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Growing up, my dad used to make plans to camp with family and friends every summer. We would book an area to stay for two nights. When we were there, I would immediately meet the other family's children and instantly became friends. We would all go on little adventures as a group and even swam in the beautiful lake nearby. My dad would also take all the kids one at a time to go jet skiing which was amazing. When he took me for the first time, I remember I was a little scared until I saw the bed of seaweed below me. It was unlike anything I'd seen before and it reminded me of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Soon my sister and I got older and moved away with my mom. Since then, camping was no longer an event during the summer until the summer of 2022. My uncle had planned a trip and deep down I was not up to going but decided I should because my family was excited to go. I forgot all the fond memories I made and only remembered how troublesome it was. When we were in the car on our way up to big bear, we passed many trees, hills, wild creatures, and more. It was a sight to see and I got excited to see what our campsite would look like. Our campsite was covered with tall trees and squirrels. I was having fun feeding the squirrels some peanuts and even helped a squirrel get out of a lays chip bag someone had left behind. When it was dark, the night sky was astonishing. I have never in my life seen that many stars and was upset I could not accurately capture it on camera. The next morning we went on a 2-hour hike. It was really difficult due to the terrain but I ended up pushing through and leading the group. When we were leaving camp, I got a bit sad because camping was something I had forgotten that brought me so much joy. It helped me remember the fondest memories of my childhood as well as my dad. While we were going down the hill, my sister played the song, Ophelia by The Lumineers. It was something about the scenery and the song together that really stuck with me. I'm not sure what it was, but it was perfect together and I cannot wait to go back this year. In the future, I hope to not be so afraid to try things and become someone who can overcome problems by myself.

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Summary: Written by John Krakauer, Into the Wild is a novel based on the tales of Christopher Johnson McCandless's experiences in the wild. In Chapter 1, Chris (Alex) hitches a ride from Jim Gallien. He is seen carrying a rifle (p3) and a backpack. (p3) Being concerned, Jim warned him about the harsh (p5) potential dangers that could occur in the wild terrains of Alaska. Chris (Alex) ensures that he will be fine almost as if we were excited. (p6) Jim drops off Chris (Alex) at the head of the Stampede Trail (carrying only a limited amount of supplies) on Tuesday, April 28, 1992. When Jim is met with the opportunity to tell the state troopers about Chris (Alex) he decided not to because he assumed any normal (p7) person would leave the moment they were in need of help/trouble.

Analysis: From reading the first chapter alone, I find Alex and his excitement refreshing. For someone who is about to be completely alone in the wild, I can't help but be inspired by his independent and optimistic nature. From what his life was like growing up, however, I cannot imagine why he would want to leave.

#notlikeotherguys #excited #livingonthewildside

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Summary: In Chapter 2, it starts with six Alaskans following the trail (p10) on September 6, 1992.  They assemble at the bus (p10) to find an S.O.S (p12) note and a red flag that may indicate something was left in this deserted vehicle. There was said to be a rancid smell (p12) coming from it. One of the men goes into the bus' (p. 10) to find a dead man inside in a sleeping bag. After, State Troopers see the bus and then took his body and his items which happen to be film including many self-portraits (p. 14) and a journal that describes his moments before death. When inspected, the coroner believes Chris (Alex)
most likely died of starvation (p. 14).

Analysis: After reading Chapter 2, I feel sorry for Chris (Alex). Dying of starvation could not have been fun. I could not imagine how scary and sad it was to die alone with no one to help. He seemed like he was scared too since he had written his actual name on the note. I am wondering what he would've done after his stay in Alaska.

#starving #flyhigh #tragicend

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Summary: In chapter 3, we find that Chris (Alex) used to come to a bar The Cabaret, to tell stories of his travels. (p16) Wayne Westerberg was one of the many folks who missed his presence. September 10, Westerberg pulled over for a hitchhiker (p16) who turned out to be Chris (Alex). We find that Chris (Alex) was at some point arrested (19) for selling "black boxes." In truth, he grew up comfortably. As a senior in Highschool, he would go on long solo road trips and even mention to his parents that he would "disappear for a while" after graduation. After mailing them his final transcript, he did. When his parents heard nothing from him, they decided to visit Atlanta but discovered it was up for rent (22) and he had left long ago to fulfill his destiny (23) and create a new life for himself.

Analysis: From reading this chapter, I feel like he made many impacts on the many people he met during his journey. Although he was only a high schooler, he would go on trips completely alone. I cannot imagine myself doing this at all because I grew up with the comfort of always having loved ones near me. I aspire to be more like him and become more independent so I won't be scared to make decisions for my life.

#movedout #missed #classof1986

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Summary: This chapter begins with a group of rangers discovering something in detrital wash. One of the rangers yelled (p26) to point it out. It was Christoper's Datsun (p26) abandoned. It was later turned into the authorities to use for drug (p26) interdiction. Later, we find that it was abandoned because when Chris was camping there. it started to rain (p28). It caused a flash flood and wet his engine which is when he left the vehicle and walked on foot. Before leaving, he buried (p29) some supplies and burnt the rest of his cash to ash. Later, he was hired by a man named Ernie who never paid him back for his time. On August 10th, he got a ticket from hitchhiking and mistakenly used his real name. He traveled through canals to get to the ocean but took a wrong turn and got stranded for roughly 30 days. Luckily he was found by duck hunters who offered to help. He then proceeded to go to Mexico where he was detained when trying to illegally enter the border.

Analysis:  From this chapter, seeing that he has gone through so many hardships is insane to me. He had near-death experiences and still persists in continuing his journey. I think in a way it's admirable because he lives the way he wants and loves a challenge.

#adrenalinejunkie #gotdetainedlol #mycardrowned

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Summary: Since his camera (p38) broke, he stopped taking photos and no longer kept a journal. He spent July and August on the organ coast. Later he got a full-time job (p39) at Bullhead's Mcdonald's and even had savings (p39) at the bank nearby. Soon after, he quit and started to work at Slabs. He helped with selling books (p43) at the swapmeet. We also find out that he had a woman he was close to. When trying to mother (p46) him on multiple occasions, he decided to take his leave.

Analysis: I find it to be a bit ironic that Chris ended up working at a Mcdonald's. He has made it clear that he hates capitalism. In this chapter, I feel like we saw a whole different side of him. He would play piano and sing which I find quite shocking.

#mcdonalds #books #swapmeet

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Summary: McCandless has left an indelible (p48) impression on a number of people. One person he impacted significantly was an old man named Franz. They spent a lot of time together and eventually, Franz increasingly grew fond (52) of Chris (Alex). While Franz was taking Chris to his next destination, he explained his backstory and asked if he could adopt (55) him. Chris did not answer but promised to talk about it when he came back from Alaska. Soon McCandless left to continue his journey leaving Franz behind. Chris wrote a letter (56) to Franz which inspired him to start living life differently. Later in the future, Franz picked up a hitchhiker and started telling him stories about Chris (Alex) until he got interrupted (60) and was told Chris (Alex) was in the magazine. He told him he froze to death in Alaska. Because of that, Franz grew depressed and drank.

Analysis: After reading this chapter, I felt heartbroken. I have a soft spot for dad/father figures and seeing how Chris's death affected him was really impactful. Even though they were not blood-related, he still thought of them as family.

#foundfamily #whiskey #farewel

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Summary: In this chapter, we learn that sometime before his trip to Alaska, he promises Wayne he would come back to work to help out with the harvest (p62). Later we find that Alex (Chris) wanted to "divorce"(63) his parents because he found them disrespectful and oppressive. But when cutting ties, he had to cut ties with his beloved sister as well.
Continuing on, we find that he died a virgin and was never looking to be in a serious relationship (65). He was set on challenging himself on living in the wild terrain of Alaska and even planned to write a book (66) about his adventures one day. He was described to be a fascinating young man after meeting Wayne's mother and before leaving, he hugged Borah. That was when she noticed him crying (68). During his trip, he sent letters/postcards to his found family instead of his actual family.

Analysis: After reading this chapter, I feel really sorry for his sister. Hearing how much he loved her, she must've felt really lonely and worried. I also was shocked at how many lives he has affected during his journey and admire his drive/commitment to his goals.

#foreveravirgin #commitmentissues #solongfriends

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Summary: Jon Krakauer uses this chapter to show his readers that other men have come to their demise (p. 70) on Alaskan adventures, even if the circumstances are a bit different from those of Chris McCandless.  First up is Gene Rossellini, the modern-day caveman! Gene heads north from the lower 48 in the early 1970s.  He's a super-intelligent guy looking to test himself in Alaska ...sound like anyone we know??  Well, "the mayor of Hippie Cove" as Gene is called lives a prehistoric existence, testing himself to see if a modern-day man can live in the same way as the cavemen did it back in the day. Gene tries his hardest but sadly writes, "I learned that it is not possible for human beings as we know to live off the land" (p. 75) before plunging a knife through his heart when he realizes the true extent of his failure (p. 75).  Next up is crazy John Waterman.  Lots of similarities to Chris:  he's from the D.C. area, has MAJOR issues with his dad, and is super smart.  John is an accomplished climber and alpinist (p. 79) before he starts losing his marbles, running for president of the United States on a platform to end hunger.  SPOILER ALERT:  He doesn't win the election!  Anywho, John comes unhinged, decides to climb the most difficult mountain in all of Alaska in the dead of winter, and is never heard from again.  Alaska state troopers believe he probably fell down a crevasse (p. 80) to his death, although his remains were never found. And last up is poor Carl McCunn.  Another transplant from the lower 48, Carl is the life of the party - just like Chris.  Good guy, fun to be around, and charming, but lacks common sense & thinks someone will bail him out if he ends up in trouble.  Similar to Chris, he hatches a plan to go off into the wild for a few months BUT he fails to set up an Uber (think Uber plane!) to come back and pick him up.  The summer turns to fall and McCunn is starving and freezing.  But wait...a plane flies overhead and it looks like Carl is going to be rescued!!!  Unfortunately, Carl doesn't know that waving ONE hand in the air means you're good, no need to rescue you instead of throwing TWO hands in the air, the universal sign for HELP!!!  Carl is dying a slow and painful death by a mix of starvation and frostbite, so in his final diary (p. 81) he explains that he shot himself in the head to end his misery. I Guess Chris doesn't sound that crazy or unprepared after all, huh???

Analysis: From reading this chapter, It seems that all these people who have attempted to do the impossible failed soon after. Chris to me seemed super prepared compared to some of the others. I commend Chris and the others for being brave enough to attempt difficult tasks.

#determination #preperation #brave

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Summary: Another chapter about a dude who isn't Chris McCandless. Everett Ruess shares many similarities with our main character though - he's a wanderer (p. 90), free spirit, well liked risk taker and lover of all things solitude and wilderness. Everett is a bit younger than Chris when he begins his vagabond (p. 91) journey, dropping out of UCLA after only one semester to follow his dream (p. 96) of living a nomadic existence.  Unlike Chris, Everett focuses his travels in the southwest rather than north, but like Chris he also renames himself choosing the moniker Nemo after the character Captain Nemo in the Jules Verne classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. And yes, Nemo the fish we know today is named after that character, too!  While on a solo expedition in Utah, Ruess seemingly disappears, never to be heard from again.  A search party is sent to find him after he goes incommunicado (p. 93), but other than finding his donkey, some cave drawings/graffiti he made and pieces of his gear, Ruess was never seen again.  Stories vary on what happen to him - maybe he was a victim of his own reckless innocence (p, 97) and fell while hiking or possibly drown, but some speculate that he was murdered by Native Americans. No one ever found him or his remains, so Everett's end remains a mystery.  Like Chris, Everett's passion for nature and adventure won out over a conventional life, yet neither man made it out of the wild...

Analysis: From reading all these stories of others who have attempted to live in the wild, I find that the idea terrifying. Seeing how majority of these men's remains are never found can make the imagination wonder. It also seems horrible dying alone.

#mystery #southwest #risktaker

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Summary: Alaska State troopers had been trying for a week to find who the deceased man was. They obtained various self-portraits (99) of him along with various "clues" that turned out to mislead them. Wayne later overhears the news from a broadcast (100) of someone (Alex) who died in Alaska who he assumed was indeed Alex. He Calls in and tries to help Alex become identified by diving his real name and social security (101) number which was entrusted to him. The authorities call Chris's half-brother (101) and tell them their findings. The chapter leaves off with him seeing the self-portraits of Chris. He looked different but there was no doubt it was him. He then has to figure out how he wishes to break the news to his parents that their child (103) was found dead.

Analysis: From this chapter, I cannot imagine how heartbreaking it must've been for everyone to finally find out what happened to someone who was their friend, son, and brother. It makes me wonder exactly what was his reason for not wanting to even contact his family or leaving something for them before heading into danger the way he did.

#whoami #casesolved #found

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Summary: From this chapter, we find that Chris's parents did not object to his travels but wanted him to be careful and keep them up with his whereabouts (119). When attending Emory, it was almost like he was thrilled (119). He was also even considering Harvard and getting a degree (119) in law. Later on, we find that Chris's dad had a secret (121). His father had been living a double life with another woman and her son while having a separate life with their Family. Years later after Chris's absence, his mom claims one night she swore she heard her son's voice (126) calling for help.

Analysis: from this chapter, I got confused about how Chris was excited about school making so many plans and just leaving making his years of hard work and money wasted. I also was confused why he refused to compromise with his parents when he told them about his plans to travel. I also felt sympathetic for the families involved in his father's double life.

#harvard #doublelife #voice

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Summary: In this chapter, we learn more about Mccandless's past. We find that he was born underweight (106). When he was younger he was signed up for a program for gifted children. He attempted to convince everyone there must've been an error (107) in the results. At home, his parents spent their days and nights working (107). When they would fight, they would always threaten to divorce (107) each other. Chris and Carine always had each other's backs during difficult times such as these. Chris had a special bond with his grandfather. He took him out for difficult hikes/climbs. It was assumed he adored (109) him. We also found that he was the captain of the cross-country squad. He saw running as something sacred. Motivated his team by encouraging them to see running as something spiritual and took every loss to heart.

Analysis: From reading this chapter, I grew to admire Chris because he has certain traits that are rare to find and traits I wish I had. But when they talked about what his home life was like, I felt my opinion about him altered. I felt like he definitely could've handled things better especially with his family. I believe it is fine for someone to follow their dreams. It is their life after all. His parents made so many sacrifices to make sure he has a stable future. It's not a crime to want the best for your child. Chris should've at least communicated more instead of pretending everything was okay before leaving.

#bornintocapitalism #dreams #runningfrommyproblems

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Summary: As a kid, Carine resembled Chris. She often clashed (129) with their parents. As she got older, unlike Chris, she was able to make peace (129) with them and did not object to wealth (129). When Carine finds out the news about her brother's death with her husband Chris Fish she was completely heartbroken. Like Franz, she turned to god for some answers but received nothing. She was upset about it and even lost her appetite causing her to lose 10 pounds. Her friends worried she was anorectic (131). Meanwhile their mom Billie would suffer from a similar problem. She ate compulsively (132) and gained around 8 pounds. The family flew out to retrieve what was left of Chris's belongings as well as his ashes. We also find out that before Chris's venture, he asked if he could take their dog, Buck with him, and the family responded with no because he had been hit by a car and was still healing.

Analysis: This chapter was so sad to read. I felt really sorry for the sister seeing how much it had affected her life. I have a sister who I consider to be very close with since the day I was born and cannot imagine a life without her. I also felt like if Chris took Buck, it would change a few things but ultimately he would most likely leave Buck with Wayne before his trip to Alaska.

#chrisj.mc #inanotherlife #imhome

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Summary: To answer Billie McCandless' question at the end of Chapter 13 about why anyone would do what Chris did, Jon Krakauer flips the script and tells his own story of Alaska adventure.  At the age of 23, Krakauer decides to head to the great north to find himself not by living in the wild, but by climbing the major mountains in the 49th state. He becomes obsessed with hiking Devil's Thumb, a very steep, challenging ascent on the glacier (p. 138) known as the Stikine Ice Cap.  Like Chris, completing this climb becomes the only important thing in Krakauer's life.  Chris obsessed over the bush, while Jon's obsession (p. 134) is this rare climbing achievement.  Much like he anticipated, the ascent is dangerous and potentially deadly.  Krakauer proceeds with caution during whiteout snow storms while crossing over delicate crevasses (p. 140) which could crack and send him tumbling down hundreds of feet.  On a beautiful May day, Krakauer decides that this is it, he must summon the courage and concentration (p. 142) he needs to summit this peak today or else...Even with the warm temps and sunny days, the ice is impenetrable and Krakauer panics (p. 143).  He can see the summit, but he can't reach it.  His only option is down.

Analysis: From this, I can tell both were young and had strong ambitions. They turn to nature impulsively and will not let anything stop them from achieving their goal. Both with only that goal in mind and nothing else.

#thriveanddrive #deadlyvoyage #courage

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Summary: So Krakauer makes it back to his tent, all butt hurt that he didn't achieve his goal of summiting Devil's Thumb.  In a genius move, he decided to smoke a joint to make himself feel better since he's a bit depressed.  Well, he ends up setting his tent on fire causing it to vaporize one of the walls so the temperature inside drops by 30 degrees or so.  Good job, Jon!  Anyway, this causes him to think about his reason for running away to climb: his volatile (p. 147) history with his father!  They have a very similar relationship to Walt and Chris - dad is stubborn, treats his son poorly, and pushes him away with his medical school expectations (p. 148) since he himself is a doctor.  Yeah, I know: we've heard this story before. Jon uses these complicated (p. 147) family memories as motivation:  he's going to attempt to summit the Thumb to prove his disbelieving dad wrong!  He fixes his tent by packing it with snow and forges a plan to begin his final ascent on a slightly "easier" side of the mountain, the southeast side.  At sunrise, he summons ALL of his courage, and overcoming all of the terrifying (p. 150) obstacles, he finally makes it to the top - YAY!  He enjoys the view for a minutes, snaps a few pics, and begins his descent.  When he finally makes it off the mountain, he tells a few people what he did. They aren't extremely impressed. This makes Jon think about what he did and why he did it, causing him to say, "I thought climbing Devil's Thumb would fix all that was wrong with my life.  In the end, of course, it changed almost nothing.  But I came to appreciate that mountains make poor receptacles for dreams. And I lived to tell my tale" (p. 155). Years later when writing this book, he realizes that his hubris (p.155) pushed him to his limits to achieve his goal, but that the impact his possible death had on those who loved him would've been catastrophic.  This is why he believes that Chris had NO intention to die in the wild, that he was only chasing his young, irresponsible dream.

Analysis: I think reading this makes me think more about Chris's goal. I think very much like this, he wanted to prove something and had no intentions of dying whatsoever. I am aware nature has most likely always been his calling but it could be possible he was determined to get his point across.

#daddyissues #turningtonature #determination

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Summary: In this chapter, Chris hitchhiked and gets a ride (159) with Gaylord Stuckey. Chris spends some time with him and also buys equipment for his Alaskan trip. Chris tells him he wants to prove (159) he can live on his own. Stuckey tries to convince him to at least call (160) his family first but it would not seem to get through to him. Finally, when he starts this voyage, he feels confident and walks across this river that was about thigh-deep (162). He had difficulty in his killing game at first but soon was able to hunt and feast regularly. After reading Tolstoy's Family Happiness, takes his belongings to come back into the outside world. unfortunately, the river would cost (162) his life and end his story before he could tell it. When he tried to cross it, the water was extremely deep. Not being able to leave, he goes back to his bus and tries to wait until the water decreases.

Analysis: From this chapter, it is unfortunate he had to die the way he did. He finally realized what he had been missing/taking for granted too late. I'm sure everyone would've loved to see him come back safe and sure he had so many ideas of how to tell everyone what life was like living in the wild.

#stranded #hunter #regret?

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Summary: Jon Krakauer was a curious man who wanted to understand (173) what happened to Chris before the moments leading to his death. They had a map (173) with them, and because of that, they were able to find a cable car that Chris had missed. They got to his camp base (177). Many Alaskans believed he was incompetent because he most likely mixed up a caribou for a moose. However, Jon and his friends were able to identify that Chris did indeed shoot a moose (178) and not a caribou. When they entered his bus, they are immediately met with a foul order and many of the possessions he left. For the remaining of the night, they set up camp outside and revise everything they learn from his accomplishments to his mistakes (184). This makes all of them have a certain relatable respect towards Chris because of their need for a good journey.

Analysis: From reading this chapter, I find the way he was harshly judged to be frustrating. He was able to survive 4 months in the wild, and although he did make certain mistakes, he wanted to be as independent as he could. 4 months alone in the wilderness is a huge accomplishment and many judged him more based on their assumptions of him as a person.

#relatable #moose #cablecart

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Summary: Chris returns to his usual routine since his known escape (188) route was cut off. During this timezone, he reads a book and underlines many sentences, and writes a note (189) saying, "Happiness is only real when shared." Suddenly he writes how he was in bad shape due to potato seeds (190) on July 30th. It was estimated he was dead (189) by August 19th. Since then there have been many theories about how he died. One theory was that he brought seeds with him on his trip in hopes to grow a farm. Because he was so hungry, he decided to eat these seeds (that possibly were old and grew mold) instead. Another theory was just how he could've eaten poisoned potato seeds, and another theory was that he was so underweight, he didn't have the necessary fat to use against the toxin of the suspected sweet peas (191). Allegedly, there was a cabin that held a bunch of food products and a service cabin Chris could have gone to if he had a map, to begin with. Before his moments of death, he manages to take a portrait and writes a message written, "I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may god bless all." It was only 19 days later his body was discovered.

Analysis: It is astonishing to me how even through all the pain, stuffing, and loneliness he was going through, he was still able to keep a smile. I find it admirable that he was able to follow his dreams and goals no matter what anyone else told him. He didn't let anyone else get in the way of what he truly wanted. I do find it a bit irritating that he was too stubborn to bring a map though. So much trouble could've been avoided if he had just put his pride aside other than the last moments of his life.

#strong #goshdarnpotseeds #nomap

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Summary: From this section of the book, we turn to Walter and Billie planing to visit (201!) their sons base where he was found dead (201). Originally they planned to go to the trail the same way Chris did but because the river was still high and dangerous, a helicopter was their safest option. When they both arrived, Walter at first disliked it. Over time, it grew on him and he saw why it appealed (202) to Chris so much. They both were understanding of why Chris did what he did and they even left a memorial (202) for him in the bus.

Analysis: From reading the epilogue, I feel it definitely helped the ending. It helped us answer unanswered
questions and brought closure to book and how going to the bus helped the family sort of move on. I feel really sorry for the family but was glad to see that they came to peace with the situation.

#closure #inlovingmemory #finallyreunited

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Growing up, I never thought about what or who I truly wanted to be in the future. I grew up wanting to be whatever my parents wanted me to be because I knew they both had sacrificed so much for me to live a happy, healthy, and promising life. Of course, they wanted me to become a doctor. A part of me knew I wouldn't go through but regardless I tried. Ever since I could remember I was always a slow learner especially when it came to anything math or science related. I did my best for them to improve and worked really hard to just catch up. When I found art, I fell in love and really enjoyed creating things and sharing them. I also enjoyed seeing other artwork because it inspires me and I enjoy seeing other people's creative skills. This made me realize I wanted to become an art teacher. I want to be a teacher who is understanding and really helps and teaches students to the best of my abilities. I have never been much for public speaking but it is something I am also willing to work hard on. Like Chris, I will do my best to reach that goal without having others persuade me as they have done in the past.

#art #myfuture #workinghard

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From the beginning, I found his optimistic and independent personality inspiring. when getting dropped off by Jim, he tried to warn Chris of the dangers. Chris ensures that he will be fine almost as if we were excited. (p6) Towards the middle I became irritated with Chris. When I found his reasons for cutting his parents out of his life. Chris's parents did not object to his travels but wanted him to be careful and keep them up with his whereabouts (119). Towards the end, I realized I mostly found him admirable not just because he was able to survive by himself for so long, but because he did not let anyone persuade him out of what he truly wanted to do the most in his life. He even was able to keep an optimistic smile and note before his death. "I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may god bless all." (199)

#optimistic #independent #happylife