Okay, well, why NOT London?
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea where my love of British Culture came from. It would be easy to blame my Grandparents (on my mother's side), who always loved England, and enjoyed a few trips there in their time. I never got to go with them, sadly.
Actually, now that I think of it. I DO blame them. The last time they ever went, they brought me back a magazine with Orlando Bloom on the cover (I was 15, Pirates of the Caribbean had just come out. Sue me). Not a tabloid or anything, just a British Culture Mag. I still have it, actually. I looked through it and decided that it sounded like a great place to visit. I think I must have a thing for trains. Also, the grittiness of London. It's got so much culture, history, and yet, it's kind of dirty in some parts, isn't it? And of course, the weather. I've never been a sunshine person. I love gloomy weather, and fog, and rain.. All that. Somehow, it all seemed so appealing. London.
And British accents are sexy.
Over time, my fascination grew. I possibly had a chance of spending a summer there, in 2005 with a study abroad program called AFS. It was the Summer before my Senior Year in High School, but I decided to go to New Zealand instead. Nothing against England, but I was OBSESSED with Lord of the Rings, yeah? I had to go there. I don't regret it at all. New Zealand is hands-down the most beautiful place on Earth, and while I don't have a lot of evidence to back that up, I have a hard time imagining there is a place with richer culture, and more diverse landscape. I left a bit of myself there, and I've been trying to get back ever since. But more pressing matters bring me to London, a place I really truly feel I need to be.
I've even been to Europe, more recently than New Zealand. In 2008 I went to Amsterdam for 5 days. It's a beautiful city, and I love the density of European cities, but... It just wasn't London.
I could rattle off many of the cultural influences the British have had on me, but we might be here all day. I've begun to talk like them. I use their slang. I have for years. England is beautiful, I know it has to be. I've never heard anything bad about it, except maybe that it's expensive. Maybe it's just the whole fantasy part of this, but I imagine it to be rife with culture and history, but at the same time completely on the cutting-edge of everything--from music to fashion to architecture to film. You name it.
I mean, it's not just London. It's Manchester, it's Liverpool, it's Oxford. So many places that produced icons I have a great deal of love for (okay I'm getting into the cultural influence thing again...)
Honestly, I can't really explain why I want to go there so much. My brother once asked me what the deal was with me being an "Anglophile" and I just couldn't explain it. It's like asking why I like Coke, I guess. It's just what I like. And I'm not alone. It's even in the dictionary:
Anglophile |ˈa ng gləˌfīl|
noun
a person who is fond of or greatly admires England or Britain.
adjective
fond or admiring of England or Britain.
SO. What I'm proposing is to put my dreams into action. Next May (2011), I will graduate from College, where I'm studying Graphic Design. Immediately after, I will embark on a 3 week trip to England. It will be, in equal parts:
-A grand adventure
-A graduation celebration
-A 23rd Birthday trip
-A dream fulfillment
I've already commenced research on this. The cheapest places to stay, free attractions, etc...
On this blog I will list things I want to do, places I want to go, where I plan to stay, who, if anyone, I plan to meet, and so on.
This might very well be the biggest endeavor I've ever taken on. This is just under a year away, and so I've got ample time to save up money, and plan, plan, plan.
Stay Tuned.
Cheers,
Caroline
