Taylor Milne's blog

My day in the city accompanied by Louise, Sara and Ava began as an adventure, free of restrictions except needing to be back at the Free Public Library by 3:00. Our group decided that instead of choosing a place or two to spend our day, we would just wander and see where the concrete streets would take us. We soon found ourselves outside of the Rodin Museum, were we were able to see the copies of the sculptures he created many years ago, each one full of varied but deep human emotions. We then found ourselves walking to the sculpture garden behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where we were able to interact with the art. We climbed on the sculptures that looked like worms reaching towards the sky, we sat above a modern fountain and felt the water move between our fingers underneath us. We then found a mountain of rocks that we chose to climb, giving us a beautiful view of the river. We chose to experience rather than plan, we made the decision to play.

Both the Sunstein and Henig articles posed different but important problems that have arisen in the society we live in today. Sunstein resonated with me in the idea that people are being catered to too much, and the idea of curiosity is losing its impact as we as humans are being fed so much information all of the time, and it is hard to sort out what we really want to spend our time on, rather than having a newspaper to look at and sort through to find those special events or activites that peak our interests. 

The Henig article brought me back to the kind of discussions I was having in High School, I was in a really special place where all of the teachers and students alike recognized that all of the standardized tests and requirements were kind of ridiculous, and I feel that they dont allow students to be creative, because they are always looking to do well on the next assignment. This is almost the same with play and how it was explained as a place where children do not have as great of an opportuity to be whimsical, and they are more forced to learn music or a language by their parents and society, rather than having the opportunity to discover something that they truely enjoy.

           For me cities are a place of friendship, excitement, and adventure. By not growing up in a city, I believe my relationship to cities is much different than those who would consider a city their home. Although I live relatively close to the metropolis of San Francisco, I would never consider it as the place where I am from, but rather as the place I would visit to explore. My fondest memories of San Francisco are not of the Golden Gate Bridge, or of Lombard Street, but of my best friends apartment.

            Located on the corner of a park and across from a restaurant, this quaint little apartment filled up quite a few of my summer nights between the ages of nine and twelve. This little piece of San Francisco belonged to the family of my best friend Mathilda for four years as a second apartment while her stepfather was working in the city. We would take trips up to the city for weeks at a time to explore the art museums, enjoy theater performances, marvel at animals within the San Francisco Zoo, and experience the city for what it was, and what it had to offer.

I have always been a straightforward and to the point kind of person, so I felt that using my full name as my username was appropriate. Besides this straightforward nature, I also believe that pictures, and that the images that people choose are able to give an insight into who that person is, and what resonates with them as a person. I had the privilege of growing up in Santa Cruz, California, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is known for its beautiful beaches, hippies, and being one of the top spots on the California coast for surfing. All of these aspects of Santa Cruz are true, and I appreciate all of them, but the part of Santa Cruz that resonates with me most are the thousands of magnanimous Redwood trees that tower hundreds of feet above you. Their history and size have always given me a sense of serenity and comfort, and one of my favorite past-times laying down in the giant forests and looking up through their leaves and branches to the sun and sky. This photo taken through the trees gives me a sense of peace, and reminds me where I'm from and the beauty it holds.  I am so excited for this new journey at Bryn Mawr, but Santa Cruz will always be my first home.