'A short chat with a bus driver instantly showed me how welcoming the UK is'
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It's been a couple of years since I relocated to Wales, embarking on a fresh chapter in my life. The day I arrived is still vivid in my memory. It was my first experience of flying to and moving to a new country, starting from scratch. To say I was nervous would be putting it mildly.
Just over 20 hours prior, I had been surrounded by family and friends, feeling loved and cared for, and then suddenly, I was utterly alone. As soon as I landed at London Heathrow Airport, the reality of my solitude hit me. Lost in the vast airport, I needed to find my way to the bus station to catch a coach to Cardiff. I resorted to what I knew best – asking people around for assistance.
However, as I quickly discovered, it's easy to lose your way in the hustle and bustle of London. Thankfully, after a few missteps, a helpful staff member pointed me towards the bus station, reports Wales Online. Having finally navigated my way to the station, I managed to book a coach to Cardiff, but not without one last obstacle. As I was about to board the bus, the driver informed me that I hadn't booked the correct ticket for my luggage.
"I'm so sorry about that – I didn't know. Let me pay for it now," I said to the driver. To my astonishment, he seemed almost taken aback. He told me: "Just get in – don't worry mate. Take care next time.". This might seem insignificant to most, but for someone who had uprooted his entire life just 20 hours earlier and landed in a foreign country with no family, this was my introduction to Wales and the Welsh. A nation of kindness and breathtaking beauty.
