Taylor Quinn: Dr. John Tallmadge Lecture 12/3/10

Dr Tallmadge came to our class and told us about his experiences in the wild and the journeys he took in the wilderness. He told us that there is a five-step process that people go through while they are on a journey in the wilderness. He experienced these phases while he was on a long trip with one of his friends. The first phase of the journey is preparation. Before a person goes out on a journey they plan their route, get equipment, and food that they need for the trip. The process had begun before the person has even left. The second phase in the journey is alienation. This is the begging of the journey and the person is experiencing many physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties. The person has to break their old habits of living to adapt to their new world. Then next phase is the awakening phase. The person begins to notice many things about the journey that they would have not seen before. They have now broken their old habits and are getting into the flow of the trip. The next phase is the encounter phase. Here the person takes and I-Thou outlook on their surroundings. Normal activities and ordinary activities become sanctified and objects become subjects. This is when the person is able to have to interact spiritually with the landscape and the landscape is able to interact with them. The final phase is the returning phase. The person has finished their journey and now they must renter society and adjust to their old life. These stages are repeated every time a person takes a journey.