London Calling

Exactly one year ago today, I embarked upon a journey that became the best month of my life. I stepped on a plane bound for London, and I got to spend a glorious month in the most amazing city in the world. I’ve had individual life moments that surpassed my London experience, but for day-to-day, constant deep contentment and happiness, nothing can beat that month. I’ve decided to take this opportunity to look back at what was truly a life-changing experience and share it on this forum. I kept a pretty extensive journal, and while I won’t reproduce it word-for-word here, I will look back through my journals and hundreds of photographs to reproduce the best moments.
Anyone who has spent more than five minutes with me knows that I am a diehard Anglophile. Although my German-Irish background should make me hate England, parts of the English culture have always called to me. I say parts: while I would in a split second transport myself to 1960s Swinging London, I think the Industrial Revolution was a big mistake. Many of my favorite things come from England: the Beatles, James Bond, Lord of the Rings, the Who, sandwiches, Wordsworth, iambic pentameter, etc. For a long time, I had a dream of living or spending significant amounts of time in England. I always felt like an honorary Brit. London had always called to me, and as a Beatlemaniac I knew I had to make the pilgrimage to Liverpool at sometime in my life. When I was 16 I spent a week in London, and ever since then some mysterious force had pulled me back to that enchanted island.
I knew that Colorado College offered a month-long theater class in London, but I still waffled at the thought. Ever the responsible one, I worried about abandoning the orchestra or spending too much money. And then along came Jeopardy! On the third day of Jeopardy, my final Jeopardy category was “Beatles Songs.” I bet it all and came up with the correct answer: “Penny Lane.” I said to myself, “Now you really have to go to Liverpool and pay homage to Penny Lane.” (Penny Lane is a street in Liverpool.) I took it as a sign that the universe wanted me to go to Liverpool. And if I was going to go all the way to Liverpool, why not spend a month in London on the way there? I waffled no longer. I now had a definitive reason to go to England, not to mention the financial freedom that Jeopardy had afforded me.
While I had dreamed and fantasized about London and what an amazing time I could have there, it surpassed every expectation I had. Of course, I got to experience London under the best possible circumstances. While officially I was there for academic reasons, the academics involved taking in London’s unmatched theatre scene. We saw a play every night and talked about it for two hours the next morning. Outside of that, I was completely free to do what I wanted. I sincerely wish that every person gets an opportunity in their lives to have the kind of freedom I had. I had no homework, so for the first time in about ten years, I didn’t have the constant worry of homework and grades over my head. I also had no worries about the future. I had sent in my application for law school and I knew I would not hear back until I got home. And because I was in a foreign country, I couldn’t do such things as look for jobs.
Not only did I get to take a vacation physically, but I took a vacation mentally. I let myself go from all worries about the future or the past. My hair-dryer didn’t work, so I didn’t have to worry about how I looked. I walked miles and miles every day through the streets of London, so I didn’t have to worry about exercising. Instead of worrying, I stopped and smelled the flowers, both literally and figuratively. (I actually cried at the sight of fields and fields of multi-colored tulips.) I had the amazing luxury of time—time to slow down and time to let the city take me wherever it did. I mean, of course I had plans of what I wanted to see. But some days I just let myself wander, watching and listening to the wonderful city. I packed in an incredible amount of sight-seeing, but I felt more relaxed than I ever have in my life. One of my favorite quotations comes from Professor Tolkien: “Not all who wander are lost.” I truly learned the significance of this quotation. I wandered, walked, and weaved my way through the streets and alleys and lanes of the busy metropolis, seeking out nooks and crannies of interest. At a corner or intersection, I took the way that looked most appealing at that one single moment in time. I spent hours upon hours strolling barefoot through the parks. I watched people, but even more so, I watched myself. I allowed myself to live in the moment. I allowed myself to enjoy every experience and let myself have fun. I allowed myself to be free.
And in all my wanderings, I never got lost, because it is impossible to get lost in London. You may get confused about your physical location, but around every corner you will find something new and interesting. I also never got lost because I felt completely at home. I’m not sure if I believe in past lives, but if I do, then I most certainly lived in England in some past life. I felt truly at home in London. I made the city my own. Although parts of London are of course quite rough, I never felt the least bit scared or insecure. I never felt afraid. Rather, I felt like I had walked these streets for my whole life. I was home.
Before I left for London, I made some promises to myself. First, I would treat the trip as an adventure. I had just gotten finished with a life-changing class on adventure narratives, so I decided to make London my own person adventure. And I did. I set out each day with my map, ready to explore and get into trouble. I never actually got into any trouble, but my adventure mindset really made the experience enjoyable. I also promised myself that I would not scrimp. I promised myself that I would not turn away from any attraction because of the price tag. Now, I didn’t go blow my Jeopardy winnings on tea at the Savoy every day, but if after some sunny hours in the park I wanted an ice cream, then I had an ice cream. I bought a quite expensive Tube (Underground) pass that gave me unlimited rides. I decided to ignore the (horrible) exchange rate and just have fun.
Besides my map, my most important accessory was my Ipod. My favorite music—the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks—took on an even greater beauty and significance when I listened to it in London. Imagine Revolver in a verdant London park, or listening to “Who are You” when actually having your hair blown back by a breeze from the Underground, or hearing “Waterloo Sunset” while actually standing in Waterloo Station. My favorite music never sounded better than it did in London.
So for the next month, I will be sharing some of my memories from last year. I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures, so I will try to pick out the best. At the end of the month, I hope you come to have just a fraction of love for London that I have for it.