Personal Narrative: The Connections Between Alaska And My Life

There are many connections between this book and my life. From the people I have lost unexpectedly, just as Miles and Chip lost Alaska, to the characters and the way they act in the book, there are many relatable accounts.

I have lost many people in my life. Whether it be due to our move from New York, loss of friends, or death in my family, people have come and gone without much notice. One moment that sparked a memory was the way the Colonel and Pudge reacted when they found out about Alaska’s passing. When my grandfather was in the hospital, he was on life support for a long time. My dad would go there every day to spend time with him. One day, we got a call that my dad passed out at my grandpa’s bedside. I believe this happened to my dad

My dad is not as strict or mean, but he does pay attention to all the details. The Eagle catches most of the people on campus if they smoke, even if it’s the smallest number of cigarettes (Green, 2005). For my eighteenth birthday, I went out with a friend who told me we were going to do something new. I just agreed and let them surprise me. We went to the gas station and she said, “Ok, today we’re going to smoke.” I agreed right away even though it was not my nature to be bad. We went to the Stop In located in Buchanan, bought a pack of Marlboro Reds, and hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here, on a pull-off, we each smoked a cigarette and tried our best to hide from the passing cars. After we had smoked, we realized the smell that was left over from the tobacco. My friend and I went to Dollar General, also located in Buchanan, and sprayed ourselves with Lysol air fresheners. I went home that day thinking I was in the clear, but I obviously was not. I was helping my dad build our dartboard, and I leaned over to hold something down as he screwed it in. He stood up, took a big whiff of the air, and asked if I smelled smoke. I realized the mistake I had made, so I told him there were a lot of chimneys going on the way home and that I did smell the smoke. He believed me and continued on with his work. I was so worried that he was going to catch me red-handed and punish me just as the Eagle would punish a smoking student. I immediately ran and showered before he smelled me again and I haven’t smoked