Work smart, not hard.

That was Drew's advice to me at work on Monday. I really don't know why he had the urge to give me that piece of advice. Teenagers are such strange creatures.....

I finally saw Into the Wild. Such beautiful scenery. It makes me instantly jealous of Evalyn for her Alaska cruise this weekend. The movie showed not only the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness, but also from across the U.S. I suddenly have the desire to kayak up the Colorado river. If I only wasn't afraid of rapids.

It really was a sad story, though. It really helped me to see why some feel the need to wander. J.R.R. Tolken said that not all who wander are lost, but maybe they are. Just more on the metaphorical level. Christopher McCandless was in a sense lost. He lost himself in his "Great Alaskan Adventure" to forget all the heartache that he and his sister experienced at home. He dreaded living the way his family and society thought he should live; materialistic and ambitious. In that aspect, the more power to him. He was just a little unbalanced. I wonder how it would feel to burn all your identity and give all your money to charity and take off on such an excursion, losing yourself in travel and books. I know people with a similar approach to life. They, too, are a little unbalanced.

Christopher (a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp ) had no one to answer to but the element. The elements of nature, in the end, lead to his demise. This story definitely has a man vs. nature theme, very similar to To Build a Fire or Call of the Wild.

I did feel sorry for his sister and his parents. You could cut the guilt with a knife. He makes a lot of friends in his travels. The most beautiful friendship is with an older man who is grieving the lost of his son and wife, killed by a drunk driver many years prior.

I definitely recommend this movie.

The core of man's spirit comes from new experiences.