Re-watching movies and listening to audio books this past summer allowed me to escape temporarily away from the real world into imaginative universes. I am very grateful for the life I live, but wouldn’t traveling to and experiencing these fictional worlds for a vacation be awesome?
Table of Contents
Harry Potter
The Wizarding World is literally a world of magic. I want to believe that my acceptance-letter-delivery owl is lost, and that wielding a real wand will trigger my hidden magical abilities.
To do list:
- Pick my wand, or actually, have the wand pick me at Ollivanders
- Have a patronus
- Buy a pet owl
- Get sorted into a house (I consistently have been sorted into Ravenclaw, with Slytherin coming in second, according to Pottermore and other sorting hat tests)
- Learn spells and execute them with my wand
- Live in Hogwarts and feast in the Great Hall
- Fly on a broomstick
- Explore Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios does a great job bringing Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to life, with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Butterbeer, many other HP classics available to indulge in.
However, it’s just not the same. Florida is always hot and humid, and if you’re unlucky, you could get heavily rained on. This does not match the snowy and sweater-wearing weather depiction that Hogsmeade is associated with.
Moreover, Universal Studios is always overcrowded with muggle tourists, where long lines and frustrating wait times discount the magical experience.
Speaking of which, one of my favorite rides at Universal Studios is the Forbidden Journey ride. It’s quite amazing, but it is incomparable to soaring above the clouds on a broomstick, or even more wicked, riding a hippogriff.
Avatar The Last Airbender
I think ATLA is one of the greatest shows of all time. Everything about the show— its storyline, complex world building, character development, bending/martial arts scenes, philosophical themes, depth and nuance, along with the ability to make you laugh, cry, and think— encapsulates what it means to be epic.
I don’t know of anyone who has watched Avatar the Last Airbender and not loved it.
I definitely do not want to visit during the war-torn world of fire nation invasions. But then again, the geopolitics was quite messy after the Hundred Year War too, and still crazy in Legend of Korra (which I could not make myself finish even the first season because I didn’t give a crap about the characters, and it made me sad seeing all my beloved characters old, and the world building just didn’t captivate me BUT ANYWAY), so there’s never really an optimal timing.
This is my fantasy trip and I am very aware that I am bending (haha) the ATLA reality a bit.
Ideally, I would start my journey at one of the Air Temples where I can rent a flying bison. Then, I would fly to the Northern Water Tribe, then the Earth Kingdom, and lastly, the Fire Nation. Hopefully I am able to unlock an element-bending ability, learn from different masters, and train with other benders. If I discover that I just don’t have any bending abilities (SMH), I would go to the Master Piandao, to prove myself worthy and learn sword fighting from him.
Nevertheless, it would be an incredible trip to admire the architecture, experience different ways of life, and immerse in the unique cultures.
The Hunger Games
Certainly, I would only want to visit the capitol, Panem, because it’s the only place pleasant to live in in this post-apocalyptic world.
Although it is definitely not ethical that its prosperity is by the means of totalitarianism over the 12 districts, it looks like it would be an extraordinary vacation.
Bathed in a lavish lifestyle, one can experience an “ignorance is bliss” type of getaway where you can party and eat without a single worry. Kinda like Las Vegas on crack.
There are even drinks that make you sick so you have space to try the infinite amount of delicacies. This sounds great on paper but hopefully they engineered it in a way where it wouldn’t lead to adverse health effects.
Lord of the Rings
Can you hear the flute part of the LOTR theme already? The scenic landscape is full of sunshine, rolling grassy hills, and wooden Hobbit Holes framed by vibrant flowers.
It’s the home to Hobbits who seem to have found true happiness and enjoyment of life through food, singing, and dancing. The Shire has the charm of a small town and close-knit community.
Although I have not been to the Hobbiton in New Zealand, it looks as close to visiting the one in Middle Earth as it gets. In fact, it is where they filmed the movies! I like that it is a movie set tour where they limit the amount of tourists. So, I imagine it is much more pleasant not having to swim through crowds of other tourists. Although it wouldn’t be an evening of singing and dancing with the hobbits, the Evening Banquet Tour provides a feast, which looks essential for a realistic Shire experience.
Percy Jackson
Okay first I need to mention that I have not watched the Percy Jackson movies. It’s too painful to get through even half of the first movie. It is as if the screenwriters didn’t read the books at all. The movie adaptations did the books so dirty that even the author, Rick Riordan, refuse to watch them.
Even though I am not a half-blood, (or am I?…), getting to spend a summer at Camp Half-blood doing badass warrior training sounds incredible :
“The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture–an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena–except they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs plated volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover’s were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.”
The Lightning Thief
Before I reread the Heroes of Olympus books, I thought for sure that I would choose Camp Half-Blood over Camp Jupiter. Gotta be loyal to the OG, right? But honestly, Camp Jupiter is so much more. It’s not just a camp where demigods train to fight monsters but it has the city-like New Rome where demigods can live, go to college, and grow old.
“The road led down to the river and divided. One path led south across a bridge, up to the hill with all the temples. The other road led north into the city, a miniature version of Ancient Rome. Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colorful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles. Even from this far away, Percy could see people gathered in the plaza, shoppers milling around an open-air market, parents with kids playing in the parks.”
The Son of Neptune