#jemmainwales - Month 3

How on earth has it been 3 months since I set sail from little Northern Ireland and ended up in Wales? To be honest in some ways it feels like I have been in Cardiff for a lot longer than 3 months, in other ways these past 3 months have flown by and I do not know where this first year of university is going!! But to say I am loving University life and all that comes with it is an understatement - Cardiff is capturing and overtaking my heart!

What have I learnt this month: I think to sum this month up in one word it has to be 'contentment'. As I reflect on the year that has been 2015 I realised that for a lot of this year I wasn't content. I wasn't content in myself, I wasn't content in where I was in life. I wanted more, I wanted better. I was seeking for something.

Back home before coming to Uni I felt like I had a lot of labels and things attached to me. Those who know me know that I chose to study at Cardiff because I wanted to go somewhere different than my two older brothers. I didn't want the label of 'Andrew's little sister' or 'Peter's little sister' defining who I was or giving people an impression of me. DO NOT GET ME WRONG, I love those brothers of mine with all my heart and I love the fact that they have set an example for me but I just wanted to be known as Jemma. Back home I had the label of being various people's friends; before people even knew me they were judging me on who I hung out with and to a certain extent in some situations I felt like I had to live up to those labels and ideas. Again don;t get me wrong I love my friends a lot a lot and I miss them over here but I was at a stage where I was ready to just be Jemma.

Upon arriving in Cardiff, I was given that clean slate. I was able to truly be myself, not having to put on any 'acts' or doing things because I knew people expected it of me. Nobody over here knew anyone connected to me. I was able to solely be me for the first time in a long time. And this past month I've realised that I'm now content with where I am in life. No longer am I longing after things or wanting more. God has given me a peace, he has given me true joy. Even on my bad days I feel content and joyful amongst my sadness. God has been teaching me that those labels I feel hang over me back home (there are more than what I mentioned), they don't define who I am. My definition, my identity, it is totally in my heavenly Father.

God was the only constant I had when I arrived in Cardiff. For the first couple of weeks I had no-one else to pour my heart out to or tell all my anxieties. And through pouring out my heart to him, getting to actually know him and all that he is (I still have a lot to learn, and that thought excites me) and knowing he was never going to leave me on my worse days, I am now able to say I am content with life and I am beginning to live life in all its fullness (John 10:10)

God has been so good this first term and I cannot wait for the terms to come. But until 2016, it's goodbye Cardiff, hello Northern Ireland!!

Some highlights of this past month:

Dinner, [window] shopping and Winter Wonderland with this girl was truly fabulous!

First Christmas dinner of the season! #christmasincardiff

Cardiff Carols in the cold, wet and rain - probably one of the best nights yet! #christmasincardiff

Reindeer helpers!! #cardiffcarols #christmasincardiff

We were very excited!! #cardiffcarols #christmasincardiff

My favourite carol sung live - just a glimpse of #cardiffcarols #christmasincardiff

We even had real reindeer!! #cardiffcarols #christmasincardiff

These guys have made my first term truly amazing! #cufreshers #christmasincardiff

Ain't no party like a North Halls group party! #christmasincardiff

Amongst the fun comes the work! The life of an OT! #handbones

Last CU of 2015 - finishing our last term together in style! #christmasincardiff

First term finished with a visit from a familiar face - so much love for this gal! 

Will miss the beauty of this beautiful city over the next 3 weeks! #cardiffisbeaut

Lunch with two of my favourites!

And there you have it: month 3 and first term over! For now, time to celebrate the birth of my King and catch up with all you Northern Irish readers! Until next month! 

Wrote with love, 

Jemma