This past semester my roommate, Lindsey, had started watching Doctor Who and asked if I wanted to join her. I had always heard really good things about it from my friends who watch it but never really thought too much about actually trying to get into it. I figured it would take way too much effort on my part and never had a desire or reason to start. However, since Lindsey was testing it out anyway, I thought I would give it a chance. The series has been around since 1963 but the most recent reboot happened in 2005, so that is where we started. It took a while and a bit of pushing through the first season but by the end of it, I was pretty dang addicted. It is a strange show, I openly admit it, but I also find it enduring and charming in how it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. And as the show goes on the writing gets better and better. Basically, I will stop trying to justify my addiction but...I have one, that is for sure.

Nate and I had been considering taking a day trip to Cardiff for a couple weeks, since we are both Whovians (look it up, it was officially added to the dictionary a few years back ;). Located in Cardiff (which is the location of the BBC Wales studio and the backdrop of multiple episodes of DW) is the Doctor Who Experience: a interactive adventure followed by an exhibition of the largest collection of DW props and costumes in the world. We had both had a desire to go and check it out and today we made that dream a reality! 

It is a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Cardiff, so we started off the morning pretty early. Our program was also changing hotels this morning, so we dropped our bags of there to make sure they didn't get left behind. We had a slight mix-up in regards to where we were supposed to catch the bus and instead of being 15 minutes early (like we thought we were), we ended up BOOKING it down the road and just barely making the correct coach. Needless to say, that got our blood pumping and woke us up! Nate and I watched a couple episodes on the way up to Cardiff and then both promptly passed out for the rest of the ride. Getting to the Experience was a simple bus hop over from the main station we had been dropped off at. The building is located right on the bay, which is a fairly scenic spot. 

We arrived with plenty of time before our tickets could be used, so we popped in to see the shop really quick and then decided to go get lunch. We ate lunch at this really cool restaurant that is on a pier that sticks out over the bay. Sitting at an outdoor table, right over the bay, just relaxing and enjoying a good meal was wonderful. We decided that this is what a free day should be like! Had we stayed in London, we both would have been hoofing it from one spot to another trying to fit in as much as possible. That is a bit stressful and we really loved just having a chill day by the bay :) 

After lunch we went to the area where a couple major scenes of DW were filmed. It is this main open square in the middle of the pier area. It has this really cool metal, rectangle statue/fountain that towers over the square and has water cascading straight down its sides. It is so awesome looking! Plus, when you stick your hand on it, you are kind of shocked to see just how much water is coming down every second. 

The Doctor Who Experience was pretty neat itself. The interactive part could have been a bit more interactive but Nate and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The collection was really cool and I loved seeing so many original props and costumes. We had bought a merchandise packet along with the ticket so got t-shirts and postcards and a program and stuff. And...I may have forked out more than I should have to buy a toy sonic screwdriver from the shop. In my defense...we got some really great pictures for it (Nate had also bought one...for anyone who cares or would understand: I bought the 11th Doctor's, while Nate got the 10th's. We wanted to rep for our personal favorites!). 

After loads of picture taking, we strolled around Cardiff for awhile, got some Jammie Dodgers (a great Whovian reference for you) and had a little picnic on the pier. We then got on the bus, got off on the wrong stop, got horribly lost and then found out we were about .05 of a mile from where we were supposed to be. It was a bit embarrassing but rather amusing, too, because I was doing my brisk-we-do-not-have-time-to-be-lost walk with a very serious facial expression, turned the corner and there it was. My bad :P I lightened up after that. No worries.

And now we are on the bus heading back to London. I will have to charge my Kindle as soon as we get back because last night I think Nate and I successfully got Katie interested/hooked on Who. I made sure we watched one of the more romantic episodes and because she is a girly-girl, she was sunk ;) I know what I am doing. 

We won't be back to London until late. I am not looking forward to how exhausted I am going to be in the morning but it is totally worth it.

Such a nerd.

Such a flippin' happy nerd!