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Chris really was an interesting man. Whether you love him or hate him, you trully have to admit that he accomplished some great things. After all, not many people can travels thousands of miles with barely anything on their backs. On top of that very few could survive the wild like he did. However, Chris was also human and for sure made some mistakes.  I understand why Chris made the decision to give up everything and run away, but I don't agree with his reactions to the family's drama. He physically avoided his. mom, and left his sister behind with no last words just because he didn't know how to react to his dad's affair accordingly. Chris could have still chased his dreams with out hurting anybody in the family. If he knew how to act as a man, and know how to solve and settle the problems completely first. He just couldn't suddenly runaway like that, it was so irresponsible. There could be a better way to react to his dad's problem. On his journey, Chris was so lucky that he met a lot of people, who loved him sincerely. However when they got close to him, he keep running away from them. I really don't like Chris because of his confrontation. He didn't know how much he hurt all the people around him. His pain can not be an excuse for him to treat people poorly.
He has a great dream, and working to achieve your dream is also a great thing. But he also needs to care about other things in his life as well. And if he choose to only focus on his dream, please at least be prepared. Everyone, including him knows that living in the wild is a really dangerous risk. I understand how he wanted to live off the land completely, but even a simple map could have saved his life. He also didn't prepare a backup plan for when things went ary. If he just leave a note or tell someone before he went into the wild that if they dont see him getting out after a certain time, please find him. He lived a great life full of adventure for sure. But if he had only been more careful or simply not been so stubborn, that life could have gone on much longer and brought much more adventure. So while I admire Chris for how he lived his dreams, I can learn from his mistakes and not always think with my heart and act irrationally as he did
#thegreatexplorer #selfishmenbringpain
#intothewildawayfromresponsibility

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Chris's story was very inspirational to me. He truly lived the life he wanted to live without being tied down by anything. He traveled with often nothing more than the clothes on his back and had no regrets doing so. The amazing part is that even though he mostly did this for the satisfaction of meeting his own goals, he still left a huge impact on the world through many people's lives. Chris had a good heart and people could sense that, and often if people took the time they could see through his facade of a rowdy adventurist to his true self of a good-hearted kid. I take a lot of inspiration from Chris because it is very important for me to spread good to others in the world. While I would probably never travel so recklessly like he did to do so, mostly because I would never make it nearly as far as he did, I do want to make a difference in the world as he did. Yet his freedom from any earthly burdens is very enticing. Not having a need for money or the typical wealth as we see it, nor stability or comfort, nor the daunting fear of unimportance in our lives, is something I deeply wish to experience for myself. This plays a large hand in why I want to skydive. Skydiving can be such a dangerous thing; you are literally throwing yourself out of a plane. Willingly at that. And yet, the way I imagine it, the moment I jump from that plane will be the moment that I no longer hold a deep fear of death. I will not want to die, but I will not live my life in fear of it. Being up in the air, thousands of feet away from all the people living their boring everyday lives on the surface is as close as it gets to getting away from the weight of modern life. There are no taxes, breakups, nor pain as you fall through the air. When I go skydiving someday, as I jump out of that plane with adrenaline pumping through my body, I will be completely and totally free, just like McCandless
#freefallin #freedom #goodheartedindividuals

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Summary
Krakeaur has dedicated years of his life to investigate the death(¶ 3) of Chris McCandless within the Alaskan wilderness. Krakeaurs first piece of strong evidence is Chris's journal(¶ 4) which records Chris believing he feels week because of the potato seeds he had ingested. But after spending months and a lot of money researching the seeds with other scientists, to the point of becoming obssessed(¶ 8) he finds that the original toxin thought to be in the seeds was mistaken. Records show that the roots of the potato plant Chris harvested have been shown to be safe to eat, while the seeds had no record of being toxic. Whether this is concrete enough or not to conclude if Chris died to the seeds is debatable, but Krakeaur wishes to show with his results the importance of being careful(¶ 19) with foraging plants, as many is not known which are edible and which could leave you weakened(¶ 20) or even dead.

Analysis
This further research shows just how unfortunate Chris was. he seriously could have made it in the wild had he just had better luck. With the thousands of plant varieties that scientists dont even know all about, the chances that he got a specific seed that was seriously detrimental to his health is just frustrating to imagine. Chris did so many things right, yet it was the mistakes he made that ended up killing him.
#plantssuck #20kthough? #krakeaur<3chris

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Summary
Ten months after the finding out about his death, Jon Krakauer brings Chris parentd Walt and Billie McCandless into the Alaskan wilderness to visit the campsite where their son spent their last days. Arriving by helicopter(200) what takes them 15 minutes took Chris 4 days to travel. As they  exit they look around and cant help but to appreciate the beauty(pg 202) of the wild around them. They enter the decrepit(pg 202) vehicle and look at the remains of their son. They examine his belongings and recall how they can still feel his presence. While they take in their surroundings, they can not fully remove their feeling of being baffled(pg 203) by his death, but they begin to understand what drew him to the Alaskan landscape. Once they leave the bus into the helicopter, the bus slowly recedes into the distance until it is gone(pg 203) from their lives

Analysis
This was a powerful ending, because it shifted the focus from Chris to his parents, showing the aftermath of his actions. What was just a temporary means of survival for him turned into a place with lots of significance and pain for his very own parents that visit it months later. The beauty around them becomes dampened by the idea that this was where he laid to die. However the sadness of this realization turns into closure, as it is portrayed where the bus fades from the view of the helicopter symbolizes how eventually the pain of losing Chris will fade away
#closure #busfadesaway #aftermathofdeath

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Summary-
As Chris Returns from the uncrossable river, he believes that that would be a minor setback as he could return to normal in the wild. He attempts to continue as before by killing game, but this does no last him for very long. He soon enters a preciptous decline(pg 189), where he describes in his journal that he is hungry, weak, and in danger. Krakeaur begins to describe some of the theories(pg 190) as to what caused his downfall. The most realistic and probable cause was that he ingested a poisonous root(192) that had no record of ever being poisonous. The poison works insidiously(194), causing him to lose all of his fat storage and muscle and never being able to get enough food to be satiated. Chris realizes that he is in bad shape, and begins to reflect on his life. He leaves his final message that he has had a happy life and thanks god as he writes his goodbye. Around August 19th, after 112 days serving the Alaskan wilderness, Chris dies of starvation(pg 198) and leaves behind the legacy that impacted more people than he probably ever imagined.

Analysis- Chris life is so powerful to study, that I would like to think he would dbe proud of how he has left his mark on others. He was a great man who had a simple dream, that in the end was not of his own doing that led him to his death. An uncategorized root that ended up being poisonous, how could he have ever predicted that? The people who criticize him don't realize the truth that at times nature simply wins against man. The same way you cannot always outrun a hurricane or killer mountain lion, Chris couldn't outrun his fate that nature played a part in. Nonetheless, Chris left behind the idea for many to cherish that we all should do as he did, and head into our wild in life and live courageously as he did.
#thepoisonapple #thebitterend #chrisliveson

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Summary- So as to better undderstand Chris's last adventure, Jon and three other men enter the Alaskan wilderness to find anything Chris left behind that would detail how his final days looked. As Jon and his partners were expert naturists, they have no issue in finding the bus and discovering the details around him. They fin the dead moose chris shot, andd mistake it as a Caribou(pg 177) before it was found later to actually be a Moose as Chris noted. We learn of the sad fact that Chris's death could have been easily avoided, as a mile up the river there is a cable(pg 173) that he could have easily use to get across. If he had only used a map(pg 173) he would have most likely survived his trip. As Jon and company explore the bus, they find that his presence(pg 179) is everywhere. From his boots to his nail clippers, his belongings are everywhere. It felt like they were imposing on Chris's home. They sleep outside as they felt staying in the bus would be of lack of humility(pg 181) and discuss the mystery of Chriss life before reaching the agreement that what Chris did deserved respect

Analysis
While it could easily be said that a map could have saved chris, it kind of defeats the point of his death. Chris lived his dream, he went into the wild and proved to himself and others that he could do it. He died in the end, but does death truly matter more than the life he lived beforehand? Is not his legacy so impactful because he died, not despite it? Chris lived a noble life, full of mistakes and successes and adventure; so what if he had a not so noble death? Are we not reading this book despite the fact he died in the wilderness?
#chrisdiedwithmeaning #givecredittochris #fullfilledlife

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Summary- As Chris begins his stay in Alaska, we see how truly skilled he was at adapting to the wilderness. He kills much game that allows him to live off the land. However, things don't stay easy for him. The sun dips below the northern (p.164) horizon for fewer than four hours out of every twenty-four, giving him more dangerous and cold nighttime. McCandless had told Gallien that he intended to remain on the move during his stay in the bush, which he does as he t walk (p.164) across the forest.  He later stays at the famous bus we all know and creates a plenty comfy camp. In the last week of May, after moving his few possessions into the bus, McCandless wrote a list of housekeeping chores on parchmentlike (p.165) strip of birch bark. Chris has many successes and failures, as he kills a moose which is no easy manner, but then also spoils much of the meat. Eventually after reading a passage that spoke to him he wished to leave the wild so he could share his happiness with others. But he was alarmed (p.169) to find that the same river he crossed to get into the forest turned into a fast, murky, chest-deep (p.169) rapid. He decides that he should return to his camp, without knowing that this was the decision that ultimately led him back towards his death

Analysis- Chris really wasn't an idiot. Despite what all the people who read the original article on him thought, he WAS resourceful and capable; he survived for months in the Alaskan wilderness which is no easy task. It is sad to see that simply because he died he is not recognized for his success in living out his dream of making it out in the wild.
#boyscoutmccandless #humblingriver #MOOSE!

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Summary- As Jon returns to his tent, being rattled(pg 146) from all that has happened on the glacier he makes the mistake of lighting his tent on fire. The tent gets colder, and without much food or entertainment left, he begins to feel the weight of what brought him to Alaska in the first place. He thinks of his father, and all the insecurities(pg 147) that came from the pressure Jon felt to remain the prodigy his father saw him as. Much like McCandless, an unbridgeable gulf(pg 148) had formed between Jon and his father. As a means of distraction, he convinces himself his purpose to climb devils thumb will fix everything. Slowly(pg 146) he returns to his climb on an easier route. He faces more obstacles but ultimately makes it to the top. Unfortunately, he soon finds that after his dopamine rush subsides from the triumph, he is left with feelings of lonlieness(pg 152.) Looking back, all Jon can do to avoid having regrets for his way of handling things is being appreciative that he came out alive.

Analysis-I admire how Krakauer's story of the climb up Devils Thumb works as a part of his effort to convince the reader of McCandless’s death as meaningful. He dives into an examination of his relationship with his own father. He bucked parental expectation only to realize that he had in fact internalized his father’s strict sense of discipline and achievement. These passages shed yet more explicit light on Christopher McCandless’s psychology. He, too, internalized his father’s perfectionism.
#krakeaurddaddyissues #potheadmistakes #chrisalternativeending

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Summary- Jon Krakauer attempts to convey how Chris wasn't crazy for wanting to dive out into Alaska by describing how he himself had before gone into the wild. In what could be described as a suicide(pg 134) mission, in his early 20s he hiked miles up a very steep and challenging glacier to reach the famous peak known as Devil's Thumb. Same as Chris he becomes so obsessed that he turns it into his moral duty to ascend the glacier and reach the peak. He crosses dangerous crevasses(pg 138) and battles for much of the journey against the harsh climate. Many brushes with death lead Krakeaur to truly feel pure fear(143) for the first time in his life. He pushes and pushes himself, but in the end, finds himself to not being triumphant(pg 135) as he thought he would, but instead inebriated(pg 138) as the glacier gives him a run for his money.

Analysis- It is crazy to imagine what if things had ended differently with Krakauer. It is honestly a small miracle that he was alive after the insane solo mission against one of the toughest conditions in nature known to man. He could have easily died and no one would ever find his body. The parallels between him and Chris are amazing, which is potentially why this book was written in the first place. Jon must have felt a connection to the story of Chris because he saw himself trekking up Devels Thumb in the adventure into the Alaskan wilderness.
#chrisisntcrazy #itscalleddevilsthumbforareason #suicidemission

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Summary-Chris and Carnie were very close because their parents worked all the time on their family business. We see this as after Chris ddies, Carnie was the only person able to pick up Chris's ashes and it broke her heart . Carnie and the family have always wonderedif Chris's death was avoidable if he had brought Buck, the family dog. He probably wouldn't be risking (pg.128) the chance of injury to Buck. Carnie was more gregarious (pg.129) than Chris, but she still couldn't imagine going through what Chris did, or really understanding why he did it. The whole family had different reactions to food and starvation (pg.131), because Chris had died of starvation. Carnie wouldn't leave any food on her plate because it would remind her of Chris. Billie the mom couldn't eat for a bit and then she became anorectic (pg.131) when she lost a lot of weight. Walt was gaining weight and the same with Carnie, he couldn't leave any food on his plate. The death of Chris had left the grief on the family that was irreparable (pg.132), especially to Carnie, as they were so close together and now she couldn't imagine losing her only sibling and best friend.

Analysis- When looking at the entirety of chriss adventure across the nation and into Alaska, it is very easy to get distracted by the pretty idea of an explorer who saw the world. What is often forgotten is who that explorer left behind so he could go travel the world. Chris left behind his sister, who loved him so much that hearing he died made her scream uncontrollably. We need to remember that hisincredible legacy that we read in this book came at a price for those he left behind.
#stagesofgrief #Carnieandchris #siblingsneverforget

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Summary- After high school Chris goes on an extended vacation all summer as he travels across the country, returning home a husk of his former self having nearly died of dehydration and little food to eat. Chris has been naturally gifted his whole life, leading him to be overconfident(pg 118) in his abilities despite the fact it almost kills him at times like it nearly did on his trip. Chris is uber-intelligent, knowing the sides of business(pg 120) and financing. After all, he did nearly pursue Harvard law school. Yet what holds Chris back in many regards is the anger(pg 121) he holds against his father. After he learned that his father had lied to his family about having another wife and kids, Chris resented his father in silence for many years without telling anyone what he knew. All Chris wanted was to run away and be independent(pg 125) from his family and the secrets that rested among them. Chris held his parents to such a high standard and held it against them when they did not meet it, despite that neither his idols nor he himself ever met those same standards. He was hypocritical and blind to it because of his hatred. In the end, his abandonment to his family left his parents in innocent aguish(pg 125) for many years as they questioned why their son left them

Analysis- Chris was a hypocrite. He talked about how he wanted to help others and worked so hard to live a life that impacted others positively for years, and then up and left his family in shambles. His idols were outright horrid people, yet he forgives a stranger's sins before his own blood. Chris was so intelligent but so stubborn that he could not fully apply that intelligence to practical skill. This chapter is a great representation of the darker side of Chris and shows how even good people can be so outright frustrating because of their actions.
#doublelife #ddaddyissues #hypocrticalcynical

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This chapter entails the story of Chris' upbringing throughout his childhood. McCandless' father and mother describe how their son(pg 104) had lived a fairly nourished life.  From a young age he had abandoned(pg 106) the traditional personality many children had. He was gifted(pg 106) but refused to admit it. He had a determination as strong as steel and natural talent for almost anything, but his stubborness to refuse guidance prevented him from readching his full potential most of the time. He charmed(pg 109) many people throughout his childhood with his leaming personality. And throughout this all he had a good heart and strong morals, where he thought of helping others constantly and was deeply angered by lifes inequities(pg 113)

Analysis
Chris is such a strange case. He had so much potetnial to be very successful, to become a great lawyer or entrepeneur. He was a great man with strong morals and enjoyabl to be around, as well as naturally gifted in many ways. And yet he died at age 22 in an Alaskan forest. Although it may be narrow mindded for me to say he had wasted potetnial, because he lived a very successful life by his own standards. He saw the world and its beauty while leaving an impression on many people we see throughout this book.
#chrissyboy #childprodigy #unusedpotential

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Summary
The officers in charge of the found body in Anchorage did not have much to go off of for his identity. Besides some minor details to go off of, they had nothing that could let them do anything but speculation(pg 99.) The little-known information was posted in Anchorage local news and Gallien who had dropped who he knew as Alex called to say he knew the identity. They didn't believe him at first, but he persisted(pg 99) and they then learned that he went by the name of Alex McCandless. However, as we know this isn't his real name, this leads to many leads ending in dead ends. Then Westerburg, who heard of the found body and recognized the description on the radio, called in and again had to convince the police he knew what he was talking about. He found old documentation of Chris giving his real name and social security number. Once they took him seriously(pg 101), the detectives looked into West Virginia for the McCandless family until they finally found Chris' half-brother Sam McCandless who verified Chris' identity as gaunt(pg 102) but undeniably him.

Analysis
While you can easily argue that Chris may have asked for his death through his reckless actions, it is difficult to deny that the way everyone who cared about him found out about his death is sad. To hear on the radio one day that someone you cared about just died in the woods hallway across the country starved to death would be rather saddening, especially to his family.
#mysterysolved #scoobbydoomccandless #newsforthewin

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Summary
Everett Ruess was the version of Chris McCandless before Chris was ever born. He was a young and athletic esthete(pg 90) who lived nomadically much as Chris did. Everett left an impact on people, and much like Chris was missed by many whose lives he had touched. He would often climb dangerous mountains and along jagged cliffs(pg 88) with little care for the number of near-death experiences he marginally escaped. Everett was known for his constant chase to find the Beauty(pg 91) this world had to offer. Sadly, Everett was last seen in 1934, with nothing left to tell of where he went except for the nom de plumes(pg 89) he left behind that read "Nemo: 1934." Despite the many theories of his disappearance, from claims of dying by falling from a cliff to disappearing off the face of the earth the same way that Nemo himself had, there is one thing to be said for certain; Everett shares that same reckless innocence(pg 97) Chris McCandless had

Analysis
Everett obviously shares many parallels with Chris McCandless. You could almost argue that Chris could be some type of reincarnation of the bold Everett who wished to find beauty where Chris wanted to challenge himself through exploration. However as Chris often demonstrates, if it is true that Everett died falling of the face of a cliff, it can be learned from their deaths that recklessness will lead to your death if taken to the degree that they did. Yet while risking their lives they arguably both lived more enjoyably than we ever will living within the confines of a traditional lifestyle.
#dopplegangerchris #cliffedgeisdeadly #recklessinnocence

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McCandless couldn't stay for long in one place, so very soon he returns to his travels and lands in Bullhead city. It is in bullhead city where Chris works at McDonald's, seeming homeless(pg 41) but still reliable as a worker. Chris is seen as intelligent but temperamental (pg 42), which leads to his co-workers putting pressure on him as they start to depend on him. So he quits(pg 41) and runs away as he usually does from his problems. Chris leads on a young girl who falls deeply in love with him, and he breaks her heart as he could never handle the commitment with how complex (pg 42) he is. Jan Burres, another lifetime friend he picks up along the way, fails at confronting him about his family or past life, which left her as well as others before mad(pg 46) that they could not get Chris to open up.

Analysis
Chris obviously has some serious attachment issues. He refuse entirely to let anyone close and will run away across the country at the idea that he would have commitment. He ends up hurting a lot of people along the way, because he moves people so much with his personality and leaves them in the dust without always an explanation. Chris is a great person but he is not someone to always rely on emotionally for sure
#abandonmentissues #heartbreaker #pattyflipper

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Chris McCandless had abandoned(pg 30) his precious Datsun ensuing the intense flooding near the shore of Lake Mead. He could not get the engine to start and in his exasperation decided his journey would be better off on foot(pg 29) anyways. Shortly after, McCandless hikes until he nearly dies of heatstroke (pg 29) where he continues to travel around the Mexico border. Chris finds extreme interest in canoeing along the rivers(pg 34) of southern California where he wishes to canoe straight into Mexico. After many unfortunate losses in his canoeing, he then decides that he should return to the north(pg 31). McCandless reveals that his past experiences with the southern adventures are a large reason he was so confidant he could survive the Bush.

Analysis: This chapter shows a lot of how Chris means well in his intentions to travel and gain experience, but his methods of doing so are rather stupid. He left his car that was in great condition, and took a large canoing trip without any proper research or preparation that ended up failing miserably. Its as if he is so smart and determined that he gets in his own way
#goodbyedatsun #floodalert #canoinggonewrong

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Summary
This chapter entails the beginning of Chris' origin

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Summary
It is mid-winter in Alaska, where the harsh and icy (pg 11) environment spells out danger for the non-experienced outdoorsman. Three outdoorsmen, Thompson, Samel, and Swanson, are plenty experienced as they search for Moose deep within the Alaskan forest. However, in the midst of their trip, they come across a bus (pg 12) with a couple outside it. Inside is some gear and a sleeping bag, as well as an SOS note. The note entails Chris' last message, a cry for help as he had no food and the cold left him too weak to go back on his own. As they search the bus and approach the sleeping bag, they find Chris laying in it, looking shriveled, frozen, and dead (pg 13.) Authorities are called and he is taken away. His body is examined and found to have died from starvation (pg 14) around 2 weeks before his body was found. With no identification, Chris is a mystery to the officers on his case as to who he was or why he was in the Alaskan forest.

Analysis
It seems that Chris ran out of luck. His stubbornness to fulfill his goals in his way only led to his untimely death. While it is frustrating to think how avoidable his death was, it is still very saddening to imagine. He died alone, hungry, without much hope. Had circumstances been different, his body could never have been discovered and no one would even know his legacy. Its very depressing to imagine
#allthingsmustcometoanend #Chris'legacy #thebushcaresfornoone

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Summary
Into the wild is a nonfiction novel that entails the journey of Christopher McCandless as he travels across America to live life without boundaries in the wilderness. In the first chapter, Chris McCandless, cold and shivering (pg 3), gets picked up by Gallien in the middle of Alaska in Fairbanks. After Chris announces his intentions of living off the land in Danali park. Gallien notices how little gear( pg 4) he had and how unprepared he was. Gallien tried to dissuade him to no success, because Chris was hard-headedly determined (pg 6) to enter, and without any help. Chris refused any offers from Gallien for extra gear or resources, he was sure that "I won't run into anything I can't handle on my own." As Chris and Gallian reached their destination, Chris asks to take a picture of him and finally accepts to take Gallians pair of boots. Chris walks off into the forest, Smiling (pg 7) and confident. Gallian considers telling the authorities of Chris and his dangerous plan to live in the bush (pg 4), but decides that surely Chris was do what any reasonable person would do and come back out if things get too rough.

Analysis
I can see why Chris is so determined in his plans, I too have felt like leaving it all at times. He is truly noble in being able to follow his dreams and not let anyone stop him. However, their seems to be a unclear distinction to Chris between being determined and just being stubborn. Refusing any form of help is either Chris being too prideful or having the false idea he has to do things alone. While this led to him having a great adventure, it also led to his death.

#darealmightythings #carveyourpath #toostubbornforyourowngood

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Nature has always been a soothing comfort for me when I've been stressed. When I used to live in Fullerton I lived right by Craig Park, which was this largely open park that I would walk to a lot with my friend. My favourite thing to do though was go into this little patch of forestry in the middle of the park. You would enter through the trees and after only a few minutes of walking you would be alone with just you, the trees, and the animals around you. Often I would just walk into this patch of forest and sit on the grass, listening to the birds and trees swaying in the wind. Getting away from the constantly busy life was always like a breathe of fresh air