In early March of 2014, a group of eager undergraduate stu-dents sat huddled in a classroom at Fitchburg State University discussing with ill-disguised excitement the trivial fact that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug might be a screening option on the plane to England. Our Lone Medievalist — our study abroad course instructor — listened with an amused expression. The following night we boarded said plane to embark on our adventure to walk in the footsteps of medieval England. As we moved through the country it became clear that there was an indisputable link between the medieval sites we visited and the fan culture that we so thoroughly immersed ourselves in daily. Not a single day passed during which we failed to find a link between the medieval past and contemporary “nerd-dom.” In a trip that lasted the duration of nine days, we learned that, while the world of academia may marginalize medieval scholars in favor of contemporary scholars, the world of popular culture embraces and profits from the fascinating and diverse stores of medieval culture.