Floating - Edward Abbey

I'm not one for political statements, so when I read in the author's biographical information that he "cannot separate his own experiences on the river from broader - and often disturbing - issues concerning people and their effect on the natural world, I was sure that it would be a soapbox essay. But the further I got into the reading, the more I was drawn into the story and the parallels that Abbey made between the natural world and the societal one that we live in. Statements such as "[e]very river I touch turns to heartbreak" and "nothing is more vulnerable than the beautiful" stood out to me. It personifies the natural world. The description at the top of page 257 paints the picture of the group's trip down the river as vividly as if I was there with them. Abbey begins to make stronger statements later into the essay by comparing with more concrete modern-day examples such as "developer," "politician, "technetronic whatnots: dropouts... from the real world...." I would say that I am pro-Earth, and Abbey's essay captures the feelings of many people. Some people who are to involved in the me-me-me-let's-live-in-the-fast-line-go-go-go life look at environmentalists and say, "Why don't they get a real job...wait until they go out into the real world...." But what is real? What is important? What is lasting?

In the Mazes of Quetico - John Tallmadge

I enjoyed the descriptions of the four students and their separate and differing approaches to the experience of Quetico. It reminds me that people experience nature on all different levels and that where you come from, physically, emotionally, financially, and mentally, plays a very large role into your experience. When I studied abroad in England, I had a terrible case of homesickness. It was my first time away from home alone and I was embarrassed that I did not behave as other experienced travelers had behaved. But my experience was my own. I was awed by Christ Church Meadow differently than the others did. The magnificent lawns and gardens in England meant something else to me than it did for those who had seen it before. Not necessarily better, but different. We did a lot of hiking in England. Some waked through the fields straight to their destinations, while others hiked with wandering eyes onto the world around them. Tallmadge states: "I've noticed that my slides of canoe trips never seem to fit very well with my memories." This is exactly the case for me. I look at my pictures and the joy, awe, excitement, and wonder of the beautiful sites I saw can never be captured in a four by seven, two-dimensional piece of paper but in my very vivid soul.

Mississippi Solo: A River Quest - Eddy L. Harris

This is my favorite essay out of this section. I completely connected with Harris's ideas. He states that he sees himself "wearing tuxedoes and drinking champagne, not eating beans and weenies and wearing the same smelly clothes for weeks." I too feel this way daily. That's why I make myself do something "natural" at least once a semester to keep me connected with the simpler things in life. I haven't had many experiences of traveling alone, so I will often revert to my summer experience in Europe. It was a time of self-discovery. I'll never forget it. Just packing for the trip taught me a lot about "cut[ting] my list to the bone." I have similar sentiments to "Dallas looks like Denver looks like Tacoma looks like Tallahassee." Raised in Houston, I have a lot of pride in the city. I don't know why exactly because it seems to be a cookie-cutter city. What distinguishes it from other industrial big cities? I realized this especially when I visited San Francisco for the first time. Now THAT's a city. It has it's own personality and it's own charm. Only a few cities on the U.S. can claim this quality: New Orleans, New York.... I haven't been to many cities in the U.S., but I feel like it's all the same. All McDonald's. You can't even escape from Ronald McDonald in Europe. Harris says that "[t]he Mississippi offered this to me, promising that if I gave her a try she would be a part of me forever. It wouldn't matter if I finished...[t]he desire and the intention were what really mattered." This really hit home to me because I had felt so ashamed and embarrassed that I was homesick in Europe. "I can't believe you did not have fun. You're in EUROPE!" is the common response to my homesickness. But I did have fun. I did not go home early like some other students had done. I saw great sites and I made great friends. As the Mississippi did for Harris, Europe was "daring me to succeed...daring me to try something new, pushing me to be strong and courageous, preparing me for life."

The Winter of Man - Loren Eiseley

This was a very symbolic and poetic essay that perfectly paralleled the coldness of nature with that of man. I really enjoy the images that Eiseley presents mostly because of its subtlety. Some parts seem almost scientific and then the author nicely melts these images into the more poetic ones. The ending is a good blending of all the ideas: "There is a winter about us - the winter of man that has followed him relentlessly from the caverns and the ice. The old Eskimo spoke well. It is the winter of the heedless ones. We are in the winter. We have never left its breath."

The Impoverishment of Sightseeing - John Daniel This essay takes a good look at the active versus the passive. Recently, I have wanted to go hiking at Enchanted Rock, learn how to rock-climb, go roller-blading...anything to get my adrenaline pumping. I think this essay may have played a part. Statements like "the exhilarating playground," "that perpetual unknown that buzzed me with excitement," "opportunity to be actively involved with nature," and "observers...passing through" remind me of my former self. As a younger adult, I felt like I could conquer the world. CARPE DIEM was my daily motto as was "there is nothing to fear but fear itself." Even my graduation speech included the O' Shaugnessy poem about "movers and shakers." But what has happened to me since? Why have I not taken the opportunity to explore the nature-ridden city of Austin? Why do I watch Discovery channel instead of the animals that inspire them. I remember now, with the help of this essay, what inspires me to live - the living world around me.