Into the Wild

June 25, 2010 in Uncategorized

“It should not be denied that being footloose has always exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations. Absolute freedom. And the road has always led west.”          - Christopher McCandless 

Hello friends.  While my body is tired, my soul is well rested.  The above quote is from the movie Into the Wild, which tells the true story of a young man who abandons society and embarks on a wild adventure that ends in Alaska.  A bunch of us watched it in Claycenter, KA the other night.  Being westward wanderers at the moment, we all felt the art of the film intensely.   In the end, the man discovers that fleeing from his human ties only led to loneliness, and before he died he wrote “happiness is only real when shared.”  It was so appropriate to us, since we are forced to share everything on this trip.  Highs, lows, secrets, and sometimes even tooth brushes.  It took some getting used to, but now that I’m adjusted to the constant contact, I feel strange if I’m not surrounded by at least five friends.  That being said, I also treasure privacy – now more than ever. 

My life works on a strict schedule.  Wake up, eat, bike, eat, bike, eat, nap/swim/play, eat, sleep.  I’m not used to living so robotically.  Although these rad folks have really rubbed off on me, I still feel like a type B hippie who was catapulted into a society of class A achievers.  I love them all, but I still haven’t quite adjusted to this regimented lifestyle.  The more efficient we are, the more we can contribute to affordable housing.  I know it’s important to buck up and keep my head out of the clouds, but that is where my mind is naturally inclined to drift.  Sometimes I drift back when we have extra ride time and play.  I sing a lot.  I’ve written a few songs about WV rivers and whatnot.  Today I pretended to be Nala on the hunt, since the prairies of Kansas make a good imaginative pallet for the Pride Lands in the Lion King.   

Anyways, I mean to say that I am going to start making my blog more like a journal outlet and less like an obligation, since chores and duties dominate my life outside of cyber world.   I will probably ramble more, and there will be spelling mistakes, Grandaddy.    All I can do is wish y’all luck keeping up with my mad musings and minimal attention span.   

in Beloit, Kansas because she had to use the bathroom.  We joked about doing an interview before going in.  “Why not?”  Turns out they were thrilled we landed in their laps, since they had been talking about the wheat harvest all week. KVSVCheck it out!  I’m on the radio! Heather and I decided to stop at

  

http://www.kvsvradio.com/?page=story&id=172 

I want to tell y’all so badly about the insane storms, but I think that will have to wait.  I don’t know how I’m still awake right now after a 90 mile day.  I will regret this tomorrow, especially since beautiful Kansas lulls me into a daze and, like a mother humming, makes eyelids grow heavy. 

Love. 

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