I’m just back holiday near Betws y Coed and today I reached my goal of having a conversation in Welsh! We visited Ty Mawr Wybrnant and after my usual smattering of Diolchs to random people and snippets of Welsh muttered to my toddler while listening to another family speaking to different members of staff in Welsh I almost chickened out. However after some encouragement from my husband I screwed up my courage and when a staff member asked how I was I replied in Welsh and went on to explain that I was learning to speak Welsh. It was such an encouraging experience. It turned out I’d picked someone who also works as a Welsh tutor and he was so encouraging. He said he couldn’t believe how natural my spoken Welsh sounded given how long I’d been learning. That does seem to be a huge advantage of SSIW. I can’t explain much about grammar or why things mutate but as long as I’m rearranging chunks I’ve learned it really does flow! He explained that he taught Welsh to a group of adults and asked if I was living in Wales. When I said that I live in Sheffield he called me his hero for today for choosing to learn and speak Welsh outside Wales and thanked me for helping to keep the language living. It really doesn’t get more encouraging than that and I came away a little bit teary though very happy!
Fantastic Hilary, you’re my hero for today too (closely followed by a guy on twitter I’ve replied to, random but there you go).
That conversation will be the first of many, you’ve passed the biggest challenge you’ll ever have on your journey. Amazing.
Hero for the day. Have that tattooed on your brain, if not your skin!!
What a fantastic first plunge into the waters of Welsh in the Wild! Llongyfarchiadau MAWR… 
So exciting to read of your experience @hilary_coveney! A giant leap forward - congratulations! 
Wow! Really lovely story! Very impressive.
(From another Sheffield learner)
Well done Hilary!! What an amazing achievement! 
You are such an inspiration!
There you are Hilary, not so long ago you were wondering how you could possibly move forward! Now you need to follow through with some more conversations with some of us in the Welsh Speaking Practice group on Slack. But very well done!
Fantastic @hilary_coveney! Great for taking the plunge - only way to really learn a lingo. Did you meet Will who works at Ty Mawr Wwbrnant? Sounds like it, the way you describe him.
Es i i Eisteddfod yr Urdd yn Llanymyddfri dydd Mercher diwetha, a ges i amser gorau! Oedd croeso cynnes i fi, a pawb wrando yn amyneddgar pan o’n i’n trio siarad yn Cymraeg. Ydw, dw i’n gwybod bo dyn saes dw i, ond a’r diwedd y dydd o’n i’n gallu meddwl bod tipyn bach o fi’n Cymreig…
Ac oes, ges i ofyn am ddishgled o de yn Gymraeg -un o’r rheswm am ddysgu Cymraeg yn y lle cyntaf. Dw i’n hapus iawn!
I went to the Urdd Eisteddfod in Llanymyddfri/Llandovery last Wednesday, and I had the best time! I was warmly welcomed, and everyone listened patiently when I tried to speak in Welsh. Yes, I know I’m an English man, but at the end of the day I could think that a little bit of me was Welsh… And yes, I got to ask for a dish of tea in Welsh - one of the reasons for learning Welsh in the first place. I’m very happy.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i bawb SSIW!
Oh, a mae gyda fi earworm o ‘Gwyliau ar y Caribi’ -un o’r canu o’r Eisteddfod! Gwyliau yn y Caribi - Caryl Parry Jones - YouTube
It makes me so happy to hear of people going out and using their Welsh - that’s exactly what it’s there for! Da iawn wir 
Next challenge: learn all the words to “Hei, Mistar Urdd” 
Ive just spent two afternoons at Tafwyl. The Cardiff sort of mini Eisteddfod.
There’s plenty of scope for listening to Welsh and to practice a bit as well.Niceway to make some new friends as well…
Es i i’r Caernarfon penwythnos diwetha, i’r siop llyfr Palas Print. Roeddyn nhw’n cael digwyddiad, Sgwrs a Paned. Nes i ddweud wrth dysgwr arall yno. Roeddwn Gwnaethon ni siarad am tua awr. O’n i’n hapus iawn efo feint o’n i’n medru dweud!
I went to Caernarfon last weekend, to the bookstore Palas Print. They had an event, Chat and a Cuppa. I talked to another learner there. We were speaking for about an hour. I was very happy with how much I was able to say!
I finally was able to visit Wales for the first time and live and breathe the language. I was so proud of my progress and always led with Welsh in all of my interactions whenever I could. The person helping me check in to my hotel was surprised with how much Welsh I knew since I wasn’t from Wales. So thanks SSiW for building the foundations of my learning journey!
My proudest moment was being able to understand the train announcements in Cymraeg. I was one of the four people to move to the correct platform without rushing when a last minute change occurred waiting for the train. The rest of the crowd didn’t move until minutes later when the English announcement was made.
I felt so motivated with my trip and can’t wait to return to this beautiful country to get even more practice in!
Excellent! Well done!
See also: Getting to the newly opened till first in Aldi!