christina's english blog

 13. Consider a relationship in your life that feels important to you. What makes that connection meaningful? (pg..126) A relationship in my life that is important to me is my relationship with my mom. This relationship is important to me because although she is my mother and takes care of me, she is also one of my best friends. Growing up, it was just me and her. We have had to go through tough times together but it has only made our relationship stronger. I don't know what I would do without her. I love her so much.  

 Based on the first 40 minutes of the film and chapters 1-11 of the book, The visual version of Chris's journey makes his choices seem more reckless than the text does because in the movie (thus far), Christopher just graduated college, was planning to possibly attend Harvard law, had $24,000 in savings, and seems to have come from a well off family. So it seems like he had a pretty promising future and an opportunity to live a normal life but he instead he chose to go on this crazy adventure. In the book, we learn more about his childhood and how he has always had oppositions towards society, which makes his choices seem more justified.

When I was younger, I saw my parents as perfect heroes, but as I grew up, I realized they are just regular people who make mistakes. This shift in perspective was tough because it forced me to trade my childhood idealism for a more complicated, realistic kind of empathy. In Chapter 11 of Into the Wild , Chris McCandless goes through a much harsher version of this when he discovers his father’s secret past and him having 6 children. While most people eventually forgive their parents' flaws, Chris sees his father’s double life as a total betrayal, which may have led him to want to leave and abandon his family.

 After reading chapters 1-10 of Into the Wild, the chapter that stood out to me the most was chapter 8 because it was interesting to here of the other Alaskan explorers. I think it was so interesting to here about the other people's adventures into Alaska and how they compared and differed to McCandless's journey. It shows how Christopher was different from people who have went on similar journeys. 

 At my current time in life, success to me means having good grades, a social life, and being happy and content in life. I believe these ideas of success comes from the expectations of my family and how I raised. I align with these ideas and strive to achieve them. However, everyone's ideas of success isn't the same and I think that is the beauty of it. 

I definitely value my own space because it gives me the freedom to figure things out on my terms. Relying on people can get complicated, so I'd rather just trust my own instincts and handle my own business. Doing things solo taught me that I’m way stronger than I thought, and I honestly wouldn't change a thing. It’s not about being lonely, it’s about knowing I’ve got my own back no matter what happens.

 A vocabulary word from lesson 10 that resonates with me personally is timorous. This word is significant to me because when every I was a little girl I was very timid and shy. Growing up, I kept the same qualities but tried to break out of my shell. Being a timid and shy person can stay with you for the rest of your life and can even prevent from new opportunities because you can be too shy to talk to new people. As, I have grown up I am not as timid as I used to be but I can still be a little bit shy.

 My desired SAT score is a 1400 or above. My top three colleges are Emory University, Kennesaw State University and Georgia State university. I want to become a nurse and all 3 of these schools have wonderful nursing programs! Emory is one of the best medical schools in the country and it would be an honor to study and earn my degree there. Kennesaw seems to be a very nice school, with a large campus and many resources. Not to mention, they have a great dining hall. Georgia State also has a good program and its in the city. I'm doing full time dual-enrollment at Georgia State next year, so maybe I can continue my degree there. Hopefully, over the spring and summer, I will have a chance to visit and tour each of these universities and make the best choice for me!

 With daylight savings springing the times forward, I think the time change makes me feel more groggy and tired. Usually I don't get much sleep and don't have much energy and I honestly feel like daylight saving makes it worse. Nevertheless, I continue with my daily routine as usual. I feel like it is pretty easy to adjust after the first couple of days. 

 A musician has influenced the way I think about life, goals, and the world around me. The artist is Playboi Carti and his ideas and messages affected my thinking because he inspires me to be positive and not to be sad. In his music, he raps about his life and all the fun things he does. It inspires me to also strive for the best and never lower my standards for life. 

 If I had to simplify my life and only keep a few important possessions, I would keep my phone and my bible. The most difficult possession for me to give up would be my bed because I spend most of my time there. I would keep my phone and bible because they will keep me entertained and inform me on things I need to know.

 A time when i needed distance from a situation, place, or group of people in order to think more clearly or gain a better perspective would be simply breaks from school. I feel like when your in school your mind can be so laser focused on your assignments, classes, and social life. Whenever, I have time to take a break from school I realize that there is so much more to life and that there is no need to feel so stressed out and worried all the time. 

 After reading chapter 1 of Into the Wild, my first impression of Christopher McCandless is that he is a carefree and adventurous man, however he did not seemed very prepared or aware of what he was getting himself into. Based solely on the details and events presented in the opening chapter, I do not believe McCandless truly understood the risks he was taking in the Alaskan wilderness because he did not seemed to have all the materials he needed for the journey he was intending to go on, and even when offered tips and even supplies he denied. Perhaps, maybe this is want he wanted a raw, and difficult experience. 

While working on the vocabulary card assignment today, I found the easiest word for to understand was punitive. I think this word was easiest to understand because of the root "pun" which I connected to the word, punish, which helped me quickly understand the meaning of the word. The hardest word for me to understand was toady because it is a noun but for some reason I wanted to use it as an adjective.