I’ll confess, I’m not much of an explorer. I’m a little too much of a worrywart to feel comfortable letting myself get lost in unfamiliar city streets, especially when those streets are an ocean away from the house I’ve spent my entire life in. At the same time, though, if I didn’t explore at least a little bit, what was the point of going overseas?

That’s what I told myself, at least, in trying to get myself out the door for once. But finding something to explore was almost more difficult than the exploring itself. I’d be hard pressed to care less about sports, music history holds no interest for me, and there are only so many museums I can stomach in a week — and that’s not even mentioning how my legs and lungs protest whenever I stretch them for too long. I’d always wanted to come to London for a while, but there was never anything I particularly wanted to do there. I just wanted to be.

Well, I thought. I used to like Doctor Who. Maybe I owed it to my younger self to visit some of the settings in person, while I was there?

Canary Wharf was on the same Tube line as our hotel, so that was a good place to start. Westminster Bridge had its own theme song as Rose ran across it to work in the first episode of the reboot — maybe I could reenact her flight? Ooh, and there was an actual TARDIS prop at Earl’s Court.

That wasn’t a trip, though. That was maybe fifteen minutes of teaboo-tourist shenanigans. But… there sure are a lot of Tube lines, huh? Wouldn’t it be a stupid little thing to boast about, if I could say I’d ridden every one?

And thus, #tubek18 was born.

(Credit to Hope for the travel plan)

Nineteen stops. Fifteen different tube lines. One epic quest.

I never actually finished the #tubek18 — my ticket got declined at Westminster, only two stops in, and there was no way I was paying for the rest of this odyssey out of pocket — but I came out of it a little richer, I think. I saw Big Ben shining through its scaffolding. I ran across Westminster Bridge with Westminster Bridge singing through my headphones. I stood in the doorway of the apartment at 221 Baker Street. I saw the charity of strangers, and the London Eye reflected in dark waters below.

The next day, I’d make it to the TARDIS at Earl’s Court, having planned out my own trip, asked my own directions, and taken my own picture (that still counts if it’s by proxy, right? I couldn’t fit both me and the box in the frame by myself!). And I’d make it back the same way I’d started: on my own.

Walking through London was an amazing experience in it of itself, but what was even more amazing is when the walking stopped. Where I especially loved to stop walking was Westminster Abbey. This amazing piece of architecture brings so much more to light than the beauty it supplies to the city of Westminster.  The city itself, buzzing with modern Up until that point in time on the trip, it was pretty much all about the historical stuff (although amazing!) was not my forte. Learning that we would be going to Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey and actually have the opportunity to stand on and experience the burial sites off so many of the most important (and my favorite) minds from the English and Literature realm, really sparked my fancy.

Me, a right-brained, fashion major turned English major, was in awe of all the beautiful art and architecture put into these amazing individuals eternal resting places. As English majors, we read so much literature from all these dead guys and never really get to connect to these writers. What is a better connection to the literature than being so close to the bodies of the people that wrote it? I got to stand on the grave of CHARLES DICKENS! HOLY CRAP! My favorite poet from my Intro to Poetry class and British Literature was Alfred, Lord Tennyson and I got to stand (and maybe dance a little) on his grave. This single moment made the entire trip worthwhile. If that was the only thing I did in London, I would have been just as happy. Ok, that’s a slight exaggeration, but what do you want from me? I’m an English major so therefore I am a tad bit dramatic. Seriously though, it was such a highlight of my trip. This experience was the most enriching for me because I finally got to connect all the historical aspects of the trip to where my soul lies, English.

The day that we went to Westminster Abbey was one of the best days of my life. I feel so cool because I can say I saw the tomb of Chaucer, a Shakespeare memorial, the Bronte sister’s memorial, the grave of my favorite poet, and graves of some of the most important figures from my education. The day was followed by my getting tattoo of a book with the words “anything can be.” right above it. I got a tattoo of a book the same day as visiting the Westminster Abbey, experiencing so much rich literary history. So, now, I’ll REALLY never forget it!

-Taylor Thomas, English Nerd

I could write of the history I experience within England. Yet the things that stood out the most were things such as Abbey Road, Harry Potter, and new friendships. I knew only a few people prior to this trip and as we left the airport in Newark to go home, hugs were given to different people. The shared interests of The Beatles, Harry Potter, and venturing the tube after a night at the pubs (Waxy  O’Connor’s). I was amazed at how quickly these common interests brought together a group of people. We always wanted to keep exploring and venturing to new restaurants, new places, and still get as much history as possible.We visited the famed Harry Potter Bridge in London, which was used in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”. No Harry Potter fan could visit London without going King Cross to pretend to push that famed cart into platform 9 3/4. As a lifelong fan of The Beatles, it was a personal mission to visit Abbey Road, it was surreal to see others try and get their picture on the road. Which turns out is still a functioning road, half the battle is running in between traffic to get your signature pose. This trip was remarkable and I wouldn’t change anything about it. It’s been about three weeks since I was running about England trying to see everything. I’m happy to say I talk about England all the time, I’ve turned into that person that will talk about it any chance I get. I even got a tattoo to always remember my time there. I went in The London Eye, saw the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, and Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’ at The Tate Modern. All while eating a lot of food and drinking a lot, all while being completely happy with my new friends.

– Sarah Piraino

Before venturing to England and exploring for myself all the wonders that it held, all my knowledge of England came from other people.  I’d see England through the eyes of famous authors, or through films or TV shows set in England.  In fact, as far back as I can remember, most of the connections I could make to the world outside of my home were through a screen or a page.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to explore on my own. I remember wondering what it would look like, to see the second star on the right from the top of Big Ben like in Peter Pan, or walk down Baker Street with characters like Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, or see places like the Globe Theater.

Fortunately, I was able to do all of these things. Well, almost all of them. Unfortunately Big Ben was under construction (and I don’t think that people would actually be able to stand on the clock’s hands like in animated movies like Disney’s Peter Pan, or The Great Mouse Detective).  But, I was able to see Peter Pan, and Holmes’s apartment, and Shakespeare’s Globe.

While these are just a handful of places I was able to explore, they were the places that meant so much to me. Places that I had connected to so vividly as I’d grown up, I was able to explore and experience for myself and not rely on film or literature to take me there. I could talk about other places too; like how the streets of York made me feel like I was wandering through time, able to see things both modern and old fashioned, and how standing in Westminster Abbey was surreal because it doesn’t hit you that you could literally be standing on top of the grave of someone like Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, or Charles Dickens until you see their name on the floor.

Places like these make me feel small in the world.  All the history and significance of these places and the people who had been there before me, it really made me think about everything I saw differently.  Now I’ve seen everything through the eyes of famous authors and actors, but also through my own eyes.

Watching twenty-two men kick a ball around the pitch was most definitely the best part of my trip to England. Football has always been a huge part of who I am, so naturally the first thing I had planned to do during my trip across the pond was attend a match at Wembley Stadium.

Walking into the the stadium was surreal, the energy was uncanny and I could feel my heart racing with excitement. After my first step past the doors to where the pitch was, my jaw dropped- the view was absolutely incredible. The crisp fresh air, green grass on the pitch, bright fire truck red seats, and the sun shining across it all. It was as though I had just stepped foot into my wildest dream, and I did not have to wake up.

By kickoff, the stadium was packed with loud and rowdy fans decked out in either Tottenham Hotspurs or AFC Wimbledon apparel. From the first touch of the ball, fans were chanting, singing and cheering with a strong sense of passion and pride. Although I could not understand most of what the crowds were chanting, the atmosphere had captivated me and made me feel like a part of the whole. Goals in the second half only intensified the animated group of followers. I bounced out of my seat as quickly as the ball hit the net, seeing Harry Kane score in person is something that will be engrained in my memory for the rest of my life. This was a place that I did not want to leave, a place where I felt as right at home.

Don’t worry Wembley, I’ll be back soon to enjoy the most beautiful game in the world.

Audree Gilchrest