I decided to try and not imagine what this trip would be like or how it would go, I tried to just get there with no expectations or a list of things that I wanted to see or do. Just go with the flow of things and try to fill the time with making memorable memories in a new place with a new group of people.
I viewed this trip as my last big project/opportunity at Ball State because I was set to graduate in May. I wanted to go all in and get as much out of it as possible.
When I arrived in Wales I was ready to experience everything that Wales had to offer.
The entire trip was jam-packed with events and opportunities to explore. I have never been out of the country before so this was the first time I got to experience a whole new country in an immersive way. Being full immersed into a totally different culture was something that I adjusted to quickly to, I started to understand how people interact and conversate with each other. I always felt like people were in good moods when they were talking to each other! Which was something that can’t be said back in the US.
Getting to work with people and interact with people who have had vastly different life experiences than the 16 of us who were on the trip from Ball State was really cool to me. Getting to “talk shop” with people who have worked and gone to school in a totally different country and part of the world was really eye-opening.
There are a lot of things that I was able to take away when it comes to the industry of broadcast media and how other countries view and consume their media and how they interact with it. We toured BBC Wales while we were there and got a chance to see a lot of their control rooms and studios, the BBC is all about keeping a consistent look and message across all of their platforms and that showed in how they produce their shows, everything was intertwined with one another in a good way.
Jordan Klimes and I had the opportunity to interview 1964 Tokyo Olympics Long Jump Gold Medalist, Lynn “The Leap” Davies while we were on this trip. This was a great opportunity for Jordan and I because he is considered a National Hero to Wales. It is very rare to get to sit face-to-face with someone who is considered a national hero. His perspective on life and how competition fosters a desire to do the best was simply inspiring.
Now you may be asking yourself, why was this title Pedal Power: Moving and Exploring with Purpose? For those that do not know, I am an avid biker. I have been like that my entire life. I feel a sense of freedom when I am on my bike, nothing else matters in the world except what is in front of me while riding my bike. I knew on this trip I wanted to go on a bike ride, I just didn’t know how I was going to be able to do that.
I found a place that does bike rentals for the day that was about a 10 minute walk from where we were staying. We had a free day during the day on the Friday before we left to go back home. I decided to rent a bike for the day to do some exploring on my own, the name of the bike rental shop was, Pedal Power. I talked to Joe Towns about where I should go on this bike ride, he suggested a castle in the mountain called Castle Coch.
Castle Coch did not disappoint, it was a truly beautiful castle that was off the road and hidden away from the hustle and bustle of a city. I rode all around Cardiff for about 2 and a half hours, totaling to 25.24 miles. I found the streets to be extremely challenging to navigate considering that I had to ride on the left side of the road. Like most of my bike rides back in the states, this was a very enjoyable and pleasant ride, but this one was pretty special to me. This was pretty much the only thing that I did on the trip by myself, this was the only memory that I can say no one else got to experience, I find that to be really cool.
During this trip there were many moments that I had to take a step back and soak in the moment, from meeting our MET counterparts for the first at Roxy’s Lanes to seeing us all come together at the end of the trip at Bingo-Lingo. It was a whirlwind of a trip to say the least, 12 days that I thought would never end were over before I knew it. I am forever thankful to the people that I meant on the trip and the people that went with me on the trip. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
