We Leaped And Landed Here

As it’s a Leap year and today is February 29th and the ‘Weekend Challenge’ is Leap, I thought I would make the leap and partake in the challenge. My wife and I made a huge leap together just a couple of years ago when we moved lock, stock and barrel to Wales.

The Whole Kit & Kaboodle

It’s nothing extraordinary really, some folk (and I have relatives who have) move the whole kit and kaboodle to far-flung corners of the earth like New Zealand, America, Australia or places I can’t even pronounce. Come to think of it, there are places here in Wales that I can’t pronounce. Back in 2016, I hadn’t been well and time had come to finish work and move on to the next part of our lives. Nothing was planned so we looked at it all as a new adventure and to grasp it, firmly, with both hands.

After Such A Long Time

After nearly 34 years of living in the same house, almost man and boy, we had watched our daughters grow up and move on and seen so many changes in the area, it was time for us to make the great leap into the unknown. We would be sad at parting with the home that had looked after us throughout our married life, though we certainly wouldn’t miss the neighbours from hell, their constant noise, mess-making and dumping of rubbish in our garden arguing and general mayhem on a daily basis. We couldn’t have a nice car as every morning there would either be a wing mirror missing, another scratch along the bodywork or a flat tyre.

Take A Leap

The crime rate in the area we were living was rising by the second! We had been affected badly by it too, so this was another reason for moving away. Initially, we had looked at moving just a few miles away, but we soon realised that we could end up in a similar situation to what we were trying to escape. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they say. So, we made a decision to take a leap and head for Wales. I drew a line on a map from Birmingham and made the outer edge so it was no more than a 2-hour journey. At least we could get back and visit relatives and friends and it wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Delightful

Eventually, we found the delightful little house we now call home. Not only that, but the people here have been so welcoming and their friendship and support have been wonderful. It even took time to get used to people saying ‘Good Morning’ and asking how things were going when we first arrived. We were so used to the aggressiveness of city life with a usual greeting of ‘What you looking at?’ I’m pleased to say that things have gone from strength to strength since we made the leap.

Crime Rate

One of the things that helped make our decision in moving here was when we checked the crime rate for the area. After years of being surrounded by burglaries, muggings, stabbings and all sorts of misdemeanours, the only registered crime here was from 2015 when someone stole a pair of ladies tights from a garden washing line! I can live with that and I have to say, since we’ve been here, we have gone out a few times and forgot to lock the door, but we always come home and nothing has happened. We both agree this is the biggest and best leap of our lives that we’ve ever made. Long may it continue.

The main photograph was taken by my wife.

I’ve added this short video I put together from my wife’s filming of House Martins preparing to emigrate to South Africa. This was in 2018 when we were in the final throws of our first summer here.

This post was in response to the Weekly Prompt Challenge.