My Perfect Escape

1627 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Definition essay on perfection

As I shiver abruptly from the wintry Utah breeze caressing my skin, and I try to rub away the goose bumps that are forming while thoughts of a warmer place dance through my mind. I have made Utah my home as much as it has made me its homesteader, but I constantly feel like I need an escape. My solution to what many would see as a bad dream is to close my eyes and try to picture myself in a place that now seems like a far away land, a place that would be perfect in times like these because in just three hours tops I could escape into any type of haven. This place is Montgomery, Alabama, the one place from which I rarely need an escape, but many are close by if I do need one. A journey of 1,888 miles would be clocked on my SUV to make it to this place though, and it would take thirty-two hours to make it to the places I have always known as my short-distance escapes. Therefore, now the only way to feel the happiness of both of those places is to close my eyes and let my memories overwhelm my reality.

Growing up in the capital of Alabama may seem like it could offer me a lot to do, but in actuality, it is not the biggest city in the state and definitely not the most exciting. The only two real places of entertainment in Montgomery are the Movie Theater and bowling alley. Rave Motions Pictures is junior-high-aged-kid territory, though; when I go there, all I see is groups of thirty or so kids clustered together. The boys wear Ralph Lauren Polo shirts and khaki pants with girls in miniskirts and Hollister shirts. I will admit that I fell into this craze when I was in junior high. However, once I passed the age fourteen it just became obnoxious to try to sit through a movie of rowdy kids throwing popcorn at each other, p...

... middle of paper ...

...experience the crash of waves on white sand, huge mountains coated with fresh snow, a secluded lake with endless opportunities for fun, and clusters of 80,000 people who instantly become your friends. I was never one of those people, because Montgomery is in such a perfect position. Yet, now I am one of those people, and I have long distances to travel to reach all these havens, but I truly believe long distances are nothing in comparison to the rewards that my old getaways provide.

When I go back to where I belong, though, it will be short distances and I look forward to that time. However, while I am still here in the bitter cold, and I re-open my eyes to the surrounding that I now live in, I shake my head in disappointment and wait for the time that I do not have to close my eyes to imagine I am back to this place and I instead am actually close to my escapes.

Show More
Related

  • Home Place By Guy Vanderhaeghe

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every cold Alberta winter, or dry summer, makes me long for the East Coast. When I grow tired of the brown dirty hills of Alberta, I can close my eyes and picture being back in New Brunswick, bright green meadows and clear rivers. I miss how the fog creeps into your yard in the early mornings, the bittersweet smell of the sea that never could be washed out, I miss the feeling of home. As a child, my family and I would road trip, traveling East to the sea. I remember how the vastness of Alberta would change into the golden prairies of Saskatchewan, then shift into the forested hills of Ontario, and finally the calm rocky shores of New Brunswick. I remember the house we lived in, white paint peeling off the sides of the house, a Canadian and Arcadian flag flying on the porch (put there by my historian of a cousin), floral green wallpaper clashing with antique, mismatched furniture. That house has been in my family for generations, each of our stories have been told, beautiful new memories have been made there. I miss it so much. I miss the beach side bonfires, sparks drifting so far away they became stars, the rainy marketplace days, coming home and smelling like fish. The Alberta cold makes my heartache, I want to go home. My home is a comfortable old cabin, where I grew to not be scared of a

    Read More

  • What Is Chris Mccandless Like In Into The Wild

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, his adventure wasn’t meaningless, he was able to influence many and define the meaning of happiness that he seek for on the journey. One person that McCandless influenced most is an old man named Ron Franz; McCandless encourage the old man to move old and live a wild life, and “Astoundingly, the eighty-one-year-old man took the brash twenty-four-year-old vagabonds advice to heart. Franz ... moved out of his apartment and set up camp on the bajada” (Pg. 58). Ron is an old man living a secure life, but with no excitement whatsoever. In listening to McCandless, he moved out to the wild to appreciate the living of nature and lived a more thrilling life. McCandless’s adventure is also an influence for those who hasn’t fulfil their dream to enter the wild to have more motivation to do so. Furthermore, Chris realized the true meaning of happiness from his journey in Alaska, and defined it as “happiness [is] only real when shared” (Pg. 189). At first, McCandless ideal was to be alone and be himself so he would not have to live to anyone expectation. However, after a stay in Alaska, he found the meaning in have friends, family, and in which lead to happiness.

    Read More

  • Hidden Horrors in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    We are given the feeling of being in an idyllic, rural world. She enhances this feeling with little vignettes that are almost cliched in their banality: the little boys guarding their pile of stones in the town square; the towns-people gathering and interacting with each other as if they were at a country fair; Mrs. Hutchinson arriving late because she hadn't finished the dishes; even the good-natured complaining of Old Man Warner. All of these scenes and vignettes are used effectively to put us at our ease and to distract us from the horror that is to come.

    Read More

  • Basho's Journey

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    “ I myself fell prey to wanderlust some years ago, desiring nothing better than to be a vagrant cloud scudding before the wind... But the year ended before I knew it... Bewitched by the god of restlessness, I lost my peace of mind; summoned by the spirits of the road, I felt unable to settle down to anything.”

    Read More

  • Canyonlands Descriptive Writing

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was 12:00 at night, but I was still wide awake. I was anxious for the trip that was in store for me. The next morning I drove to the airport and took a flight to Colorado. I rented a car and drove to Red Cliffs lodge in Moab, Utah. Moab is a dry, desert town in Utah located right next to Canyonlands national park where I would spend most of my time. Right as I got out of the car I could see the beautiful canyonlands scenery. The gigantic cliffs of the island in the sky loomed over the lodge. The blue waters of the Colorado river ran behind the lodge. My room was spacious and had a great view of the cliffs. The best part of the room was the window right above my bed. That night I fell asleep gazing at a full moon and a sky full of stars.

    Read More

  • Descriptive Essay: The Sweet Scent Of Gibson County

    438 Words  | 1 Pages

    Where I come from, the vast land stretches on for miles, filled with dancing corn and wheat fields. Turn one direction and look at the clouds of dust rising off the gravel road, then turn the other way, that's about all there is to see here. A town of two stop lights. As you are driving, don’t blink, you may miss this little place. Some people may say there isn’t much to miss anyway, but I’d beg to differ. This is the place where I met and grew up with lifelong friends.

    Read More

  • Switching Schools

    1983 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...grade basketball team which reminds me of fascinating and stimulating memories I had with my team. The basketball team helped me adapt better to Great Neck North and it even landed me my dream girl because I was noticed by being on the team and having the game winning shot against Manhasset. When I go to visit Great Neck North, I always go straight to the gym to see our banner that says, “Division champions- 2005.” Even though the banner is not in my possession, it still reminds me of our historic achievement. It allows me to relive the success our basketball team achieved that year and laid a foundation for me to follow in high School. Likewise, Aciman comprehends that he does not want to leave Manhattan and live in Rome or Italy, because Straus Park allows him to remember Alexandria and better adjust to his new life, hence enforcing that New York was his home.

    Read More

  • A Highschool Student In The 1980's Analysis

    293 Words  | 1 Pages

    As a teenager in the 1980’s, Amy describes that entertainment has “truly changed” since her days at Alpena High School. “ Our closest thing to an IPod or a phone was a Sony Walkaman,” Amy said. “ I would always listen to the top 40 music hits on the radio whereas now teenagers listen to new msuic on their phones.” Amy described that after school she would always hangout with friends or go play outside. “You don’t even see

    Read More

  • The Sense Of Adventure In Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    For Chris McCandless’s age, it is immature of him to attempt to survive off the Alaskan wilderness that he says would give him freedom live on his wits. Chris left Ron Franz, an old man who appreciates McCandless’s presences. As Ron tries to get close to Chris, Chris has Ron drop him off on the interstate outside of Grand Junction. “McCandless was thrilled to be on his way north and he was relieved as well-relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it” (Krakauer 55). His immaturity comes with age as he shows how he can be self-centered and reject his emotions towards others. Whenever someone gets close to him, he bails and moves on a different path to get what he wants without making emotional commitment. Chris is young and still has much to learn. Twenty miles from the trail where he was dropped off, Chris stumbled upon a bus by the Soshana River. He called it a magic bus for he had been looking for shelter for a while. The bus is where he did his camping at. “Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Thou shalt not return, ‘cause “the west is the best” (Krakauer 163). This brings back how immature Chris is he has no...

    Read More

  • Short Summary: My Experience, Buffalo Vs. Charlotte

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and it’s all I’ve ever known. When I was younger my parents took me on little short trips like, Toronto and Columbus, Ohio. I was young, so I didn’t really remember a lot that was going on or different about the two places. When I got older, I decided I wanted a change in my life but did not know what or where. In September of 2003, I was invited to my cousin’s wedding in Charlotte, North Carolina. I decided to go and when I did, I did not want to return back to Buffalo. Of course, I had to come back to Buffalo because I was only visiting. I had made up in my mind right then, Charlotte, North Carolina was the place for my children and me. I decided to move to Charlotte before Christmas of that year. My experiences were years to remember. I stayed in Charlotte for a total of seven years. During the years I had been living in Charlotte, my most memorable experiences were the weather and the commuting.

    Read More

  • Snow Falls Research Paper

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    I step into the cold, chilling air letting the wind brush against my face as I look around and see what is before me. I look into the distance and see rolling mountains dancing across the scenery. They are painted in mesmeric reds and different shades of orange all reminding me of an enthralling sunset. Snow falls, literally everywhere covering these rocks not revealing how massive they truly are. The whole scene reminds me of a Christmas card. It captivates your soul. I had was one single destination on my mind and I took a chance and it led me to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

    Read More

  • Journals

    1777 Words  | 4 Pages

    “There's a part of me that thinks perhaps we go on existing in a place even after we've left it”. (Quote from Let the Great World Spin”. I agree with this statement. We tend to stay in a place after we have physically left through the power of our thoughts. We tend to replay and rehearse situations and encounters long after they occur. The following statement is som...

    Read More

  • Reminiscing My Summers at Hidden Hollow Camp

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    As I drove silently down the long and winding driveway, reality reemerged as the summer before my senior year began to be written as the past. The long journey back to my real home was occupied by reminiscences of the past two months complimented by the “Camp” playlist curated by the Junior Counselor Crew. In addition to the junior counselors, the campers, staff, and beautiful scenery alike are the reasons why I have spent 10 summers packed into a wooden cabin home to mice, bats, bugs, and where everything, and I mean everything, is damp. It was the last time, for 45 weeks, that I’d be leaving the place, damp clothes included, that has made me who I am today, my second home--Hidden Hollow Camp. When looking back on my life and thinking about

    Read More

  • The Farm at South Mountain

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    As I stepped out into the gleaming sunlight, I had to shield my eyes from the sudden glare that came to rest upon my eyes as I moved out of the shadows of my family’s dimly-lit garage. After not seeing the sun for over two months, I paused to muse about how unusual it felt to finally be under the sun’s rays again, along with how strange it was to venture forth into the environs without anything related to winter wear protecting my sensitive skin from the biting cold. It was a Monday afternoon, and the weather app on my phone brightly informed me that we would enjoy a high of eighty-one, and the lowest temperature, barely falling below fifty seven. I had to stop and think back as to why I had ever complained about the weather here in Arizona, but I suppose experiencing what the other end of the meteorological spectrum has to offer really puts things into perspective. After I had my moment of adjustment, I climbed into the passenger seat of my mother’s Mazda and after she had finished her never-ending feud with the GPS system of the vehicle, we began the journey to our restaurant of choice, The Farm Kitchen.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: My Move to a New City and Subsequent Move Back Home

    1840 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everything seems like it’s falling out of place, it’s going too fast, and my mind is out of control. I think these thoughts as I lay on my new bed, in my new room, in this new house, in this new city, wondering how I got to this place. “My life was fine,” I say to myself, “I didn’t want to go.” Thinking back I wonder how my father felt as he came home to the house in Stockton, knowing his wife and kids left to San Diego to live a new life. Every time that thought comes to my mind, it feels as if I’m carrying a ten ton boulder around my heart; weighing me down with guilt. The thought is blocked out as I close my eyes, picturing my old room; I see the light brown walls again and the vacation pictures of the Florida and camping trip stapled to them. I can see the photo of me on the ice rink with my friends and the desk that I built with my own hands. I see my bed; it still has my checkered blue and green blanket on it! Across from the room stands my bulky gray television with its back facing the black curtain covered closet. My emotions run deep, sadness rages through my body with a wave of regret. As I open my eyes I see this new place in San Diego, one large black covered bed and a small wooden nightstand that sits next to a similar closet like in my old room. When I was told we would be moving to San Diego, I was silenced from the decision.

    Read More

More about My Perfect Escape

Open Document