Once upon a time in the summer of 2006…We were given a weekend off from our month-long program in London, so our house of American university students scattered to different corners of Europe. Most went in groups to other countries, but I stayed in Mother England with my feet firmly planted. In the early afternoon, after mostly everyone had departed, with a messenger bag packed for a day trip, I set off alone. I rode the tube to Paddington Station, ate some Yo Sushi, and boarded a train bound for Oxford. 
The Eagle and Child Pub has been a thing of myth for me ever since middle school, when one of my teachers showed us pictures of his family’s England trip. We were reading The Hobbit around that time, and I’d plowed through The Chronicles of Narnia, so my ears pricked at the slightest mention of Tolkien, Lewis, or Lord of the Rings. Imagine my utter fangirlish joy and jealousy when my teacher told us about visiting a pub in Oxford where Tolkien and Lewis and a group of other authors called the Inklings would go to discuss their writing projects! I’d already been bitten by the writing bug, so knowing such a place existed was almost too amazing to be true!This time I was alone, on my way to see this famed place of legend. I had heard my school mates’ weekend plans, and felt the pull of other amazing locations, but I knew I had to take this chance while I was across the pond or I might never go. France would have to wait til another time. It was Oxford’s turn.
Oxford also happens to be the home of Lewis Carroll, the famed writer of the Alice in Wonderland books, so my trip to the city was truly a well-rounded author pilgrimage! But the highlight was, of course, when I took a step into The Eagle and Child Pub (or The Bird and the Baby, the local slang term my middle school teacher told us long ago).It was a very plain room, and you wouldn’t have known it was special if you hadn’t come there specifically, or if you didn’t notice all the plaques and pictures of the men themselves on the wall. Time seemed to stand still, though I probably only visited the pub for an hour or so. There were barely any other patrons while I was there. Truly, I could be there mostly alone in this precious room (except for another wandering tourist) and could drink in everything. I tried to imagine what it might have been like to attend one of the meetings. I remember imagining that I would ask for lots of writing advice. How special that would have been, to hear a suggestion right from Professor Tolkien’s mouth! I remember thinking, “Okay, boys, inspire me! I’m here! I came to see you! Give me a really genius idea to put the icing on the cake.” No, nothing hit me like a mystical idea bolt from the blue. Still, just being there inspired me to work harder. What an encouragement to just be there where giants walked. It got me thinking I have some pretty big shoes to fill!
I ordered a fish and chips dinner, and raised some black currant cider in a toast to their genius.
I may not have gotten any life-changing story ideas that day, but I didn’t need a perfect sign to know I was in an almost hallowed place, a personal writing mecca, and that wouldn’t change. Just knowing that I took time to have a meal in the room where one of my favorite authors had sat and gotten writing advice from his learned peers, that alone was worth the trip. It was one of the most wonderful landmarks I have hit on my writing journey, and it truly always will be my first and dearest pilgrimage.
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That's pretty cool. The hardest part about getting inspired is hanging onto it and translating it into hard work later. I remember getting really inspired by a lot of stuff I saw in Scotland, but that hasn't translated into a lot of productivity to me (natural born procrastinator), so kudos to you for sticking with the writing, I know you do it religiously. Did you go on any pub tours when you were there? We went to the pub where Sir Walter Scott hung out.
Thanks, Ben! *beams* You should totally just sit down with some of the ideas you had with a pen and paper and see what comes out.
I didn't go on any other tours except a few of the colleges where I believed Tolkien and Lewis went, as well as the church/school where they filmed Hogwarts locations for Harry Potter. I had my priorities! Was Sir Walter Scott's pub in Oxford or Scotland?
[...] I’ve mentioned in a previous entry, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the famous Eagle and Child pub where Tolkien and Lewis, along with other writer friends who called themselves The Inklings, [...]
[...] As he’s one of my favorites, you can read more about him in my entry on him and Tolkien, and the one on The Inklings! [...]