INTO THE WILD

In April 1992, a young man from a wealthy East Coast family hitch-hiked his way to Alaska and penetrated the forests north of Mount Mckinley. Four months later, a group of elk hunters found his body in a decomposed state, the result of an apparent intoxication.

The youth’s name was Chris McCandless and his “adventure” had begun in the summer of 1990. Upon graduation from Atlanta’s Emory University, McCandless simply disappeared. He legally changed his name, donated the 24,000 dollars he had in his checking account to a humanitarian organization, abandoned his belongings and burnt whatever cash he was carrying in his pockets. His distrust of all those things that could be readily had was absolute. McCandless proceeded to reinvent his life and wandered across North America in search of new and meaningful experiences. His family knew nothing of his whereabouts until the remains of his body were found in Alaska.

McCandless’s story is not exempt of controversy. While many idolized him for his intrepid idealism whose sole objective seemed to be an exploration of his soul, others accused him of being an egotistical maniac who not only ruined his own life but that of those dearest to him. I do not dare to lean one way or the other, but I do believe that human beings have always possessed McCandless’s nomadic spirit. Settling down and setting up roots in a city is something that we’ve only been doing for a relatively short time if we consider the history of humanity as a whole. McCandless was merely emulating our forefathers.

If you want to read more about Chris McCandless, I suggest you pick up a copy of “Into the Wild”, an easy-to-read, highly entertaining book that invites reflection.