Sunset, Aberystwyth

So I was brisk walking down to library in order to return overdue books before the library closed, and walked into yet another glorious Aberystwyth sunset. Sunsets in Aberystwyth are generally rather glorious.

Yesterday, my friend was telling me about his trip to a waterfall somewhere in Latin America (I forget where). He was telling me how magical it was, because he was standing in the spray, totally soaked, and the sunlight was refracting off the water droplets, and it was like standing in the middle of a rainbow. His friend had tried to take pictures of everything, but they never came out. This was a memory he would carry with him to the end of his life, he said.

My campus is on top of a hill facing the sea. In front of the library, there is a large square with a beautiful view of the sea. It was Sunday evening, so the square was pretty deserted, except for a handful of people, quietly standing and looking at the sunset. This is the sun setting over the Irish Sea, and it's just one of those views that remind me how freaking beautiful our world can be. The entire sky is painted in shades of orange and purple and pink and remnants of blue. It's been a clear day, so there're only a few wispy clouds. Away from the blazing sun, in one corner of the sky, there's a crescent moon. The trees are mostly still bare, and the branches look as if they're glowing with some inner fire. The sea is shimmering, and you can see the now-familiar silhouettes of Aberystwyth town, the Old College, and castle ruins bathed in light. A flock of birds flies past, and you can hear the seagulls calling. Two planes pass by, probably heading to Ireland, with their trails catching the light and turning orange-red, and they look like two fiery comets streaking across the sky. It is a view to break your heart. I reach for my handphone to take a picture, and realise that I've left it at home.

Sometimes Aberystwyth can be a dreary town. It's cold and windy, the hill is an ass to climb, and there's really nothing much to do. But there is space here. I constantly look up at the sky because I'm always surprised by how vast the sky is. Under this sky, I could be anyone I want. I could fail and drop out and disappear if I wanted to. I could travel to any corner of the earth I liked. And there are glorious sunsets.

Except... except sometimes you can't have both love and freedom, and the most magical moments are those you fail to capture and keep.