Ahhh, London…
The land of contemporary and historical treasures that seamlessly transition back and forth. It has almost been two weeks back in the U.S. and I still keep thinking about the robot lawn mower we saw working in the mote, which had just been patched with sod. How crazy to think that what used to be a mote and operated by people hundreds of years ago was now a field of sod being mowed by a ROBOT. Thats crazy! There was a post Catherine made during the trip about London’s historical landmarks, specifically Westminster, and their willingness to change. Much like Westminster, Tower of London was appearing to do the same thing. Only, it stuck out more like a sore thumb as opposed to that “seamless transition”, all because of a robot. I actually found it quite interesting, weird that of all things this is something that grabbed my attention, considering everything we experienced. But, it got me to ask myself questions that I otherwise would have looked over. What would this place look like in 10 years? 30 years? Will there be an army of robot lawn mowers, mowing other historical sites? Will they have robots that are constantly cleaning the exterior of the buildings? How will these advances in technology change the way we perceive these places? As technology advances, one would have to assume it will be more and more challenging for technology and historical architecture to maintain one collective image. But, that may very well be the point of having this “willingness to change” is that it is not to uphold a certain image, but have one that is constantly mimicking current times and technologies. None the less, this has been a very strong thought of mine since returning home of what these places will look like further into the future and how that experience will differ from what we experienced.
Quite literally looking into the future from Tower Hill
Robot lawn mower sitting at docking station. Waiting for its 9-5 shift.
On a more general note, I am glad we still had the opportunity of finishing strong on this trip and I appreciate all the hard work that I am sure went into trying to stay on track as much as possible. We got to see a wide range of projects, stare at the most crazy detailed ceilings I have ever seen in my life, stand at the top of the highest views all around London, wander through breathtaking landscapes, try some amazing food, and of course build bonds with new friends. I know I speak for everyone when I say this is a trip we will all remember for the rest of our lives and I couldn’t have asked for a better group to travel with. There was no other way I would have wanted to end my time here at OSU than with this study abroad and for that, I owe you all the BIGGEST THANKS!
Sincerely,
The man who led 9 students down the wrong tube stop.