Book Review: Into The Wild

Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, is about a young man, Chris McCandless, who goes into the wilderness of Alaska to live off the land. Tragically, Chris dies a few months into his odyssey. I'm not quite sure what compelled me to pick up this book, but when I read the following passage from a letter Chris wrote to a friend, I felt as tho it explained why I have such a strong desire to travel:

"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, conformity, 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. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. ... Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon."

It may not hold true for everyone, but it certainly is for me. My apparent attempt at settling down really is nothing more than an attempt investing wisely so as to allow me to travel in the future. That's not to say that I am entirely like Chris. Pick up the book to find out more about him. There is also a movie out based on the book if you prefer. I haven't seen it but would like to. The book is pretty easy reading though.

Dancing Home Owner

As of about 30 minutes ago, I became the Dancing Home Owner!! (I just closed on my first home.) Surprisingly, once I found the place back in January, I didn't have any hesitations or regrets about locking myself into a mortgage. I guess my logic is that while living in and experiencing new places is fun, I may live to be a 100 so settling down for 5 or 7 years in one place won't hurt. I chose this area to settle down because I am not too far from family and have many friends here. There's also lots to do in the area and I work for a pretty good company.

The house I bought is a single family (detached) home in Reston, VA. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, kitchen, dining, living, and garage. It's old, small, and has nothing fancy about the place, but the woman who lived there before me (a retiree) kept it clean and well-maintained. Most importantly, it didn't cost me an arm and a leg like most other properties in the area. Still, I would like to get a roommate so that I have some fun money to play (i.e. travel) with. If you know anyone looking for a cool roommate to live with, send them my way!!

Whistler, BC

Last week I finally got my fix of snowboarding for the season in Whistler. This was my third time there and I had an awesome time, as I usually do on snowboarding trips. The conditions were absolutely awesome this year tho - not too cold but snowed a lot. We enjoyed our times all over the two mountains - on regular trails, in the bowls, in the glades, etc.

Whistler is easily the best ski resort in North America. There is so much terrain and Whistler village is very charming. You will find visitors from all around the globe in Whistler. Whistler is also a host to the 2010 Winter Olympic games to be held out of Vancouver.

The downside of Whistler though is the price. It's an upscale resort and everything is pricey. Lift tickets are $83 a day (CAD & USD are about the same these days). Groceries are about twice what you'd pay at home. And a bus to/from Vancouver airport is another $100 (Whistler is 2 hrs from Vancouver). All this plus airfare and lodging. If I wasn't lucky enough to get free accomodation (courtesy of my awesome friend) and airfare (using miles), I would have thought twice about going.

Well back to the grind. When will my next vacation be??

Pictures are here.