Wandering Around Big Buildings

Today I went to a panel discussion on employment law and undocumented workers in the evening.  My friend helped organize it, and it was held in a building I was not too familiar with.  It turned out to be easy to find (and an informative and interesting discussion), but as I walked the halls I was reminded of how much I enjoy wandering around in large, unfamiliar buildings.  If I'm not in a hurry, I find it a lot of fun to walk aimlessly around, seeing how the hallways and stairwells connect, peering through the odd window here and there, perhaps emerging on a landing overlooking the lobby.  It satisfies my curiosity and my childlike enthusiasm for small adventures.  Wandering can almost be meditative.  Even among crowds of strangers, I can enjoy solitary contemplation and fond reminiscence.  My favorites are buildings with unusual architecture or old buildings from the time when institutions were built to last, with marble floors and columns, carved archways, intricately cast brass grates, and monumental main doors.  Makes me feel small, and feeling small frees me to think and to wander.