Tyshawn Harris Noland Trail

The class we went to the Noland Trail was one of the best classes all year. I never been on the Noland Trail, it was something new and different. I sat and observed my surroundings it was very peaceful. The trail was something every person should get out and experience. Just the way everything is like from the water to trees, plants, animals, bridges stones, could make the Noland Trail a sacred place from someone. The way everything falls in place, how everything balances could be a great experience. I love just walking the trail it helps me take my mind off of my problems but at the same time helps me think about it and what is important. I should and just might go out there more often just to think about things. Its something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Jem Kamran- The hunger Games

            I just finished The Hunger Games. And I realized that the premise of the “utopian” society that is created by the antagonists of the book is achieved through isolation of wilderness. In the book the government has divided the country into twelve; each district specializes in a part of industry like coal, agriculture, lumber, fishing etc. By limiting people to one landscape or aspect of the natural world the government of the novel obtained the power to oppress, and control any dissidents. They have manufactured and have been able to control aspects of the natural world in order to further subdue the people for example the mockingjay birds that they have genetically modified to imitate the words that have been spoken. The governement manipulates the natural for their own devise.

           When the main character learns to escape to the wilderness to hunt and provide for her family- which is illegal to do- she realizes that there is more to life then to going along with what the Capitol says. Her entrance into the wilderness was the beginning of her revolt against the established government. So it is by no surprise that most of the characters in the book hope to one day escape to the wilderness. The wilderness becomes a symbol of hope and most importantly a symbol of freedom for them. 

            This book is first of the series and I hope to read on to find out how this theme of wilderness as a symbol of freedom  further develops through out the story.

Jordan Snider-Surfing

    Several weeks ago, my famiily and I traveled to Hatteras, North Carolina to go surfing for the weekend. This is something my dad got me involved in when I was just six years old. If you've ever been surfing, you'll understand just what I'm about to describe. The feeling of catching your first wave is something you will never forget. After you've done it once it becomes an addiction, and I've been addicted since I was six years old. There is just something about waves that draws people in. The fact of something so powerful propeling  and carrying you forward is just amazing. This is just one of Gods creations that I fell in love with. Surfing allows me to connect with Nature. It's something that clears my mind and gives me feeling of connection with the world and the worlds creator, God.

Jordan Snider-The Noland trail

The Noland trail class was probably one of my favorite class period because of how familiar I am with the trail. Every monday morning during the semester and throughout the summer I run this trail in the morning. By running this tral in the morning, I am able to experience the beauty and peacefulness because there aren't very manny people on it and there is not a whole lot going on except for nature. By running the trail alone, I am able to clear my head and get my thoughts in line. The one thing I love about the Noland Trail is that everytime I run it I notice something different. Whether its the new flowers that just bloomed or the leafs on the tree changing colors. The Noland Trail has a natural beauty that I will forever enjoy.

Andrea Rowley - Thoughts on the Labyrinth

Ending our last day of class on the labyrinth on the Great Lawn was really neat. It was a way for us to try to connect with ourselves and our thoughts while working our way along the snake-like path. Doing so with a class of 20 people who were not entirely in the zone to really take it seriously was discouraging and made it hard to fully devote to. I could not get what I wanted out of it, and I wish I hadn't let some people's ways of making the labyrinth a joking matter get in the way of my state of mind. It could have been a great opportunity to allow ourselves to try something different, something we were not used to, but it was a failed attempt. If I could not get what I'd hoped out of it, I at least am glad Dr. Redick introduced us to the concept.

Andrea Rowley - Walking With Freedom

After writing about Lion King's documentary, I poked around on Trail Journals and came across his website - http://walkingwithfreedom.com/.

Just by reading his About Me, I have a whole different opinion about someone who I already thought positively of. Lion King, or Michael Daniel as his parents call him, has been hiking since 1998, and since then has hiked over 10,000 miles. 8,000 of those miles were thru-hikes on the AT. Not only has he hiked the AT, but he has thru-hiked the John Muir Trail in 2002 as well as The Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in 2006. There is so much more to this man than we saw in his film, and it is admirable to me how dedicated he is to something he loves.

I am unsure of how dated this particular piece of information I found on his website is, but he is hiking/has hiked the American Discovery Trail which totals over 6,000 miles from coast to coast and will also be the first time ever a person has walked non-stop the entire length of the trail in one trip on foot. On top of that, he raised money for the American Heart Association over the course of nearly a year of walking.

Lion King has done so much for himself and for others just through hiking, and I just thought dedicating a journal entry to him was appropriate. For those of you who intend to start hiking - do it until you can't anymore. Nothing stopped Lion King.

Andrea Rowley - Cold Fever, Pt. 2

I've already blogged about Cold Fever, but I just want to revisit this film for a second.

I have been in love with Iceland for years. No, I have never been there, but the entire culture of that place fascinates me. I follow certain blogs based out of Iceland just to get a glimpse of the land and the people in pictures. Their language is uniquely beautiful and one I have been slowly teaching myself (emphasis on the slowly).

For those Sigur Rós fans reading, my wanderlust to travel to Iceland only grew exponentially upon watching the band's 2007 tour documentary titled Heima (view trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLZP6Cz2dA). I mean... just LOOK at that place. It is, as we spoke of in class, awesome. The opening quote of said trailer ("I sometimes get this strange and sort of uncontrollable urge to want to go home.") is one I have always connected with in terms of my home, but I dream to someday visit their home to see exactly why he feels that way.

In short, when Dr. Redick said Cold Fever was an Icelandic film, by heart skipped a few beats. The land and the culture of the Icelandic people is simply beautiful.