Day 2: Into the mountain

The second day in my experiment I decided to just go out into nature with no music or anything. It was just nature and me. I was sitting at the base of the mountain behind the school. All I was doing was sitting there and thinking. All I could think about was schoolwork though. I wanted to clear my mind but it was really hard. I needed to do something else besides just sitting. I looked to my right, I see a mountain. I looked to my left, I saw houses. I realized that I needed to get farther away from society to achieve peace. I began my trek up the mountain. It was very steep and painful but it felt good. I was getting higher and higher until I finally reached the top near the electrical lines. I looked back and I was far above all the buildings and Webb. The view was amazing and even though it was hard, I felt really good about myself and what I did.  I stayed up there for quite a long time before I started to get really hungry and thirsty. I ran down the mountain and drank some water. I thought about what Chris McCandless thought about in the wild and how he had to carry all of his food and water supply. Did he think about his family? Friends? Maybe he didn’t think about anything and had a clear, peaceful mind.

Day 1: Battling with Nature

Last night, I decided to go out in nature and sleep outside. I went outside at about 11:30 pm. It felt so nice outside and the sky was clear for star gazing. I watched the stars and watched airplanes fly by. As i was doing this, I heard some sort of rattle. I got up and realized that the sprinklers were about to come on. I went back into my room to wait for the sprinklers to stop. I didn't want to stay in nature if i was going to get wet. Thirty minutes later, I take my second attempt at nature. I go outside at the same spot and just relax. It felt colder now at this time. I looked at the stars again while i finally fell asleep. I actually slept pretty well, little uncomfortable, but it was sleep-able. I had a dream about the woods and it started raining in my dream. I was a little confused because it was sunny in my dream right before that. I realized it was a dream and woke up to actually being rained on. Not actual rain, but from the sprinklers at 3:45 in the morning. I was getting really wet and i ran out of it. I was so tired and i just wanted to go to bed. Nature defeated me in this battle because i just went into my room and went to sleep in my nice and warm bed. This experience made me appreciate my bed and shelter more. I couldn't spend one full night in nature without going back to my room. I don't know how Chris McCandless got rid of everything he had to do this for fun. Only people that really enjoy nature will be able to do what Chris did.

Into the Wild Experiment

For my experiment, I am going to go out into the wild for at least 20 minutes alone without anything each day. I will do nothing and will try to find inner peace with nature. The first night, I am going to sleep outside in nature with just a sleeping bag and see how it feels like to sleep in the wild. I expect it to be really cold and uncomfortable. I will probably be scared at first and not be able to sleep because i will be sleeping near the mountains where bears, rattlesnakes, and coyotes are inhabiting. I predict that i will not like to be out in the nature and i will never be able to do what Chris McCandless did for so long before he died. I don't think that any kids from Webb will be able to do it because we are so used to technology and the city-like environment. Chris was from a very rich family so i could easily be wrong with my hypothesis.

McCandless Family

Chris McCandless was the first of two children to Walt and Wilhelmina (Billie) McCandless. Chris has one younger sister only. His father was an antenna specialist for NASA and his mom worked as a secretary for Hughes aircraft. Walt and Billie would often fight and would talk about divorce a lot while Chris and his sister, Carine were growing up. Chris has six half-siblings living in California from Walt's first marriage. Walt was not divorced with his first wife while he was having an affair with Chris's current mother. Chris was born before Walt divorced his first wife. Chris only found this out while he was in Southern California in 1986. Knowing that he went through all this trauma as a kid, I sympathize with him more. He wants to just leave reality and empty his mind. He likes to be in nature because it is so peaceful. Because his parents fought so much while he was a kid, Chris McCandless was forced to be independent and fend for himself. Growing up, my parents did everything for me and i would never be able to throw everything away to live in the nature for the rest of my life. He has the experience and ability to live on his own so i feel as if it was a good move for him if he is happy with his decision.

Standing 50 feet away, looking kind of spooked

    

Death

        I saw the whole thing. All of New York City’s eyes were staring at the top of the empire state building. There was a man at the top. No wires or safety equipment at all. He was in charge of putting the American flag on the top of the building. America has just a powerful army across the world. Everyone was excited and patriotic at this time. He was on his toes reaching for the hook to put the flag on. He almost had it in, but all of a sudden a man in a banana suit rushes at him. He turned around and did a kung fu kick right into the banana man’s chest. We fought hard but then the banana man got the edge and just threw him off the building. Everyone at the body screamed in fear. His life must have flashed before his eyes and a transformation occurred. He turned into a beautiful eagle and just flew away. The man in the banana suit was so surprised. He dropped to the ground and lay still on the ground. The paramedics got him to the most nearby hospital. The hospital did everything they could to keep the banana man alive but it was too late. He died from shock and had a heart attack. I was the man in the banana suit. 

Dear Lady Brett Ashley,

Dear Lady Brett Ashley,

                  

You may be gorgeous and every guy wants to sleep with you, but you need to understand that you must only be with one man. I suggest not marrying Mike, Jake, Robert, or even the bullfighter, Romero. You must leave all of them and get out of all of that drama. If you are with any of those men, somebody will eventually get hurt. You are hurting your fiancé, Mike, by cheating on him. You are in love with Jake and have been sleeping with Robert Cohn. This is just inappropriate and unacceptable to be happening at this time and any time. I know that you have your eye on that awesome bullfighter in Spain. He is off limits to you. This will only cause more drama between you and the 4 other men you are having an affair with. If you really want to be with one of them, even though I recommend not too, the only man that you should get with is Jake. Jake is unable to have sex and you love him regardless. I know that you don’t only love him for the sex and he is in love with you. You both love each other but you are too stupid to commit because you want to make sweet love. This is why I don’t like you and you need to get your act together. If your true meaning of life is to just have fun and sex, good job to you because you are good at that, but if you want to be loved and feel true passion, you must find the right man that you love not only because of the sex. I wish you luck on your journey to finding your true meaning of life because it will require you to change how you are to find your true love.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Sincerely,                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Chason Bridges

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway