TWO PREPARE FOR 'ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME' TRIP TO ARGENTINA

7,000 miles to teach Welsh

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor

A YOUNG teacher from Conwy county is preparing to travel more than 7,000 miles to the dramatic valleys of Patagonia, Argentina.

The trip is the culmination of a lastminute change of heart when Megan Elias was deciding what to do with her life.

Megan, from Old Colwyn, had a lightbulb moment when going on a school trip while in her final year. She said it proved a life-changing experience that convinced her of the need to learn to speak Welsh.

"In Year 13, in my last week, there was a trip to the Urdd Eisteddfod in Bala," she said. "It was meant for Year 9 pupils but there were spare seats and my Welsh teacher asked if I wanted to go.

"I'd never been to an Eisteddfod before. I'd never seen so many people speaking Welsh and part of such a special culture - I didn't even realise that world existed.

"That day, I decided I wanted to speak Welsh fluently. I changed my plans to study finance at Lancaster University, rang Bangor University last minute and asked if I could study Welsh - and I did. It completely changed my life.

"Everything I've achieved since is because I learned Welsh."