Blog #28: Nature Writing Essay

Blog #28: Nature Writing Essay
Into the Wild is a novel written by Jon Krakauer, about a nature loving young man, Chris McCandless, who fulfill his desires and goals and goes of into the wild, without any sort of communication to the world, camping in Alaska for months. He was passionate about being in pure nature, wanting to "shed unnecessary baggage." Through my eyes he was admirable in many different ways even though people “see nothing positive about Chris”. He was the type of person, a very rare one too, that change and touched people life with just very little time of knowing each other. Also someone that is determined and persistent on trying to reach his goal, that’s a very hard quality to find now a day.

Having the ability to change people’s life with just little time together is amazing. Chris McCandless traveled through the United States (Mexico too.) changing people’s life, one in particular Ronal Franz. Franz was 88 years old devoted Christian when he picked up Chris; and Chris opened Franz's eyes to see how lonely he had been and that there could be happiness. They spend much time together; the age difference didn’t see to be a problem for the two of them. He was so touch by Chris that before he dropped him of in Interstate 70 outside Grand Junction he proposed that he could adopt Chris. Chris reaction was to shrug it off and discuss it when he came back from Alaska. Chris insisted that he should radically change his lifestyle and start living bold. “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experience, and hence there is no greater joy that to have an endless changing horizon” “Be nomadic” were his exact words to Franz in a letter Chris sent to Franz. Even by not knowing Chris that long people were convinced that he wasn’t a common wayfare. After Chris to Alaska he took his advice, moved all his furniture to storage and took over Chris’ old campsite pass the hot springs. Wayne Westerberg picked up Chris in September 10, gave him job and a roof over his head. “McCandless worked hard, doing dirty, tedious jobs that nobody else wanted to tackle. “ Wayne’s mom only met him once and she recalls her meeting “there was something fascinated about him…. he was hungry to learn about things. Unlike most of us he was the sort of person who insisted on living in our beliefs.” He had just met one time and when she found out about his death it amazed how much it bother her. Chris had this effect in people, met him and talk to him for a couple of minutes you’ll be given him your credit card number.

He’s determination and persistent is also a quality that I admire about him. Chris started this whole adventure with his car that he bought himself, he loved that car, very proud of it, but in a flash flood it was all gone. This car meant so much to him, that he refused his father, Walt, to buy him a new one as a present when he graduated from College. That might have stop him but no, he looked at it in a positive way, “He saw the flash food as an opportunity to shed unnecessary baggage.” When he reached Alaska apparently the floor was iced, he wasn’t being careful so he fell through the ice, I think that’s pretty funny because Chris is actually scare of the water, icy water, so when he fell I though he was done, and wouldn’t want to move on, but he got up and continue. “He was really into pushing himself” said one of Chris’ high school team members in cross country. I wish I was persistent. Pushing my self to the fullest is something that I personally think can’t do. But that’s what I admire about him.

Passionate, is one word I could use to describe Chris. Passionate about his desire, self driving by them. “Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works” We all need to passionate to be have a long lasting goal in life or at least in that very moment, so what if we were all as passionate as Chris? If we all wanted our goals as much as he wanted to be in the wild? “Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the great white north. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks upon the land to become lost in the wild” You can see his passion burning in his writings. “The desert is the environment of revelation” was his philosophy. And when he arrived at Alaska, he wrote “I am Reborn. This is my dawn. Real life has just begun.” After living in Alaska for about four months, he finally accomplish his goals... desires… objective

After reading this wonderful art of writing, it really leaves with realizations about yourself. Am I doing what makes me happy? Or is society holding me back? Chris McCandless would answer that he did whatever he wanted, even though he died of starvation, he died peaceful. He had fulfilled his duties as an adventurer with passion, persistent and determination. It was a bonus that he did it with touching random peoples life from all over the Untied States. “Chris McCandless was at peace, serene as a monk gone to God”

Nature Writing Draft or Outline

1. Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (Ch 8, pg 71); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures?

Chris McCandless, known as Alex the young man that camped in Alaska for months, was admirable in many ways. He was passionate about wanted to reach and fulfill his desires, which in my opinion was to be in pure nature, wanted to "shed unnecessary baggage." (pg 29.) He was determined and persistent to reach his goal that all those speed bumps didnt stop him, losing his car in a flash flood or canoeing his way out of Mexico was tough situations that I think not a lot of people can go through and still have high spirits afterwards. Something else that i found very admirable and inspirational about the "experience" that Chris went through is that he stayed true to himself in a way. He didnt do what was expected of him, he was his own person. He fulfill his dreams, some people may argue that they were crazy, but I don't really see something bad about it, it just happened to be that nature was his driving force.

Second Paragraph.


Third Paragraph
Speed bumps in adventures usually slows and discourages people but in Chris' situation in opinion really didn't had much effect on his attitude.
(Talk about when he last his car)
(About when he canoe his way out of Mexico after getting lost)
(Not having that much money didnt stop him,instead he worked McDonalds)

Third Paragraph.
(ch 11 talks about staying true to himself, how he keep on doing his trips even though his parents though it was a bad idea, he though it was okay.)

Last Paragraph.
Summarize everything from all the paragraphs, finish it off with the future-ish

Notes: Use the loop hole. Explain the novel in the beginning.

Blog #27: Nature Writing

Into the Wild
Choose two of the following:

1. Read the italicized passage on page 168 that McCandless wrote and the italicized passage he highlighted from Tolstoy on page 169. Based on these writings and events in this chapter, what convinced McCandless that it was time to return to civilization? What did he learn from his time “in the wild”?

3. Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures? Was he justified in the pain he brought to family and friends in choosing his own solitary course in life?

There is something admirable about what Chris went through. Not a lot people have the guts to do what Chris did. From what I read he wanted to be in pure nature, wanted to "shed unnecessary baggage." (pg 29.) Some people may not agree with the way he did it, but I don't see another way he would've done it getting the same results. He was persistent in the way that all those speed bumps didn't stop him. He canoe his way through Mexico and his way back. "Nature"

Blog #26: Professional Exhibition? Contest?

MSB projects must go beyond the walls of HTHMA. You have two basic choices: enter a contest or have a professional organization exhibit your work.

1.Link

2.The contest requirements are that we snap a picture of something extraordinary.It dosen't specified on the the file size or permission forms. But the entry is every month. I have to be a member of the website, no fee.

3. Evaluate your work against their requirements. Will your work be accepted?
Yeah I think my work will be accepted. I have all the requirements, and I'm very proud of the quality of my photos.