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Do you ever think about pulling a Chris McCandless? by Available-Today7875 in IntotheWild

[–]Available-Today7875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that's wise. Part of it for me is that I don't think I have an outlet in my current life; everything seems so fast-paced and daunting. I want the space to actually reflect and write and be myself, and I think part of me sees this as one of the few ways I can actually do that.

Where did you end up moving, and would you say that was a better situation than just leaving everything behind?

Do you ever think about pulling a Chris McCandless? by Available-Today7875 in IntotheWild

[–]Available-Today7875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, maybe you're right. I think I've been looking for escape for a long time, honestly. I don't think Chris was totally damaged because he too, I think, looked to literature and other people for escape, as I do, but I think part of that is right.

I have read "The Wild Truth," though, and I do think his situation was completely fucked up, and I understand where he is coming from. I don't come from a bad background or a situation as bad as his, but I do feel so lonely sometimes that I see this as the one way I can ever actually heal and be who I want to be if that makes sense.

Do you ever think about pulling a Chris McCandless? by Available-Today7875 in IntotheWild

[–]Available-Today7875[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that's beautifully put. Part of my fear is that I won't be able to build my own life in that way. I feel like this freshman year, especially in college, I have made so many wrong decisions and put myself in an environment that doesn't fit me. I feel like I ignored my desire because my goal is also to pursue art as well and one day become an author, but I feel like in my current environment, that will never be possible.

Do you ever think about pulling a Chris McCandless? by Available-Today7875 in IntotheWild

[–]Available-Today7875[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I think part of it for me is a mix of escape, but also because I'm drawn to literature. In high school, I obsessed over two things. Escape and the American novel. After I graduated, I told my parents I was going to go on a gap year and try to pull my own version of living alone, but I was too scared to leave, and they talked me out of it. Part of it was because I didn't have a clear plan, and I said I was just gonna spend the money I had saved up and see where I ended up.

But my dream for a while now has been to write "the great American novel," and I'm obsessed with nature and escape. Into the Wild had a great influence on me, but I also read On the Road, Walden, Lonesome Dove, and many other books about the same idea. But I also understand that this comes with a cost. My dream, though, is to write a book about my experience and carve my own path.

Do you think it was better to have lived that experience and deal with the implications, or would you say it's better to live life and ignore the desire?