Nostalgia Train - July 18, 2001

Caernarfon, Wales

We toured Wales today and learned a lot about slate. I found it pretty boring however it was slightly interesting. I just wanted to stay at the hotel and chill, but that was not the case. Slate mining was huge here in Wales until about 1969.

We got to go down deep into a slate mine and it was so eerie and cold. At the same time though it was so gorgeous. Just dark and isolated.

Later in the afternoon we climbed up a mountain and cleared rodendron (spelling??). I though that it would have totally sucked, but it was actually really fun. It certainly beat going to some stupid museum…being outdoors was ideal… It felt great “giving back to the environment.” The rodendron [sic] puts toxins back into the soil so no other plants can grow there. Watching the branches burn in the fire was great. ha, I’m such a pyro.

The rest of the night after we got back to the hotel I just chilled in my room and read… I’m going to finish that book even if it kills me.

Off to Ireland.

First of all, it’s “rhododendron”.

Second, I CLEARLY was in a mood!! 🤣 LOLLLL not much has chaaaanged!

And the night at the hotel, I feel strongly that there was a murder mystery something and I was like, “nahhhhhh, I’m staying in my room.” I have always re-charged ALONE. I believe that book I was so determined to finish was A Prayer for Owen Meany by fucking John Irving and I only read it b/c my 7th grade science teacher read it and talked about it instead of, oh, teaching. Love you Mr. Chard forever and ever. That book was dumb.