What is Marriage?

Dear Me,

• I trust you with everything. 
• I've shared everything with you, with no judgement from your side.
• I love how you're genuinely happy when I tell you my happy stories.
• You always listen to my endless and irritating rants. And I mean listen, listen.
• You always make me smile.
• I know I'll never be bored with you.
• No matter how much time we spend together, how much we talk, I'm always left wishing for more. 
• But while I'm left wishing for more, I love that you understand when we need space.
• I'm a better person because of you constantly pushing me and encouraging me to do things out of my comfort zone.

...and you want me to let all this go?

Love,

Me

(Was that a bit creepy? Like a psychological thriller?)

I do all these things to myself and fail to understand why I need someone else in the equation to fulfill that. Why is marriage such a huge topic of discussion in our society, immediately after a job is found? Is there no room for the above...at least for a few years? Are we not meant to make a life for ourselves and live it, before we add someone else to the equation? Why do have to always be dependent on someone for life to move on? Why can't we make our own actions, hardships and thoughts work for us?

As an almost 23 year old woman, I find the topic of marriage (or commitment in general) a very minuscule part of my life. There are way more important things on my mind - How can I spend more time with my family? Where will I be five years from now in my career path? How do I settle down in my new job? How to I adapt to the new environment I'm in? Who are my friends? Where do I visit next year? 

This isn't a feminist rant (I'm not a feminist) or a vent session from personal conversations at home. My parents kinda think the way I do. Yeah the topic comes up, but I think having had two daughters, they sort of understand where I'm coming from. They encourage me to be independent. Now don't think marriage is dependence. It's not. I can't speak for marriage right now, but I can't speak against it either.

The whole point of this long rant is - marriage should not be an ultimate goal in life. Marriage should not be a topic of discussion for any woman or man aged below 28 (unless they consent it, then yay, good for you). Marriage should not be looked down upon either. 

Marriage and commitment should not be feared, but should not be the center of attention either.

Please note that these are personal opinions. Please feel free to voice your own in a comment below or email me :)

Rhossili Bay!

Cliffs at Sea

I've been to Rhossili three times, and this was my fourth trip. I was excited, as usual. There's nothing more than travel that gives me an adrenaline rush. Tanushree and I headed to the bus station from Swansea University. We were meeting a few more friends there; that's what made the whole trip more exciting! The three different trips had been three different experiences, because of the people I went with.

Turns out, our friend, Ketan, was the only one there. His roommates were meant to join us. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, they couldn't make it. We didn't let that affect our excitement though. It was Ketan's first visit to Rhossili, and we were determined to make it lots of fun!

Walking around

We took the bus. It was more or less a 45 minutes journey. We did our own things - clicking pictures, listening to music, talking - and finally, we were there!

It's like the weather suddenly decided to match our moods, and it was sunny! Rhossili Bay is gorgeous when the sun shines all over the damp grass. The waves across the bay look dramatic, no matter what weather! But the colour of the water, that deep, oceanic...almost "can't-stop-staring"...blue, happens only when the sun is out; and this time, we were lucky.

Our lovely walking surface!

We walked on top of the cliffs, daring to approach the edges. We clicked many pictures, putting our photography skills to work. As we kept walking, we saw a young man, of our age. He had a backpack, a small snack and his Nikon D3100. He was seated on a bench, observing the people and scenery around him. We didn't notice how he looked as we were more engrossed in our experience. But I do remember Tanushree whispering, "He's like you! You came alone once, didn't you? So cool!" And I couldn't help but smile to myself, thinking that there are people out there, just like me.

We finally reached the left-end of the bay, where we could get a sort of clear view of Worm's Head. There were pebbles between the end of the bay and Worm's Head. It was 13:30hrs and the tide comes in at 17:00hrs. We were all seated, gazing out and taking in the beauty of the nature (and the warmth of the rare sunshine). Just when we were discussing whether or not we should cross to Worm's Head, the young man we had observed earlier stood behind us and smiled. He greeted us.

The four of us exchanged names and a few facts about each other. His name is Brian and he is a student from America.

Stopping to click photographs

Then the most amazing two and a half hours of my whole stay in Swansea, began. We crossed the stretch between the bay and Worm's Head. It was lots of walking, climbing, jumping and photography. Alongside all that, it was a lot of laughter, stories and talking mini-autobiographies of our lives.

We finally made it to Worm's Head, like it was a hike from one city to another. We were not tired. We still burst with excitement. And this journey just made our hearts pump with more adrenaline. After a few photographs at Worm's Head, we headed back to Rhossili Bay.

At Worm's Head

There, we enjoyed the most beautiful sunset, where Brian said something I'd never forget, "God is just showing off now!" Indeed he was...and why wouldn't he? The world is so beautiful.

The beautiful sunset

Needless to say, it was one of the most epic journeys of my life. I met a new person, discovered new things about people I knew, did what I enjoyed most - photography and adventure...and had a new experience. Like I said, Rhossili is a place where you are guaranteed to always have a different experience, no matter how many times you go.






Some helpful facts:

- If you're travelling from Swansea City Center to Rhossili, take the bus number 118.
- Buy a day ticket - it should cost you 4.70 Pounds, with return.
- Wear waterproof shoes as you'll have a lot of walking to do in a lot of wet land.
- Carry water and some snacks as the cafe closes pretty early (around 5pm , if I'm not mistaken).
- If you plan on crossing the stretch to Worm's Head, good footwear and a decent backpack is recommended.