We took the bus to El Parque Infantil and I was presented with a feeling of utter joy that was so overwhelming I began to tear up. We sat watching the children play in the water, exuberant with every interaction they had with the water, the ground, their mothers, fathers, each other. I sat and took it all in, becoming more amazed by the human connection every second. I was reminded of the importance of attempting to make a connection with everyone you meet and the impact this can carry.
Fast forward two days and we are enjoying a group lunch at a beautiful outdoor restaurant called Mestizo. We had just finished a bus trip to a small private university, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez. My first impression was similar to that of the college I attended my freshman year – small, antisocial, lacking diversity due to the steep price. But as classes ended and lunch rolled around, the public spaces turned into mini social paradises. Since the students do not live on campus, they made incredible use of the campus in between class instead of retreating to their dorms and apartments. It looked like such a great release to be able to socialize to that degree and it left me wishing that Ohio State students would simply walk with their heads up to class. Frank Brought up an interesting point – was it due to growing up up in a predominantly warmer climate that was condusive to utilizing outdoor space well? What if we were to build a city in a colder climate, but treat the outdoor public spaces as if it was warmer? Would the social culture begin to shift?
There is always something to think about.