Why England?

Maybe the answer is obvious. England is gorgeous; everyone in England has an awesome accent; being there is like being in Harry Potter; there are buildings older than anything in America; it is the place that spawned Doctor Who and The Office; there's a big clock so you always know what time it is. All good reasons. But none of them are my reason for going to England, although they are all nice perks.

My reason for going began when I was little, probably six or seven or so. And it's pretty much due to this man.

Yep, Roald Dahl. I grew up reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, Matilda, Esio Trot, Boy, and all of those classics he wrote. He was completely radical for his day. He challenged children to push their imaginations as far as they could. Later, I absorbed books from Eva Ibbotson, Anthony Horowitz, J. K. Rowling (of course), and several others. These are the authors that made me want to be an author.

And what do these authors have in common? They all live in England. So I soon set up an equation in my mind. You go to England, you become a brilliant writer. Of course, now that I'm in college, I know that it's not that easy and that there are plenty of genius American authors. But that little childhood wish sticks with me. To really appreciate the English language, to gather up the history and landscapes and atmosphere of these authors I so admire (a group which has expanded to include Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, William Wordsworth, and a million others), to become something of a true author myself, I have to go to England.

In this way, England is my Mecca. It's a journey that's something like 15 years in the making. So yeah, I want to see a West End musical really badly. I want to hunt down Daniel Radcliffe at the Harry Potter premiere and dance through the daffodils at the Lake District. But I want more. I want this journey to make me a better writer, a better person. I want this trip to change my life.