It’s now just over five years since I first arrived in Cardiff , and since I started keeping this blog. That’s a big chunk of my life, and over that time I’ve grown and changed a lot, leaving home and becoming independent of my parents, studying for my degree, starting my working life, and most recently getting married to my wonderful wife.
My sister Hannah has just started as a student in Cardiff, and is even in the same halls as me. It’s strange to notice all the different ways that her experience will be different to mine. When I arrived as a student, there was no Facebook, and no Internet access in my halls of residence. But now many of the students arrive having already made contact with their flatmates online, and when they arrive, describe what they’re up to on their Facebook statuses, which makes it very different from turning up not knowing anything about the people you’ll be living with.
One of the odd little bits of synchronicity is that the house that Bev and I now rent belongs to a friend, and back in my first couple of years as a student, I came round here every week for Navigators Bible studies. Little did I know that I would one day be living here with my wonderful wife!
If there was one piece of advice I could give to myself five years ago, it would be this: pick one or two things to commit to, and do them really well, rather than doing a dozen things half-heartedly. I loved being involved with so many different activities while at university – the student paper, debating, the Christian Union, Navigators, and many other bits and pieces that I dabbled in. But I think I’d have achieved much more, and developed more lasting friendships, if I’d really invested in just a couple of them. But I’ve only learned the value of “quality over quantity” through being over-busy as a student, so even if I could change my choices, I don’t think I would.
I’ve learned a lot and grown up a lot in that time. I’ve made up my mind on some issues, and changed my mind on others. Getting married has made me realise what a lot more I’ve got to learn – getting to grips with things like budgeting, and paying the bills and so on. They’re not glamorous, but it is exciting for Bev and I to be in control of our lives together. I believe that God has been at work in me for the better, helping me to grow in knowledge and love of him, and in the pursuit of humility, though I’ve still got a long way to go!
I wonder what the coming years will bring… Settling more and more into married life, and starting to take more of a part in life at Mack again, for one thing. I aim to become a published novelist, and hope to write scripts for television – I’m off on a course with TAPS in a couple of weeks on Continuing Drama. And looking further into the future, the next big adventure will be starting our own family. Life… it’s full of adventure!
