A Visit to Kingwood Oxford - Christopher McCandless

All I can see walking around are giant hundred dollar bills. The girls wear dresses costing more than I have ever had in my pocket, which at the moment is nothing since I burned it all; however, my point is made. Does anyone ever wonder why money is green? Maybe because it inspires envy! Well, whatever the reason, nothing good could possibly come of it.
I've talked to a few of the children at this school, getting to know their stories. Many speak of their families. I never mention mine. I have problems with understanding their ideas of success, however. They possess dreams of college, becoming doctors, men on Wall Street, lawyers, and CEO's of impressive companies. The one thing they all have in common is that they believe being wealthy means they are successful. Shouldn't success be caused and driven by achieving happiness? I think they should try living with this idea for a while. The suggestion of venturing out into the wild, to get to know themselves and spend some time away from the suffocation of society horrified them all. One asked, "You mean like camping? I do that all the time! In fact, this weekend my family and I are taking our RV to Vermont to spend Memorial Day at a site." To this, I could only shake my head. It seems they are incapable of understanding the true meaning of freedom.
I spent most of my time on the fields, laying in the grass and looking up at the clear, blue sky. Some runners jogged past me, chatting and stretching their legs to create even strides. I remembered my days in high school, running on the track team, playing the French-horn. I was just waiting for the opportunity to break free. I can't bring myself to walk around this school anymore, as it contains everything I do not stand for. Where are all the rivers and mountain ranges? All I can see are roads packed with too many cars, schools packed with too many people, and definitely way too many buildings.
At dusk, I finally rise from my resting position in the grass. At least maybe I can use the cars to my advantage. I begin to walk off the campus and down the busy road, cars whizzing past in the imminent night. Stopping by a small brook, I take my glory stance. One hand is wrapped around the strap of my backpack, the other thumb is raised in the air.