#fy nghariadau……

[mothvalleys]

Um . Hi

[all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual]

Richey Edwards and Nicky Wire photographed by Kevin Cummins

[sheepfroggy]

How I manage my hiraeth

While working on university work and some bigger posts for this blog, I've begun feeling that panging, longing sense for home again - that hiraeth feeling that I can never fully explain to my English friends and flatmates here in England. It's not necessarily a sad feeling in itself but it does sometimes make me sad, so here's how I manage my hiraeth on those days when it makes me sad:

Eat welshcakes! It sounds super simple - because it is! Making and eating something that reminds me of home can soothe my urge to be back home and as a result soothe that sadness of knowing I can't be home right now

Listen to Welsh music This doesn't just have to be traditional music either. Some days traditional music does really ease my hiraeth, but other days I find I need something a little more engaging to the modern Welsh in me and so Welsh pop music can really help! (If you're struggling with where to find any of this, there are some great spotify playlists about or you could even try listening to Radio Cymru)

Watching things in Welsh When my hiraeth is particularly overwhelming, hearing people casually using our language really eases that for me. S4C has a decent range of Welsh telly to consume as and when needed. There's also a very minimal amount of Welsh language content on youtube that I scrounge for when in need of things to enjoy

Speak Welsh Easier said than done when away from home, don't get me wrong, but it really does ease my hiraeth to even just speak in Welsh to myself about the flat while I'm going about my day to day business. It helps me feel a whole deal closer to home, for sure

Giving myself time to process my hiraeth Hiraeth can be a very complicated and overwhelming feeling. Sometimes, all I need is a good cuppa and some time to chill in bed and mull my feelings over and dwell in them a bit until I feel ready to move on. It's not always easy to move past these feelings unless we first let ourselves recognise and experience them. Always give yourself the time you need to process these complex feelings At the end of the day, it's only natural we feel hiraeth (especially given how strong our ties to our homelands are), so don't beat yourself up for how you feel. Take your time. As with all emotions, especially ones this strong, you may not feel 100% happy and well immediately and that's okay! Your feelings are valid and are shared by hundreds, if not thousands, of Welsh people wherever they may find themselves. Look after yourself, fy nghariadau. Remember, you are loved and you belong <3 Cymru am byth

[mothvalleys]

testin out brushes with ghostknife movie night ^_^

[all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual]

Photo by Mick Hutson

[all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual]

Idk if there's a version without the watermark but