Wales anyone?

[wildflowermama]

We are moving from the midwest USA to southeast Wales in November.

Is anyone else in the area? We will be very close to Cardiff.

Jo

[wildflowermama]

We are here now in the Vale of Glamorgan. Anyone else here?

[Whispers]

Hi

I'm new here!

I am in Swansea about 40 minutes away from Bridgend (less when you take the train).

How are you guys settling in?

[wildflowermama]

We are settling in fine, but I'm finding that doing ap type things isn't really common around here. I can be friends with anyone of course, but sometimes it is hard being the oddball (we homeschool, too, and are American so I often feel like the odd one in the group).

I take the train from Bridgend to Port Talbot every Tuesday! It's really about a 20 minute trip. I love how helpful everyone is. I can always find someone to help me with my pushchair (I have a two year old and wear my infant) even though my ten year old is fully able to help me. It's really sweet how folks go out of their way to help us.

I like it here and I know I'll meet more friends. I am just starting to really miss my mama friends from home. But I am meeting up with an online friend this weekend and we (my family and I) are pretty psyched about that as this is someone I've known for years and years and never thought I'd actually get to meet.

:

PM me if you ever want to meet up. Like I said I'm out that way on Tuesdays, and my kids and I are always up for a visit to a castle or historic site. (We love the Museum of Welsh Life.) I have two boys ages ten and seven, and two girls ages 2 and 8 (gasp! how did she get so old!) months.

Jo

[Whispers]

Have you been going to the Home Ed meet ups in Port Talbot?

What a small world! We went for most of last year but I fell ill in November and I could barely get out the house much less get the train to Port Talbot. I am all better now and am planning to start going again from the beginning of March. We will probably see you there. I'll let you know when we start attending again

People are usually really good here about helping with pushchairs etc. I take full advantage whenever I can!!

I think if you Home Ed here you are automatically put in the "eccentric" box. Add to that if you babywear or homebirth or breastfeed beyond 6 months you are definately put in the "oddball" box.

Have you been out this way yet? Swansea is great and The Gower is beautiful. It really is well worth a visit.

[wildflowermama]

Yeah, we go to the home ed group in Port Talbot. If you do go, I'm easy to spot. I'm the American with a baby on her chest.

Cool. I hope to see you there soon.

Jo

[Whispers]

Hiya

I just wanted to update you. We have decided we won't be returning to the Port Talbot group so we probably won't see you guys. But if you ever find yourself in Swansea, feel free to pm me and you can pop over.

Also I am planning a Home Ed bbq once the summer rolls round. We live right by the beach so I was thinking bbq at mine, then off to the beach with the children. I'll let you know when we plan it and hopefully you can make it. We will have Home Edders from as far as Merthyr coming.

[wildflowermama]

bummer! It's a really great group. We've enjoyed it.

We went to the Swansea museum last weekend. It was really cool. Swansea really is a nice town and looks like there is a lot going on there. It seems like most home educators in the area live around that area. We were excited to find a Mexican restaurant in Swansea.

Let me know if you ever want to meet up.

Jo

[geiamama]

Originally Posted by wildflowermama

We are settling in fine, but I'm finding that doing ap type things isn't really common around here. I can be friends with anyone of course, but sometimes it is hard being the oddball (we homeschool, too, and are American so I often feel like the odd one in the group).

I take the train from Bridgend to Port Talbot every Tuesday! It's really about a 20 minute trip. I love how helpful everyone is. I can always find someone to help me with my pushchair (I have a two year old and wear my infant) even though my ten year old is fully able to help me. It's really sweet how folks go out of their way to help us.

I like it here and I know I'll meet more friends. I am just starting to really miss my mama friends from home. But I am meeting up with an online friend this weekend and we (my family and I) are pretty psyched about that as this is someone I've known for years and years and never thought I'd actually get to meet.

:

PM me if you ever want to meet up. Like I said I'm out that way on Tuesdays, and my kids and I are always up for a visit to a castle or historic site. (We love the Museum of Welsh Life.) I have two boys ages ten and seven, and two girls ages 2 and 8 (gasp! how did she get so old!) months.

Jo

Although I now live in Cheltenham, I originally came from VOG. I felt like an oddball for babywearing and BFing but like you've already found, most people there are so friendly that they don't really care. I've always found that no matter how much they think I'm committable, I've always been taken as I am.

I love St Fagan's too. I have been there almost every summer since I could walk. My DS's favourite parts (not to mention mine) were the Iron Age roundhouses, the horse and cart rides, the pigs at the farmhouse and the sweet shop.

If you like castles then I would also recommend Castle Coch.

[wildflowermama]

We like Castle Coch. I have some great footage of my boys swordfighting there