Sunday, 3-3-96
5:00 PM Somewhere in the UK
11:00 AM E-Town
I walked through a waterfall today! Very cool! ☺︎ I was “Gorge Walking” for my last activity on our ISA/Butler Adventure Weekend in Wales… What an awesome experience! We had to gear up in wet suits, coats, pants, boots, life jackets, & helmets — pretty stylin’! ☺︎ We rode in a mini-van to a big gorge w/ a steam running thru it along the rocks & some waterfalls! At first we just waded thru… nothing too exciting… then one of our fearless & silly leaders told us we were gonna play “follow the leader!” Next the thing we knew she has us squeezing under branches & logs between the air & water to get us wet & used to the water! Then she had us sit backwards on a big log & lean back till we fell & completely immersed ourselves! ☺︎ From then on we were all soaked & good to go! So she continued to lead us thru the water filled gorge… We slid down some water falls like they were water slides! And then, before heading back to the van to dry off, warm up, & put on dry clothes, she gave us the option of climbing on these rocks & walking along a wall under a waterfall! I did it! And as Jill said, “it was an amazing rush!” ☺︎
Jill’s roommates, Bill & Jack, Neil, Natasha, & her best friend came. It was a fun group! One of the cooler things about this weekend, besides the brilliant scenery & fantastic activities, was getting to know so many students on the ISA/Butler Program a bit better! I remember before we left I asked Molly how many people were going. She said 52 & said that it was a great & intimate number… at the time I thought, “yeah, right.” I am not gonna get intimate with w/ these people! But, to my surprise, I feel I saw a side of many of these students I never dreamed I would… it has been really wonderful to break down some preconceived notions I had, or at least realize most people have many facets to their personalities, which reminded me that people aren’t always bitchy or always nice for that matter! Wow! REVELATIONS! Jill’s flatmate Katie commented on the way back from “Gorge Walking” that this was a weekend not to have been missed! I’ll second that emotion!!! ☺︎ It was wet, it was wild, & I was there… ☺︎
Now, after a yummy lunch — almost exactly like yesterday’s — we are back on the coach heading “home” to London! Just finished watching “When Harry Met Sally” and now “Lethal Weapon.”
CHEERS!☺︎
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Note from Present Day Kathy: Another fun day to reflect on from my adventure weekend in Wales! I am proud of myself doing some things, while Gorge Walking, that I might’ve been somewhat afraid of in the moment, but really enjoyed once I experienced them. A good reminder, 23 years later, the value in “challenging our comfort zones,” as we used to say at Camp Algonquin, the residential summer camp I worked at in 1995 and 1996.
This entry was also a healthy reminder of how inaccurate our perceptions of people can be before we really get to know them, as well as what can happen when we have expectations about an experience we are anticipating. It also caused me to think about how many people are not all good or all bad, so it is worthwhile to give others opportunities to show us the dimensions of their personalities, even when they may not have seemed kind in some instances. This can be especially tricky, when it comes to our family and friends.
At 43, I still struggle with how to deal with difficult relationships. I continue to appreciate the importance of/work on having boundaries and teaching others how I want to be treated, including what behaviors I will allow/accept. Of course, as with many things in life, this can be easier said, than done, but I am making progress.
The “It was wet, it was wild, & I was there…” quote referenced a t-shirt that we all received as a souvenir of our adventure weekend in Wales! It was white with the footprint of a hiking boot on it. It was a favorite of mine, to wear, for many years after my semester abroad, as it reminded me of the fun we all had that weekend. Eventually styles changed and wearing an oversized/XL t-shirt in my 20s was less appealing and not very flattering, so I haven’t worn it in years. I’ll have to look and see if I still have it somewhere, which knowing me I imagine I do.
Finally, I noticed this week that the dates and days of the week in 1996 were the same/correspond to those in 2019! How cool is that?! So this having been written on Sunday, March 3rd is amusing, since this Sunday will also be March 3rd, albeit 23 years later!
And, interestingly, I am actually preparing for a weekend away (Friday – Sunday) with college friends/sorority sisters in Texas, since one moved there with her family a few years ago for a new job. So 23 years later I am glad to still be having adventures, with some of the same women that I mentioned/ wrote about corresponding with in my journal entries (though that semester they were back home in the States, having their own adventures).
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Reminder: Unless I’ve been given permission to use people’s actual names, in most cases I’ve removed or replaced the names of the real people who were part of my journey/experience there, in effort to protect and respect their identities/privacy in my London Semester Journal entries. I will also not share details that I think and feel are too personal for anyone I interacted with, my loved ones, and me.
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Here’s the back story of My London Semester Journals from 1996, including what prompted me to revisit and decide to share them here in 2018. And here’s a list a list of the entries, which I will update as I share them.
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