Getting Lost

Getting lost was an interesting experience. Something I have sort of tried in the past. The idea of removing electronic devices and just being is something I have appreciated. That's part of why I like my mornings so much. I have an apartment that is a little ways from campus. I have to wake up around 7:30 every morning and walk to campus. It is a fifteen minute walk which I was initially disappointed by. Such a long walk that will eat up a valuable 15 minutes of my day.

Over this year I have realized how valuable those fifteen minutes there and back are. The way back allows me to decompress from my day and relax. The way there I love because I am awake, my mind is fresh, and best of all I have no one texting me or things I have to respond to. I can just be. I can sit. This is also when my mind is most receptive to creative ideas I have noticed. Walking in the morning lets my mind drift without stress, obligation, or distraction.

That was similar to how my mind was with this "Getting Lost" assignment, though surprisingly not as much. I did the assignment from 7:50 PM to 9:20 PM, so the lateness in the evening may have had to do with that. Though I think the bigger thing was how I was tasked with something: exploring this foreign world and getting lost. While This was good and stimulating, I think it was a lot different than my morning walk where I have nothing on my mind.

Anyway, I decided to peruse two buildings I still had left to explore on campus: Blegen Library and the College of Law. I had never stepped foot in the College Law building nor the actual library part of Blegen. One night after hours I did explore the basement and main lobby of the Blegen, but nothing else. Both places were very interesting to explore as I love weird architecture and libraries. So nothing could make me happier to get lost in a weirdly designed library I knew nothing about.

I was most surprised perusing the college of law, mainly because I had never been inside or looked at the outside much. I had almost no knowledge of what the building was like or what was inside. I entered the basement area which is a carpeted brick hallway and nothing much. It seemed like an unpleasant surprise as I had been expecting new and unique architecture. However, I eventually turned a corner and was excited to see an enormous hallway with a giant walkway hanging from the ceiling. Part of the walkway entered a strange hole in the wall 20 feet up that was perfectly circular. It looked like something out of a bizzare science fiction film.

I was further gladdened to see that that walkway led into an enormous 4 story law library I wasn't at all expecting to see. When exploring it my favorite part was a ramp that descended into the floor and led to a room filled with rows and rows of old old books. The shelves said that they were still to be filed and not to be touched. It made sense, as most read years like "1823." They appeared to be some of the oldest Cincinnati law books.

The thing that most excited me while exploring was thinking about how weird spaces could be used in movies. I found a strange staircase in Blegen that at the bottom had a strange metal door that was lit by only an antique lamp. Next to the door was a giant pile of foldable metal stacks. Another spot in Blegen was a ridiculously long room full of shelves. The way the room was designed made me think that there was a hidden mirror tricking my eye. But there wasn't. There was the massive layered law library and a mock trial room that looked like a place any elected official would give a speech or a trial would be held.

My lack of a phone was noticeable at times as well. Most prominently when I wanted to take a photo to share something. There were also times when I was worried that I needed to check my phone in case someone was trying to contact me for any reason. Finally, there were a few times when I entered a dark spooky room and I had no idea where I was that I really wanted to use my phone flashlight. But I think my lack of a phone let me reflect inwardly more. It also helped me reflect on what life would be like without a phone and how I over rely on it for many different things.