open your eyes to all things unseen

Week 17 of the internship has come to an end, and that means its one step closer to going home, one step closer to graduation and one step closer to living the rest of my life as a working adult. The kind of crossroads that everyone arrives at, and how things will change thereafter. I happened to chance upon a book while browsing the makeshift stall outside the train station, and possibly found what's the best book I've read, ever.

There it was, "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer. Without spoiling much of the story to you, it's more of a written documentary, about a 24 year old Chris Mccandless who embarked on his own odyssey to find new meaning in life. Indeed, being at the same age at which he did all the things that I can only ever dream of, he strikes me as the one real-life person who wouldn't care so much as to abandoning everything he had and live his dream. While he very nearly did get to tell his adventure, a most unfortunate mix of naivety, stubborness and bad luck (though these are very much my own opinion having read the book) eventually cost him the chance to do so, hence the third-person narrative, which has nevertheless captured the imagination of many.

This was Chris Mccandless's very last self-shot. He died of starvation on 19th August 1992 (estimated) after spending 112 days in Alsaka.



In one of the many letters which he wrote to many friends he met along the way (mostly those who either gave him a lift or a job while he prepared himself for the trip of a lifetime), a quote from his letter struck me the most.

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, comformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future."

Having had the privilege to travel and broaden my horizons considerably in the past four years, I could not have found a better way to describe this common characteristic that I've seen in so many people, and the respect I have for the handful ones who dare defy it. I can never imagine becoming someone with a heart of stone and leave all the friends and family behind, to go on a journey knowing that I might never make it back alive. As much as Mccandless dared live his dream, I find it a tragedy that the whole episode had to end like that, and yes I'm appalled by his irresponsibility towards his parents, the folks who brought him to where he was. Sigh, the book did leave me depressed and deep in thoughts for a good whole day, but at the end of it, it has added a whole new level of perspectives I can take away from striking some balance in life, knowing what I want to achieve, and what has to be compromised along the way.

Speaking of which, some travel updates that are confirmed. Beijing is coming up in 2 weeks, and I'm going to catch Michael Learns to Rock live in concert! Tokyo in January right before flying back to Singapore from Hongkong. I know, its a life many students dream of, especially when many of the friends are slogging through the upcoming exams. This dream, its going to end soon, and I really wonder what will I be up to at this time next year. *note to self: I could write another thesis-long reflection come 365 days later* Till then.