Whether it's through film, TV or pages of a book, you may have flown a TARDIS with a time lord, walked on the moon with Neil Armstrong, survived the Hunger Games, and perhaps even fallen in love with a character of the likes of Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy.
But faithful fans aren't
leaving their love for their interests at home. Instead, they're setting
course to destinations where their geeky passions come alive. From the
sweeping emerald landscapes of New Zealand where one can wander the
trails of the cinematic Middle-earth of "Lord of the Rings" to Wales for
the ultimate "Doctor Who" experience, devotees are seizing the chance
to experience their fandom up close and personal.
For iReporter Alex Vaccarino,
a book report in fourth grade would start a lifelong love affair with
J.K. Rowling's world. Though our "muggle" world may not have magical
potions to ensnare the senses, Potterheads like her can apparate (or
take a plane or car) to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ,
an enchanting theme park inside Universal Orlando fit for any wizard.
Complete with a snow-capped Hogsmeade, a Hogwarts Castle and
recognizable shops including Ollivanders and Honeydukes, fans can
immerse themselves in magic that has been lifted from the series.
"Rowling's books are so
rich in detail, taking a pilgrimage like this was like looking directly
into her imagination," Vaccarino says. "I think I scared nearby small
children with my level of excitement. It was like stepping into one of
the books, which is any fan's dream come true."
For many nerds, a pilgrimage goes beyond simple sightseeing and becomes a rite of passage. Most of the readers who shared stories of their nerdy pilgrimages with CNN.com felt their experiences cemented their love for their respective passions.
The object of iReporter Daniel Fandino's veneration is tucked away in Mitaka, Japan. Designed by legendary anime
filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, renowned for movies like "Spirited Away" and
"My Neighbor Totoro," the whimsical Ghibli Museum is the perfect place to see Miyazaki's animations come to life. With a
playful interior, the museum houses detailed models, artful storyboards
and several exhibits that invite Ghibli admirers to pause and savor.
"The experience was very
meaningful because it was a chance to see the behind-the-scenes and
creative process of a major animation studio whose work I have so
admired," Fandino says. "To have visited the museum felt like reaching a
certain pinnacle as a fan and I felt extremely fortunate to have had
the opportunity to do so."
It's these pinnacle
experiences that become the driving force behind a pilgrimage, but each
full-hearted adventurer has a unique motivation for wanting to take one.
If you're a literary nerd like Teresa Fields not only do you fall in love with imagined characters who sit on your
bookshelf, but you also fall in love with the minds that have penned
them to life.
"You realize that it
wasn't the characters that so captivated your thoughts, but rather, it
was the author who created them who you were in love with all along,"
Fields said in a CNN iReport.
Wanting to explore the
world of English novelist Jane Austen, Fields set off from her home in
Virginia to the charming Hampshire countryside -- the place of
inspiration for stories that would become timeless novels like "Sense
and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudice." Austen fans can take a
stroll through the 17th-century cottage, now a museum, where the author
spent the last eight years of her life in the village of Chawton.
"You get a clearer
picture of how she lived and how she might have formed her
characterizations by the way her environment shaped her," Fields said.
"I couldn't believe that I was actually walking in the footsteps of
history. Sometimes I had to stop and say to myself, 'Jane Austen
actually walked this path.'"
Undertaking a pilgrimage
may not be for everyone, but it certainly offers enthusiasts the
opportunity to not just imagine how things may be, but to see things as
they really are.
For a Whovian like Tme Hampson, what better place to come face-to-face with the "Doctor Who" universe than The Doctor Who Experience,
an interactive journey that takes fans behind-the-scenes of the iconic
show. On Cardiff Bay in Cardiff, Wales, the attraction showcases sets
and an incredible collection of artifacts and costumes that span the
50-year history of "Doctor Who."
"I've been a 'Doctor
Who' fan since childhood, so approximately 40 years. Seeing all the
sights was astounding," he says. "It was a fantastic day. Not only the
exhibition, but also getting the chance to visit many of the external
filming locations in the area."
Though gaining a deeper
connection to the show was a rewarding experience for Hampson, he said
going with a worthy companion, his son, made for a more meaningful one.
"My son is 9 years old
and a huge fan of the latest regeneration of the Doctor," he said.
"Getting to share a visit with him to many of the props, costumes and
sets made this an unforgettable experience."
The beauty of these
trips is in memories that last long after the experience. The journey is
almost always so brimming with heartfelt emotion and zeal that it
resists being reduced to a typical set of vacation snapshots.
And
there's certainly nothing typical about finding yourself at the doorstep
of a Hobbit-hole home.
With countless "Lord of
the Rings" tours available, New Zealand has quickly become a place of
pilgrimage for "Lord of the Rings" fanatics. Drawing new energy with the
release of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" in December, Tolkienites
are flocking to spectacular locations like Matamata, where Peter
Jackson filmed his Academy-Award winning trilogy.
"Now I can say that I have seen Middle-earth," said iReporter Jerry C Gonzales who took a Hobbiton movie set tour to see the stunning fantasyland for himself. "I never stopped taking
shots from every angle of the place. It was an amazing experience," he
said. "It was more than what I expected because our tour guide even told
us some secrets on how Peter Jackson filmed the movies."
As most nerds know,
being homesick for a place you've never been to is not an unfamiliar
feeling. In fact, it's that longing that breathes life into a
pilgrimage.
In the book "The
Hobbit," J.R.R Tolkien writes about Bilbo: "Then something Tookish woke
up inside him and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear
the pine trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a
sword instead of a walking-stick."
Perhaps there's a Tookish wanderlust that begs to be awakened in us all.
