RAFT 1

(Chilean Couple Self-Reflective Poem on Lessons Learned)

My Right To Choose

Solemnly beside me she sits
She is the only one left
But at least she's by my side
Her face, tear stained
Shes been crying
Crying for her sons, whom we left behind
Crying for her food, of which there is little left
Crying for a job, to find which we plod on
Crying for her rights, of which she has few
Crying in anguish, because she challenged the man
And if you were to ask her of the lessons she's learned
Along this cracked and broken road of life
She would give you the same response as I:

My Right to Choose is worth dieing for

IRB Blog Post 6

(My thoughts on "being one with the wilderness")

Every so often, you hear a story about some foolhardy person who has had enough of the "establishment" and wants to "find nature." Now don't get me wrong, I feel that this is absolutely admirable goal. Getting more in touch with nature is something I feel all of us should do a little more of. However, this does not constitute doing something extreme. Take Bill Bryson and his AT trip. It was one of the first hikes he had gone on! He even admits he was in no way prepared. The very least he could have done was prepare and practice more. Better yet, I feel that he could have found a much better way to get "in touch" with nature than risking his life! Maybe gardening? Below is a link to a story about the risks and costs of unprepared hiking.

http://www.tripleblaze.com/blog/2008/11/21/unprepared-for-hiking-trip-you-could-get-the-bill-for-a-rescue/

IRB Blog Post 5

(From the perspective of Stephen Katz)

Ha! Maybe Bryson isn't a complete moron after all. Today, after staring at a map for what must've been an hour at the least, he came to the conclusion that "perhaps we shouldn't do the whole thing on foot." It took him this long to realize? We aren't mountain men! It's just a fact! I'm writing this down because I think this teaches some important lesson or something. I'm not so good at wording this sorta thing, but here it goes: "Don't set your goals too high, or they may become unreachable." Bryson read this and said that I should take a picture to the remember this lesson by, so I took a picture of the taxi. It also gives me something to rub in his face later.

IRB Blog Post 4

(From the perspective of Bill Bryson)

Today we left The Great Smokies, but not quite in the way that you'd expect. Let me explain. Today we looked at a map encompassing the entire Appalachian Trail (henceforth referred to as the AT), and we realized we haven't really done all that much. With great guilt, but admittedly a little pleasure, we realized we couldn't do the entire trail, "and just like that we found ourselves heading for Roanoke and the sweet green hills of old Virginny." I include this quote from my journal because it serves as a reminder of the important decisions I made along the way.

IRP Blog Post 3

Bears, A Symbol

Bill Bryson, in his journey through the book, he often brings up the dangous nature and the fear that he will be attacked by a bear. While bears are undoubtedly dangerous, as a reader I feel that they represent something more. They represent the trepidation and innate fear that bill has about being in the wilderness. It also represents his conflict. He is trying to get over the way he lived and be a bit more in tune with nature, and bears are trying to stop him.

IRP Blog Post 2

A View from the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains

This is a mountain range between Tennessee and North Carolina. It is extremely well known for its plant and animal life, containing more different types of trees in just its area than all of Europe. Two things of a particular note are its salamanders and its fog. The area gets a lot of fog due to its elevation and climate, and it is one of the reasons the range is called the Great Smokies. It also has the most diverse salamander population outside of the tropics.

IRP Blog Post 1

A definite theme of the novel is wildlife and nature conservation. Bill Bryson is constantly using facts and figures to show just how little is being done, and humor to show how ludicrous it is. "The National Park Service actually as something of a tradition of making things extinct. Bryce Canyon National Park...founded in 1923, and in less than half a century under the Park Services stewardship lost seven species of mammal." I include this quote because I believe it shows how little is really being done to protect our wildlife. The supposed 'solution' is actually the cause, and I feel that this is an absolute outrage, and that more must be done to remedy this problem.

IRB MP 3 Post 1

A walk in the woods

Bill Bryson