Things always happen for a reason. I booked time for me to spend a couple of days on my own to explore Wales further and was led to the Brecon Beacons. My search had brought me to Cosmos Camping, one of the camping ground that are within the dark skies reserve. Prior to my trip, as my last hike was waaaaaaay back in my later teens at Snowdonia, finding my own way using a map and a compass is not my strong point yet. I was meant to go with my friend that would show me around, though we fell out at the last hurdle through my own fault. So, I bought the books, the guides, the map and for the first time in my life owned my own compass, though I really only had a week to digest it all. I admittedly deep down I started to panic. There was confidence in myself but also felt a bit of stupidity for not being prepared for any eventualities. So I reached out to Cosmos Camping, whom Alex & Bob are the host of. They gave me a contact that they’d been provided through the grapevine which was “Quiet Walks”. It felt aligned for what I wanted to experience Wales to be.
Alex & Bob are such amazing and welcoming couple, I instantly felt and made to feel very welcomed and just cared for. Their humour is so well appreciated and hearing about their journey on how they came about to owning their own place here in Wales by up and leaving London during the lockdown period. They have been their most chilled out, stress managed and their relationship with each other have been all the better for it. Not that there have not been any challenges for them but somehow it has been easier to work through them.
You can tell from the camping grounds how lovingly they have tended to it and well thought out about people who want the raw experience of camping but at the same time still wanting the little creature comforts that we secretly still desire … ie. a really nice hot shower that is clean and not covered in dirt.
My walk with Lisa (Quiet Walks) was around the Llyn-y-Fan fach. Lisa has one of those demeanours, that just exudes calm and confidence. I felt that we instantly just hit it off as I had wondered how a 4/5 hours hike with a stranger would fair. I have had the most heart fulfilling views, experience and conversations. There have been many highlights to name in our walks but to name a few; have been sitting on top of the cliff, looking down at Llyn-y-fan below whilst eating the shared cheese sandwich, with salad from Lisa’s farm (I forgot mine at the camp and thankfully so!). And then, an impromptu walk at the Garn Goch fort on a Moon walk the same night. The experiences have been magickal, eye opening and mysterious, all at the same time. If you had met me 3 years ago, I would have been a different person, I was scared of my own shadows, absolutely scared of doing anything in the dark. I remember days when as a teenager I would wait outside by the porch of our home because I was too scared to be in the house in the dark on my own (and this was in the daytime!!). Nowadays, I embrace being in dark on my own, it gives me a sense of empowerment in finding my way through the darkness, its that reassurance in myself that the only thing I will meet there is myself and that there is nothing scary or bad about me that I shouldn’t be facing anyways. Since doing shadow work on myself, I have found my confidence of the darkness grow stronger and stronger.
Lisa too have come from a busy walk of life and moved to Wales to start her farm. Listening to both Alex, Bob & Lisa, I found it so hopeful and proud of us all. We all had been going through the similar challenges of leaving our old lives behind to start something new of what our new selves are calling out to us. A life that is more heart centred, with a calling of freedom from our past and a future with purpose. Alex & Bob have never met Lisa before and for all our worlds to collide at this one point, I felt a beginning of a new venture together. Life always, the Universe always has a plan for us all.
With love, play and gratitude,
Cherlyn
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