Learning London (the first five days)

*warning: cheesy

…or at least, learning my way around a tube map. Being as abstract and directionally challenged as I am (yes, I am aware that that was an abstract statement), I was overwhelmed and nervous upon entering the city of London, particularly after being so acclimated to the tiny town of Stratford. I’m from Atlanta, and while I love the excitement and possibility that big cities offer, I tend to find myself creating a space and staying there, no matter where I am. But after unpacking and getting a taste of the attractions and immense size of London during our bus tour, I knew that I couldn’t resist getting out and exploring the city. On our first day on our own in London, I found myself simply following my friends and not making a huge effort to actually learn the layout of the city and the workings of the tube map. I was disappointed with myself, because I try to be a leader in a lot of situations, even if it makes me uncomfortable, and this shouldn’t be an exception—especially since I am (sort of) an adult.

my pictures wouldn’t upload, so I found this on the internet. It’s probably better than anything I could have taken.

One thing that all of our museum tours and park strolls and frantic tube traveling this weekend have made me think is of all the writers I know and love who have traversed these same back streets, fumbled with the same directions, sat in the same random coffee shops, seen the same looming building sides (or older versions of the same buildings), etc. I’m writing an Honors Thesis on the poet H.D. next year, and I have read a lot about her stay in London during World War I and II. Along with many modernists, H.D. fled to London and then fell in love with the city. What is it about London that made H.D. and her friends feel unable to leave? As I walk these streets, I want to soak up the culture and the feeling that not just H.D., but Shakespeare felt when they lived here. While Shakespeare was born and died in Stratford, he performed his plays in London; London is the heart of his theatrical career.

I am so lucky to be here growing up and learning just the way that these young authors did—I want to see what they saw, but also to see it through my own eyes, to form my own memories and experiences to write about, to fall in love with this vibrant city. Yesterday, when I spent my first day alone in the city, I surprised myself by being able to navigate the tube without a hitch. I went to H.D.’s London flat, bought tickets to Corfe Castle, and wandered around Kensington Gardens for two hours, journaling and soaking in the rare England sun. I’d like to think that Shakespeare, H.D., and the rest would be proud.