Will you strive to be Chris McCandless?
A story of a man who had to get lost to find himself.

Imagine yourself, here…now. Now imagine yourself in years to come, as the day you’ve given your all for — your graduation. Your blood, your sweat, and even your tears have brought you to this moment. Young and eager to set out into the world to begin the rest of your life, you happily grab your diploma and go on your way. Congratulations, you made it. But what if you had the urge to leave everything behind? Could you up and leave your friends, your family, and all you’ve ever known? Chris McCandless could — and so he did.

May 12,1990 — Chris’ call to adventure. Graduating from Emory University, Christopher (Chris) McCandless was a young man who seemed to have it all. To those around him, there appeared to be no dire need for change; rather he was expected to enter the work force. Yet, to Chris, life wasn’t what he wanted — Chris desired novelty. Though Chris is most commonly known as the main character of the novel, Into the Wild, many do not realize that he, too, was a human-being — just as you and I.
Alas, Chris was soon known as “Alexander Supertramp” and was setting out into a world of his own — a world of wonder and utmost discovery. Throughout the span of McCandless’ journey, he hitchhiked and had a few temporary jobs, but after 114 days, was met with his death in Alaska. Though it seems to be quite tragic, it also seems that he would not have been content with living his life any other way.
Now, some may ask, why would anybody — especially one with a diploma from a university such as Emory — give up anything and everything to go on what seems to be none more than an adventure in futility? Mental illness? Insanity? Passion, perhaps? In the grand scheme of things, it could amount to all of the above — but often times, more of one than the other, depending on the spectator.

To some, the acts of Chris McCandless are seen as mental illness and insanity hand-in-hand. For instance, in the book, Schizophrenia: The Bearded Lady Disease, author J. Michael Mahoney writes that, “Chris McCandless was afflicted with paranoid schizophrenia.” Though this may have indeed been the case, it does not hinder McCandless when considering the route of a Hero’s Journey, for this can be deemed a mere example of the many trials and tribulations a hero encounters. Even in the pits of insanity, schizophrenia could not retain the impact Chris McCandless would soon have on the world — an impact that still holds true today.
“Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt.” — Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild
Others, such as myself, find that Chris may have been driven by nothing more than his passion — passion for life, passion for freedom, and maybe even a sense of passion for change. To me, this is what makes the life and adventure of Chris McCandless such an intriguing story. McCandless himself once said, “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” Having said this, it seems as if it is safe to say, passion in the heart of Chris McCandless was strong.
While McCandless was very good about keeping a journal for himself along the journey, he also had a great tendency to write home — to friends, to family, or just to write. In one letter, he wrote to a man named Ron Franz. Ron was a man that Chris worked with in Salton City. McCandless’ letter to Ron is the epitome of the way Chris worked to better the life of not only himself, but also the lives of others. He encouraged Ron to get out into the world and explore the many wonders God offered. McCandless wrote: “My point is that you do not need me or anyone else around to bring this kind of light in your life. It is simply waiting out there for you to grasp it, and all you have to do is reach for it. The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubbornness to engage in new circumstances.” McCandless made a difference — not only to his world, but the world around him.
“If you want to get more out of life, Ron, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy.” — Chris McCandless, Into the Wild
Imagine yourself, here…now. Now imagine yourself in years to come, as the day you were made for arrives — the day you change the world. Your blood, your sweat, and even your tears have brought you to this moment. Are you willing to go the extra mile to make a change? Chris McCandless did.


