welsh poetry form cynghanedd, which incorporates lots of alliteration and assonance in specific combinations.

We had a delicious Welsh lunch buffet at the house made with all local ingredients. A taste of Wales for sure!

We drove to two scenic spots, Arthur’s Stone (not where King Arthur pulled the sword from, just a local name) and Rhossili Bay. Arthur’s Stone is a monolith, a human-made stone structure made during the Neolithic age. Stonehenge is the most famous example of a monolith. There are many theories about why they were made: rituals, structure for burial mounds, place markers for nomadic tribes. Pam’s favorite theory is that they acted as picture frames, outlining beautiful or meaningful parts of the landscape.

Today was our first day with rainy weather but I actually loved it. It was very atmospheric. Rhossili Bay looked exactly like how I had pictured Wales before coming here: foggy air, craggy cliffs, green hills, grey ocean. It looked, in fact, just like the beach in my first post!

After some rest time in our hotel, we went to a reading by our two program directors, Pam Petro (my professor from Smith!) and Dominic Williams. Pam’s writing always makes me want to cry in the best way, and it was so exciting to get to know Dom’s writing after knowing him.

We had dinner at the same pub as last night and I ordered two (TWO!!) drinks that were both very delicious, a raspberry Bellini and a mojito. At dinner I sat at a table with Mary, our bus driver who is from Wales near our university. It was a very interesting way to learn more about life and culture here, she had a lot to say.

One thing I keep forgetting to mention about Wales is that absolutely no one wears a mask here, and neither do we in my program. Sometimes it feels weird and I’m hyper-conscious of my breathing and facial expressions, but sometimes it feels nice and free and normal. Cases are low here and we’re seldom anywhere crowded. It feels almost as if we’ve traveled backward (or maybe, hopefully, forward) to a time without a pandemic. It made me a little anxious at first but now I know I’ll miss it. Even without masks, I feel much safer here than in the US.

And another random tidbit, we have seen the CUTEST dogs here. It’s as if the Welsh have the best taste in dogs in the world. Lots of poodle mixes, spaniels, and mixed breed, soft, mid-size dogs with beautiful spots and speckles and soft ears. Each one cuter than the next! We even spied a litter of adorable border collie puppies in someone’s yard a few days ago!!

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Nancy Thomas

I wrote this poem about Dylan Thomas’s sister Nancy, who was older than him by 8 years. Not much is known about her but evidence suggests she may have been unhappy in her childhood home. The photo below is her dresser in her recreated bedroom in the Dylan Thomas Birthplace.

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Saturday, June 4, 2022 | Swansea, Wales | 11:10 p.m.

Tonight and tomorrow night we are having a trip within the trip and we’re staying away from campus in Swansea, on the coast of Wales. Not a lot of photos today, most of the places we went didn’t allow photography. You’ll have to use your imagination :)

Today we drove 2 hours to Big Pit Coal Mine, a mine that operated in Blaenafon, Wales from the 1800s to 1980. We had a tour of the mine (in which I was the only person who didn't have to duck or crouch down) by a guide who had been a miner. When someone asked him if he preferred mining or giving tours, he said mining absolutely. We learned that in the 1800s when women and girls were barred from working in the mines, some dressed as men and boys to continue to support their families. We also learned that the mine (like many others) had over 70 horses who worked in them. When the horses were first used, they would be brought down to the mines at age four and lived their entire lives underground, never seeing the surface again.

After the tour we had a workshop and reading with author and travel writer Sally Shivnan, We were challenged to write from the perspectives of people who lived around and worked in the mines. She also read to us from a delightful mystery novel that she's been working on.

We then had time to explore the museum and historic site ourselves (my favorite part of course). There was a traditional museum as well as recreated areas, like a blacksmith shop and stables. I was delighted to observe the exhibits (like almost all signage in Wales) was written in English and Welsh. There was a campaign in the 1970s and 80s to regain Welsh as a national tongue after many centuries of English oppression, and I’m proud to see museums taking part in strengthening the use of the language.

After leaving the mine, we stopped at a whiskey distillery for a tour and tasting. I was too tired to try the whiskey (and it would be wasted on my palate anyway) but I sure smelled it!

We had a lovely poetry reading and Welsh harp performance in Swansea by writer and musician Delvth Jenkins and poet, farmer, musician, and general jack of all trades Sam Robinson. We ended with a late dinner at a local pub.

One aspect of this trip that I did not anticipate is how exhausting it is to have to explain my hearing aid/microphone setup multiple times a day at every new tour, workshop, or activity. The program directors do what they can to take the burden off of me, but in most cases I feel I am the only person who can explain it well. That, plus anticipating every possible mini-disaster (one mic didn't charge, I left one on the bus, my hearing aid battery is dying, etf, etc etc) is weighing on me. I can't just show up to an activity like the rest of the group. I have to come early, ready to put on my customer service voice and do my little explanatory song and dance. It's really quite exhausting. I think l’Il feel better about it in the morning, it's been a long day.

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Friday, June 3, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | 11:23 p.m.

This was a magical day. We started out with a hike to Llyn y Fan Fach, a lake that is the site of the legend of the Lady of the Lake. The tale goes that a woman rose from the lake and a cattle farmer fell in love with her. Her father said they could wed, but if the man touched her three times with iron she would disappear back into the lake. Of course, that is exactly what happened, and the lady returned to the lake. Though the story is a fantasy, it represents real tensions between the Neolithic and Iron Age, and the way the people of Wales at the time were invaded by iron-wielding Celts. In a modern-day twist to the tale, the lake is disappearing, probably because of climate change. The layers of myth on top of history on top of present day, along with the greenest views I’ve ever seen, were very evocative.

After our hike, we visited the ruins of the Carreg Cennan Castle which was a site of conflict between the Welsh and the English for hundreds of years. Owain Glyndŵr, the last true prince of Wales, fought in a rebellion there. (Shoutout to Laura, that’s Glendower!! He was there!!!) We had quiet time to write on site, and then drove to a pub where we sat outside and shared what we had written. I might polish up what I wrote and post it here in a few days.

Lastly, after dinner we had a reading and talk by Welsh poet Mererid Hopwood. It was one of the most energizing and inspiring readings I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. She spoke about translation, the Welsh language, poetry forms, Dylan Thomas, language activism, writing about place, and so much more. She had infectious energy and joy that made me simultaneously want to listen to her for hours and run home and write. An absolute treat.

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The Cow

Ekphrastic poem based on painting below, from a workshop with Ros Hudis on Thursday, June 2, 2022.

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Thursday, June 2, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | 10:52 p.m.

This morning we visited the home of renowned Welsh art collector and art historian Peter Lord. His house is full to the brim with Welsh art, which will soon be headed to a museum collection, but we were lucky enough to have a private tour. He had endless stories about the meaning of each piece and also how they came to land in his collection. There was no real field of Welsh art history or collecting until he began it. Several pieces had even been sold to American museums as colonial American folk art, only for the curators to realize after many decades that they were in fact Welsh.

The outside of Peter's home was as beautiful as the inside, with a yard filled with wildflowers and a toy train set. Across from the house was a mountain that was once a lead mine and has now grown back lushly green. A train, leftover from the mining days, runs through the mountain and Peter’s son is a conductor on it. It came by and blew its horn for us while we ate lunch in Peter’s yard.

We also had a writing workshop with poet Ros Hudis who is known for her ekphrastic poetry (poetry about visual art). We each chose a painting to write about. I’ll share my poem in another post. It was the perfect morning for all things writing, museums, and history.

After lunch we went to the coastal town of Aberystwyth. Most people went shopping in the touristy town but I took off to climb a hill by the beach. The footpath was steep and rocky but the views were beyond worth it. Probably one of my favorite hiking views ever, right up there with Bryce Canyon, made extra special because I was the only person there.

Our visiting writer this evening was David Elliott, a children’s/middle grade/YA author who has also been with us on most of our excursions each day. The reading was delightful and the Q&A afterwards was extra fun because we all knew him. One piece of wisdom that he shared is that he feels that a writer is always writing the same book, the story just takes many different forms on its journey to getting out. I had never heard it put that way, but I do feel like most of my work (fiction, memoir, plays, poetry, all of it) comes from a shared center, some essential truth about myself and my world that I’m trying to get out in different ways.

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Real quick, here are some photos of me with the rest of my cohort taken by one of our program directors. The first photo is from our first night dinner, the rest are from the second day, Tuesday, looking at medieval manuscripts and hiking!

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Wednesday, June 1, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | 11:19 p.m.

We started off the day with a morning workshop where we walked around the town of Lampeter and were challenged to describe the scenery with sensory details that go beyond cliches.

We took an afternoon field trip to the ruins of Narberth Castle. It was built in the 13th century and features prominently in many tales of Welsh history, myth, and legend. We had lunch there and walked around the site, and then went to the town’s museum for some quiet writing time.

We also had time to walk around the town of Narberth, which had excellent shops and cafes. Lots of shops were decorated with flags and photos of the queen for the Platinum Jubilee which is on Thursday and Friday. I bought a pastry called a tiffin that had a whole Twix bar on top. That’s what I call decadent!!

I bought an ADORABLE vintage pinafore for just 12 pounds!! I am living my granny fantasy!

On the drive back we stopped at a little park with a river where people were swimming. It was cold enough that I was wearing a fleece but someone from my program jumped in!

After dinner we had our reading from a visiting writer. This time it was a stand up comic and for the most part we were not fans. Some of his wordplay was clever enough, but most of his set was pretty offensive (to women as well as queer, trans, and disabled people). It felt very 30 years ago. Our professor said it was good that we were exposed to it because it reflects the views and attitudes of parts of Wales and Welsh culture, which is true, but I think there are better way of learning about that. I think these visiting writers are supposed to give us inspiration for the kind of writing we’re doing, but many of us left the performance feeling uncomfortable and upset, the opposite of creatively inspired. Several of us went on a walk afterwards to decompress (we were also searching for a pub, but places were closed for the jubilee and not all of us who look younger had IDs anyway). It was certainly a bonding experience, and I feel much closer to the cohort now.

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Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | Lampeter, Wales | 10:05 p.m.

First full day of the program! A writing workshop and introduction to Wales and the Welsh language in the morning. Now I want to learn Welsh!! After lunch we visited the university’s special collections to see their collection of illuminated manuscripts. Some were as old as the 1200s. We got to touch them because the oils in our hands are actually good for the velum and parchment pages.

A Book of Hours from the 15th century

Another Book of Hours, also 15th cent.

Can't remember much about this one but I believe it was from the 13th or 14th century

A manuscript from around 1200!!! The image in the bottom left corner is smudgy because it's a drawing of a bear and people have pet it over and over throughout the years.

Got a little tour of the campus and town from our program directors. It’s pretty small but has everything I could need! Then we went on a GORGEOUS hike in the hills surrounding the campus.

The main academic building on campus. Our program director said it looks like Hogwarts but honestly... I don't see it. This is where we'll have most of our morning writing workshops.

After dinner we had a reading by Welsh author and playwright Rachel Trezise. I liked her writing and even more than that I liked the matter-of-fact way she answered audience questions. She became very famous in her twenties as a major author of English-language Welsh literature, so it was really inspiring to learn about her life and work.