Heaven On Earth Essay, Research Paper
Jonathan Fraiman
English 112 2/21/00
The Interview Essay
To give you a broader picture of who I am, I want to tell you about some things I have been privileged enough to do that many only dream about.
My Dad has instructed me in flying a single engine airplane as we have flown our family of six round-trip from Bedford, Massachusetts to Homer, Alaska seven times, as well as to other parts of the country. During these transcontinental trips, totaling over 500 hours, I have viewed the world from on high and traveled to some very remote places accessible only by a small airplane.
In two successive years, my brothers and I have hiked and canoed in the Gates of the Arctic National Park located in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska. We have followed some of the routes of Bob Marshall, Ernie Johnson, and John Muir, legendary pioneers in this part of the world. In the process I have explored some of this secluded wilderness which is so vast that there are no people for hundreds of miles.
It was in such a secluded wilderness that my Dad, two brothers, and I built an 8? by 10? cabin using only a chainsaw, some hand tools, and the trees on a small privately owned lot surrounded by the wilderness of the Kenai Fjords National Park. It is located in South Central Alaska and accessible only by boat or floatplane. We still visit this cabin, sharing the land with the resident black and brown bears, wolverines, eagles, seals, walruses, and salmon.
In addition to this domestic exploration, our family has traveled together to Holland, France, Israel, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. Naturally, this international travel has given me insights into the cultures, languages, traditions and politics of parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. We?ve been on archeological digs in Israel, toured the Golan Heights and the old city of Jerusalem, explored the rain forests and coasts of Costa Rica and visited 14th century castles in Holland. And always, we?re with the people, the language, the sounds, sights and smells of a foreign land that so stimulate all of your senses.
My parents have wanted to raise us in a well-rounded way, at home in the city, suburbs, country, and total wilderness in this country and abroad. A case in point is that we have moved our entire household from suburban Massachusetts to wild Alaska. Our family ties have been the life raft in this sea of travel and changes. My father has kept us busy, eschewing television (TV is only accessible here by satellite dish, and we don?t have one) and challenging us to embrace the natural beauty in this world. He has consciously used these experiences to mold his three sons to be strong, resourceful, adaptable, and clever. I would like to think he has succeeded.
In real life, I run my own computer business locally, selling and servicing computers and computer components, making webpages, and custom building business databases. Since I started this business last year, it has grown to the point where I have to turn down customers, lest my business interfere with my schoolwork. I have used a large amount of my earnings from this business to set up my own computer system. I have bought a new scanner, laser printer, jaz? drive, and UPS, and have upgraded my system to the current cutting edge level. I have also bought a 1989 Subaru to get me around, and a stereo to get music around me. The remainder of my earnings I am saving for college.