Walking
into a museum is like stepping into an entirely different world. It’s what I
love most about it. The escape from the everyday hustle and bustle, letting
your mind wander, and traveling back in time.
Sebastian and I put on our explorer's hats and back in time we went… travelling millions of years to a land where humans didn’t
exist, and dinosaurs roamed the land. From the moment we entered Toronto’s ROM,
we were greeted with a massive Futalognkosaurus (say that five times fast!),
and I found myself waiting in line for tickets just standing there, jaw-to-floor,
in awe. It’s the kind of admiration where you know that if you weren’t so
fascinated by looking at their skeletons, you’d be booking it in the opposite
direction, filled with sheer terror.
As we
walked through the Ultimate Dinosaur exhibit, I kept imagining what they were
like in the flesh, while replaying the Jurassic Park Trilogy in my head… every
so often, peeking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t being stalked by a
Raptor. As we explored, our amazement only grew, all the things I learned when I was a kid was coming right back to me ten-fold. The massive skulls, horns, and razor sharp teeth stared down at us… this was a species who
ruled Earth for 135 million years. You can’t help but think about how
insignificant our own human history is in comparison, just a tiny blip on the
radar.
Now, 65 million years after their extinction, which has been credited towards a variety of causes... an asteroid, volcanic explosions, tectonic plate activity, the ice age... all that's left is bones... and if you use your imagination, they come back to life all over again.
P.S. This video of the history of Earth's formation is really incredible to watch, if you're interested. (Might as well go full-nerd today!)