Gliding effortlessly like a falcon soaring amidst the clouds, the knobby tires of my motorcycle spat up rocks, and dust from the cool dirt road beneath me. The hot sun beating down upon my back, like flames kissing the ceiling of a hearth. The dry desert air was so thick it could be separated with the motion of a beckoning arm, and I was alive...for the first time.
Growing up in a middle-class suburban neighborhood with one sibling, a golden retriever, and a white picket fence, I was living the epitome of the American Dream. Yet, to me it was an American Nightmare. As fortunate as I was, I was always searching for something more, something larger than life itself. Little did I know I would find this solace, this "something" residing within the pages of a book. However, to me it was not just a book, it was the divine essence of life itself. For as long as I can remember I have always been different from my peers. I scoffed at those who were obsessing over college admittance essays, GPAs, and extracurricular activities, for they were all fools. For only a foolish person could fall into society's entrapments at such a young age, throwing away their own identity for what purpose? To follow the systematical steps of mainstream society in order to achieve what others deem success? I was NOT going to become another cog in the system, I was going to blaze my own trail in this journey known as life. This mantra laid stagnant in the back of my mind for years until I read "Into The Wild". "Into The Wild" was the sole catalyst that inspired me to venture across America on a journey of self-discovery. A week after reading "Into The Wild", I knew it was my time to venture "into the wild", and find out who this boy living behind the facade of the American dream really was.
The story of Alexander Supertramp (Christopher McCandless) as told by Jon Krakauer in "Into The Wild", is the non-fiction tale of a recent college graduate who leaves his life behind him in order to free himself of the constraints of society. In doing so, McCandless ventures into the final frontier of America, Alaska. McCandless ironically meets his demise as a result of needing the one thing he was trying to escape most, but not before learning two of life's greatest lessons. "Into The Wild" embodies the spirit of adventure, and portrays the captivating tale of Christopher McCandless through the use of the hero's journey.
"Into The Wild" is the most inspirational book I have read thus far."Into The Wild" inspired me to venture across America on a motorcycle armed with nothing but the bare essentials. Throughout my journey I learned many things about myself, but most importantly I learned how to live, something that would have not happened if I did not read "Into The Wild".