Cheryl Stayed’s Wild

Kyle Cabral

Mr. Schneider

English 12

22 August 2014

        In Cheryl Stayed’s Wild, Cheryl experiences a series of unfortunate events that causes her to lose herself mentally. The death of her beloved mother sets off Cheryl’s problems in her life. Her divorce and her distant relationship with her siblings also contribute to her problems in leaves her feeling abandoned and guilty. To regain her inner strength and confidence, she sets off on a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail to find her purpose in life. Two years ago, my family lost a very close family friend named Chris. My uncle Chris as I called him, was best friends with my dad ever since they were in Elementary School and they loved to work on cars together. After he passed away, it reminded us of what we as a family loved to do together. Similar to Cheryl’s situation, the death of a loved one affected me and working on cars with my dad comforted me and it reminded me of my Uncle Chris.

        Cheryl went on the hike on the Pacific Crest Trail to find enlightenment and closure from her past. When my Uncle Chris Passed away, I turned to my hobby of working on my car as a way to escape from everyday life and to spend more quality time with my dad. It made me realize that I should enjoy what I love to do with my dad because you never know when something catastrophic might happen. When Cheryl first started the hike, she had no experience and she struggled; but she learned from her mistakes and she eventually succeeded and finished the trail. When I first got my car, I had no idea how to work with tools but as time went by, my dad passed on his and my Uncle Chris’ passion to me and I succeeded in the end just like Cheryl.

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