An Ode to McCandless

NOTE: I wrote this post in 2015 after I read Into The Wild by Jon Krakeuer and watching the movie, but never posted it, feast your eyes on some older stuff.



We can think about the meaning of life for hours on end, we can write about it, we can sing about it but we will never truly understand unless we really dive in and explore it. 7.2 billion human beings currently wander this earth, 7.2 billion different people. Each and every one of these people are different, we have different wants, needs, aspirations. I asked a number of you what the your meaning of life is, and I received a range of answers but most of you replied with simple answer, "to be healthy and happy". However, if I was to ask Christopher McCandless the same question, his answer would probably state that life is about finding a sense of self, discovering who he truly was and this is exactly what he did on his Alaskan odyssey. 
"McCandless went into the wilderness not primarily to ponder nature or the world at large, but rather, to explore the inner country of his own soul." - Jon Krakauer, Into The Wild.


McCandless was born in 1968 in California, America and was raised in a middle-class family in Virginia, but despite this, he had no value for wealth as he made clear when he burnt the contents of his wallet before his journey into the wild. McCandless is now known for his odyssey that began in 1990, after he graduated from university when he left, alone in his Datsun. He had always planned to go to Alaska and live off of the land, but he did not arrive there until 1992. After hiking along the Stampede Trail, McCandless came across an abandoned bus and after living in complete solidarity for three months, he decided it was time to return to civilisation however the river that he had crossed whilst it was much lower three months before, was now much higher and virtually impossible to cross. McCandless was trapped, or so he believed he was, however if he had taken a topographical map, as many of the people that he met on his way to the end of his journey had advised, he would have discovered the hand-operated tramway that crossed the river less than 2 kilometers away. So Christopher returned to his bus, posting an SOS note: Attention Possible Visitors. S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?"

McCandless died soon after, with an unknown cause of death. His body was discovered just a few days later by hunters. This is the part of Chris' story that really gets me. The universe left him alone for three months, and when he was at his weakest, nobody was there to save him. If he held on for just a few more days then he would probably be in the world with you and I, but that's what makes his story so tragic, so amazing - a mistrust in fate and time that lead a beautiful life to be lost. 

Christopher's life became known throughout the world after his death, inspiring people of all ages to give themselves time, to get to know themselves, and to be prepared because mother nature is not always by our side. He has become a great inspiration of mine, his writing, his mind set, it all fascinates me.