Erik's Final Words
He should have known better, but even with the ups and downs of the game, Erik is thankful to have had the chance of a lifetime.
"Damn, damn, they got me! Those girls finally realized Erik's full of crap and they wanted to send me back to hell. I should have known better. I should have known better. I had this option -- I had a guaranteed spot in the final 4 and they, Natalie worked me over. I should have known their word wasn't good because my word wasn't good to them. I should have known better. Regrets aside, this has been the most amazing experience of my life. This has been the best experience of my life. Even the lows. You can't experience the good without the bad. The threat of starving and being rained on. Everything else tastes so better when you have nothing and you're filthy, dirty. I wouldn't give this experience for anything in the world. Just coming out here. Like they said 2 challenges ago, i would do this whole experience again for no money at all. I feel like I've been given something I can never get back. No one else can take what has been given to me through this experience. That's enough. I had a great time. I have no regrets. I lived it how I think I would live my life. I live by impulses at times, I live by making mistakes and learning from them. I had an awesome time. To anyone watching, to anyone sitting on their couch, get up. Wherever you are in your life, go do something. Go have fun. Go get hurt. Go get injured. Make mistakes. You're gonna have a great time doing it. This experience is amazing. I can't even begin to fathom. Just to bring this back home to where I live...this is an amazing experience."
(cut)
"This is the end, but it's OK. I'm OK with this. I had so much fun with this, I met so many great people. I hope after this we can still be friends and I'm sure we can. I can't even begin to describe this. This isn't about money, this is about going out and actually living. Feeling everything for what it is. I can't put a price on that. I can't put a price on that."
(cut)
"Playing this game is nothing like watching this game. If you wanna judge somebody from your couch you can go ahead and do that but you have no idea what you're judging, you have no idea what you're looking at. It's so different, this game is so much different than it appears onscreen. It hits you so much harder. The people who play this game are amazing...the people who play this game...I can't even...what you see is not what you get with this show. This experience is a thousand times better. That's what you need to know. That's what I learned from this. Doing this game is so much different than watching it. Experiencing these pains, experiencing starvation, you can't even begin to imagine by looking at it. You need to feel it, you need to live in hunger. It's so much different. There's such a difference between a screen and between you being here. It's amazing. Words fail me. I had an awesome time, I feel like an idiot, but I kind of am an idiot, so that's OK. This is one of the most fun experiences of my life. I had a great time climbing coconut trees, killing chicken, eating chicken feed, catching a shark and killing a shark. The experience was enough. It's something I can never get back, I can never trade for anything in the world. It was one of a kind. As a fan, to meet Jeff Probst, to actually play in these games, that's incredible. That's an incredible feeling. I never thought I'd be shoulder-to-shoulder with James or Yau-Man or all these people I've seen on TV. These are my heroes. They're talking to me, they're acknowledging me as a person. It's undescribable. This whole experience is undescribable."
(cut)
"Those damn girls. There's one thing to be said about surviving the elements and there's another thing to be said about surviving 4 crazy, sexy women. There's one thing to be said about surviving the elements and surviving eating and starvation and there's another thing to be said about surviving women. The last 4 days have been the most crazy, stressful days of my life with these women pulling me in every direction. I can't lie, I kind of liked it at times, but it was one of the most stressful times of my life, but I wouldn't give it away for anything. You need stress in your life sometimes. Above all else, above anything else, the thing I'm gonna take away from this most is how much I've grown as a person, how much I've seen as a person. The perspective change now that I've been through this. The experience is unbelievable. You have to live this to know what it's like."
Tribal Council Voting
Erik handed over Individual Immunity to Natalie leaving himself an open target for the women's alliance. Watch as the ladies go in for the kill and take him out.
Erik ("Parv"): Yikes (writes down name) I'm voting for Parvati. I feel like such a fool for giving up individual immunity, but you gotta take some risks sometime and hope that people keep their word. Oh God (in a wailing type of voice).
Natalie (Erik with a heart and a small drawing of Erik with a sad face): I don't even know what to say, but thank you.
Parvati (Erik): You're crazy! You'll officially go down as the dumbest Survivor ever in the history of Survivor. Ever.
Cirie (Erik): Well, my mother always told me you may not be able to beat 'em with these all the time (points at her arm) but you can always beat 'em with this (points at her head). Sorry. You touched the stove (?).
Amanda (Erik with a heart): Erik, I cannot believe you gave up individual immunity. I wish we could be friends. I really like you as a person, I'm sure we can kick it out of this game. I'm voting you out because you pretty much lied to me, deceived me. I don't know if I can trust you at this point. Sorry babe.
Secret Scene Erik
Amanda laughs at Erik as he gets the full spa experience.
(Erik and Amanda sit at a table)
Erik: I don't know what to say.
Amanda: This is like the best date in the world, when you think about it. A spa and then dinner.
Erik: I have to go to the bathroom. I'm so excited.
Erik (solo): I've never been to a spa in my life. So to come to a spa after an experience like out in the wilderness, in the dirt, this spa was insane. This spa was the spa from Heaven. This isn't normal for me at all.
(Erik reads from a menu and asks Amanda what prawns are, and if prime rib actually has ribs or if it's just a steak; Amanda says it's a steak)
Amanda (solo): Erik's a really nice guy, he's just really, really naive, and really young. I thought he would have at least gotten a massage before. The kid is really sheltered. A cookie-cutter nice boy from a little town, and he hasn't been really anywhere, ever. I'm not too worried about Erik strategically, because I think I'm one step ahead of him.
(he toasts his drink with Amanda, and says he hasn't tasted milk in forever)
Natalie Girl Power
(cut)
"It's not very difficult to say we're gonna gather a group of girls and ride or die to the end. No, because women are the smarter gender in my opinion. I'm not a super-feminist, I'll let you open my door, buy me dinner, it's all good. Women have a manipulation and an emotional vengeance about them that can drive them mentally that I don't think men have. It's not necessarily a smarter vs not smarter gender, it's an emotional stick it to you that drives a woman's thought process, which gives a woman possibly the upper hand. Do I think it's impossible to get 5 women together to stick it out to the end? No."
(cut)
"Do I think outside my vision, it's impossible for women to get along? 100% I love women. I would love to have women on my side. I've got some girlfriends at home that are my lifeline, we bounce off each other and support each other. If women could do that, they could rule the world, because women have so much power. They have sexual power, they have intellectual power, they have the underdog feeling power. There are so many different elements to a woman, so many different layers, where women are so powerful. If they would stick together, and that's where they're idiots. That's where we're all stupid. Looking through my eyes? Absolutely. Through normal people in the world, normal women? Women are so competitive, so catty, and not smart enough to think big picture, and that's what's proved itself here in this game."
Amanda on Manipulating Erik
Amanda talks about the ease with which she can influence Erik into doing just about anything she wants
"I think Erik is playing a smarter game than we gave him credit for, but I don't think he's playing smart. I don't think he's playing on the level of me, Parv, and Cirie. I'm not too worried about Erik strategically because I think we're one step ahead of him and I'm not sure I understand what he's doing."
(cut)
"After I pretty much reamed him at Tribal Council I think he feels crappy. I think he feels deceived, and I think he knows he made a bad decision."
(cut)
"I pretty much convinced Erik to send Parvati to Exile. I pretty much told him that Parv is over this game, she knows she's going to the final 3 cause she's in such a good position. She deceived everyone and everyone wants to take her to the final 3, that she doesn't care, and that I'm so tight with Parv that she'll help me and Erik use it. I pretty much told him I'm the biggest strategic person in this game and you're the biggest physical threat in this game, why don't we stick together and play this game together instead of fighting so hard to align with other people. I pretty much told him what happened at the last Tribal Council might happen again if you don't stick with me."
(cut)
"It was Erik's first time at a spa, and y'know, that shouldn't have surprised me, he's from Hell, like population 72, but it did surprise me. I'm like, I thought he would have at least gotten a massage before or something."
(cut)
"What a great first time at a spa. In the middle of this game, middle of Survivor, end of Survivor, getting a spa reward. I was happy for him."
(cut)
"They made us wear this paper underwear, like diapers and it was a little embarrassing, but really funny. I pretty much wore mine around, didn't have a top on. (laughs and holds her chest) Erik looked like a baby, like a big baby in his underwear. It was funny."
(cut)
"Pretty much the whole time I was with Erik I was trying to manipulate his mind. That's what I do best, manipulate the mind. I pretty much wanted to convince him Natalie was a bad person to take to the end, because she's going to get a lot of votes, #1, Alexis is on the jury and she's gonna convince a lot of people to vote for Natalie, #2, and y'know, Nat hasn't deceived anyone, she hasn't lied to anyone, except Jason. She's pretty much quote unquote riding coattails to the end almost. I pretty much convinced him Natalie was a bad choice to take, and I did it for two reasons. One, because I want to make sure him and Natalie don't get together, and don't start forming a friendship or bond or alliance or whatever, just because if one of them wins at 4, goes to the 4, and he wins immunity, then I'm gonna need him on my side. That is a true possibility. I haven't crossed out the possibility he'll win immunity and go to the final 3 and I wanna make sure he's as close to me as he can be, so he knows me and Parv are going with him. That's what he thinks right now. He, me and Parv are going to the final 3."
(cut)
"On the reward, me and Erik were talking about first impressions of people. What was his first impression of me and what was my first impression of him. I asked him what was Natalie and Alexis' first impression of me, at the beginning of this game. She hates me now. He pretty much said Natalie and Alexis were scared to death of me because I was so athletic, so muscular. I think he was trying to give me a compliment but it came out really badly. I think he called me big. I think he meant tall, but if you're a tall girl, you definitely don't like to be called big. I kind of looked at him like (sarcastic), 'Thanks, thanks a lot, you just called me fat, I'm getting really mad right now.' Erik is not...he doesn't have a way with the girls. He's very awkward, I don't think he understand what he's saying to women. I don't think he understands how it comes across. I catch Erik all the time thinking about strategy in his head, but he'll talk about it with me, so I know exactly where his head is at. He'll just say, 'Yeah, all these people on the jury will vote for me, I have a really good shot here,' not knowing I'm hearing all this and it might change my opinion of him. He doesn't do really smart things when he talks. I don't think he understands things that he says sometimes."
Erik the Day After
The experience itself was prize enough for Erik. Find out how getting to know his favorite characters from seasons past and surviving amongst them will change his life forever.
"The most fun part of playing Survivor was meeting the people and the experience itself. There's people who wanna come, who think it's fun to come into this and say hey I can win money on this or make connections off this or be famous on this, but just meeting the people, that was a lot of fun. Everyone here is their own individual person and I think they're all awesome. Just meeting the people. Of course meeting some of my idols. I've seen this show all the way through. Just meeting some of my favorites over the years. Getting to know them as people. Getting to know the favorites I thought were like Hollywood rock stars. They're just people, just like me. Getting to know them, I really enjoyed that."
(cut)
"Getting to know the favorites as regular people, it took away a little bit of the magic of these guys are rock stars, Hollywood rock stars, but it says anybody can be like them. These strong, awesome people. It just shows it's not some higher caliber of person that it takes to do this, it can be anybody, it can be anybody off the street that can become a rock star, that can become an awesome person. That gives you a different perspective on humans, a different perspective on people."
(cut)
"Being able to survive that vote right before the merge gave me a lot of confidence, gave me a lot of you can do this and have a shot at it. After that I felt every day was a blessing, every day was I was on time that wasn't necessarily borrowed, but I felt like every day I have another opportunity to live here. It was kind of a near death experience. You're almost out of the game complete, you're almost on death's door, you're almost ready to get your torch snuffed, and then every day you get another day. Every day after that I felt more alive. Enjoy this day, it could have been your last day. Every day from then on I enjoyed it more, I just had fun with it."
(cut)
"I am very proud of how far I made it in this game. I mean 36 days is not easy. It's well over halfway. I was worried, I came into the game worried I wouldn't make it past day 6 or day 7 or one of the simple days. To make it as far as I did, that's incredible I think. To make it past some of the other players who are out of the game, to go past Ozzy, Jonathan, to go past some of the other players, that's incredible I made it this far. To be the last man standing in the tribe, it might not be because of athleticism, might not be because of strategy, but I felt there was something in that, to be the last guy around. I had something going on for me socially. I'm definitely proud of where I ended up in spite of the fact I could have gone farther."
(cut)
"If I had to go through this game again, I would shut my mouth a lot more. I would close my mouth. I think I pretty much shot myself in the foot every time I opened my mouth to a different person. I needed to be more aware. I needed to be aware of what people were talking about and what they were doing when I wasn't around, or aware of what people were thinking when I wasn't around. I didn't think ahead in terms of what other people were thinking. I didn't look to another person and think what is their motivation, what are they doing, and that bit me in the ass. I kind of focused on myself towards the end, what I needed to enjoy, what I would enjoy doing, or what was beneficial for me instead of what other people's motivations are. Some of the challenges, I know the women took things very personally near the end, and I neglected that. I should have sent certain people to Exile, I should have taken certain people with me, and I just didn't think towards other people. I didn't look towards other people's motivations."
(cut)
"Yeah, I'm very naive to an extent, simply from what I've seen in my life and what I've been through. I haven't seen much. I haven't been through much in my life. What I have, I feel I understand. What I have seen and experienced first hand, I have some sense of understanding about. The things I don't yet understand, the things I don't yet know, I'm willing to learn about, I'm willing to understand. In that sense I feel I'm naive because I simply haven't seen it enough, haven't experienced it enough to know. I know the other Survivors out here have a great deal of experience under their belt. They've seen the world, they've seen a lot of things. Especially with the past Survivors, they've already experienced a lot, they've already learned tough lessons. I feel like I haven't learned a lot of lessons in my life, a lot of things the hard way, yeah, I am kind of naive. I'm hoping this experience will kinda shake a little bit of that."
He should have known better, but even with the ups and downs of the game, Erik is thankful to have had the chance of a lifetime.
"Damn, damn, they got me! Those girls finally realized Erik's full of crap and they wanted to send me back to hell. I should have known better. I should have known better. I had this option -- I had a guaranteed spot in the final 4 and they, Natalie worked me over. I should have known their word wasn't good because my word wasn't good to them. I should have known better. Regrets aside, this has been the most amazing experience of my life. This has been the best experience of my life. Even the lows. You can't experience the good without the bad. The threat of starving and being rained on. Everything else tastes so better when you have nothing and you're filthy, dirty. I wouldn't give this experience for anything in the world. Just coming out here. Like they said 2 challenges ago, i would do this whole experience again for no money at all. I feel like I've been given something I can never get back. No one else can take what has been given to me through this experience. That's enough. I had a great time. I have no regrets. I lived it how I think I would live my life. I live by impulses at times, I live by making mistakes and learning from them. I had an awesome time. To anyone watching, to anyone sitting on their couch, get up. Wherever you are in your life, go do something. Go have fun. Go get hurt. Go get injured. Make mistakes. You're gonna have a great time doing it. This experience is amazing. I can't even begin to fathom. Just to bring this back home to where I live...this is an amazing experience."
(cut)
"This is the end, but it's OK. I'm OK with this. I had so much fun with this, I met so many great people. I hope after this we can still be friends and I'm sure we can. I can't even begin to describe this. This isn't about money, this is about going out and actually living. Feeling everything for what it is. I can't put a price on that. I can't put a price on that."
(cut)
"Playing this game is nothing like watching this game. If you wanna judge somebody from your couch you can go ahead and do that but you have no idea what you're judging, you have no idea what you're looking at. It's so different, this game is so much different than it appears onscreen. It hits you so much harder. The people who play this game are amazing...the people who play this game...I can't even...what you see is not what you get with this show. This experience is a thousand times better. That's what you need to know. That's what I learned from this. Doing this game is so much different than watching it. Experiencing these pains, experiencing starvation, you can't even begin to imagine by looking at it. You need to feel it, you need to live in hunger. It's so much different. There's such a difference between a screen and between you being here. It's amazing. Words fail me. I had an awesome time, I feel like an idiot, but I kind of am an idiot, so that's OK. This is one of the most fun experiences of my life. I had a great time climbing coconut trees, killing chicken, eating chicken feed, catching a shark and killing a shark. The experience was enough. It's something I can never get back, I can never trade for anything in the world. It was one of a kind. As a fan, to meet Jeff Probst, to actually play in these games, that's incredible. That's an incredible feeling. I never thought I'd be shoulder-to-shoulder with James or Yau-Man or all these people I've seen on TV. These are my heroes. They're talking to me, they're acknowledging me as a person. It's undescribable. This whole experience is undescribable."
(cut)
"Those damn girls. There's one thing to be said about surviving the elements and there's another thing to be said about surviving 4 crazy, sexy women. There's one thing to be said about surviving the elements and surviving eating and starvation and there's another thing to be said about surviving women. The last 4 days have been the most crazy, stressful days of my life with these women pulling me in every direction. I can't lie, I kind of liked it at times, but it was one of the most stressful times of my life, but I wouldn't give it away for anything. You need stress in your life sometimes. Above all else, above anything else, the thing I'm gonna take away from this most is how much I've grown as a person, how much I've seen as a person. The perspective change now that I've been through this. The experience is unbelievable. You have to live this to know what it's like."
Tribal Council Voting
Erik handed over Individual Immunity to Natalie leaving himself an open target for the women's alliance. Watch as the ladies go in for the kill and take him out.
Erik ("Parv"): Yikes (writes down name) I'm voting for Parvati. I feel like such a fool for giving up individual immunity, but you gotta take some risks sometime and hope that people keep their word. Oh God (in a wailing type of voice).
Natalie (Erik with a heart and a small drawing of Erik with a sad face): I don't even know what to say, but thank you.
Parvati (Erik): You're crazy! You'll officially go down as the dumbest Survivor ever in the history of Survivor. Ever.
Cirie (Erik): Well, my mother always told me you may not be able to beat 'em with these all the time (points at her arm) but you can always beat 'em with this (points at her head). Sorry. You touched the stove (?).
Amanda (Erik with a heart): Erik, I cannot believe you gave up individual immunity. I wish we could be friends. I really like you as a person, I'm sure we can kick it out of this game. I'm voting you out because you pretty much lied to me, deceived me. I don't know if I can trust you at this point. Sorry babe.
Secret Scene Erik
Amanda laughs at Erik as he gets the full spa experience.
(Erik and Amanda sit at a table)
Erik: I don't know what to say.
Amanda: This is like the best date in the world, when you think about it. A spa and then dinner.
Erik: I have to go to the bathroom. I'm so excited.
Erik (solo): I've never been to a spa in my life. So to come to a spa after an experience like out in the wilderness, in the dirt, this spa was insane. This spa was the spa from Heaven. This isn't normal for me at all.
(Erik reads from a menu and asks Amanda what prawns are, and if prime rib actually has ribs or if it's just a steak; Amanda says it's a steak)
Amanda (solo): Erik's a really nice guy, he's just really, really naive, and really young. I thought he would have at least gotten a massage before. The kid is really sheltered. A cookie-cutter nice boy from a little town, and he hasn't been really anywhere, ever. I'm not too worried about Erik strategically, because I think I'm one step ahead of him.
(he toasts his drink with Amanda, and says he hasn't tasted milk in forever)
Natalie Girl Power
Natalie expresses the frustration of being 'duped' when her close friend and ally, Alexis, was blindsided and voted out of the game.
"We got back from Tribal last night. I was stunned by the Alexis move. I was stunned she was no longer on the boat ride home. I was stunned she wasn't entering camp. Hurt? No, I assumed it was me or her, she or I, coming down the wire at some point. It just kind of slapped me in the face. The bigger deal for me was getting duped. I'm not a sucker. I got suckered last night. I got chumped. That was my deal. That's what I was a little bit miffed about, heated about. I got my stuff and slept on the boat, had a great night, had a great night of sleep by myself. Nobody joined me, which was fine. Didn't sweat it at all. Gave me time to look at the stars. I was actually able to look at the stars outside of a cave, not in a muggy cave with bugs. I was able to think. I was able to strategize. As exhausted as I am, just to be able to sit by myself, in Micronesia by myself. That was probably one of the first times I've been by myself. That's another thing that works on my nerves, you're never by yourself. When you are by yourself, you see people scurrying, you don't know what they're talking about, you don't know what they're planning. Even if you are by yourself walking down a path you see people walk by and you know very well you're the person they're talking about. Last night was actually very peaceful for me."(cut)
"It's not very difficult to say we're gonna gather a group of girls and ride or die to the end. No, because women are the smarter gender in my opinion. I'm not a super-feminist, I'll let you open my door, buy me dinner, it's all good. Women have a manipulation and an emotional vengeance about them that can drive them mentally that I don't think men have. It's not necessarily a smarter vs not smarter gender, it's an emotional stick it to you that drives a woman's thought process, which gives a woman possibly the upper hand. Do I think it's impossible to get 5 women together to stick it out to the end? No."
(cut)
"Do I think outside my vision, it's impossible for women to get along? 100% I love women. I would love to have women on my side. I've got some girlfriends at home that are my lifeline, we bounce off each other and support each other. If women could do that, they could rule the world, because women have so much power. They have sexual power, they have intellectual power, they have the underdog feeling power. There are so many different elements to a woman, so many different layers, where women are so powerful. If they would stick together, and that's where they're idiots. That's where we're all stupid. Looking through my eyes? Absolutely. Through normal people in the world, normal women? Women are so competitive, so catty, and not smart enough to think big picture, and that's what's proved itself here in this game."
Amanda on Manipulating Erik
Amanda talks about the ease with which she can influence Erik into doing just about anything she wants
"I think Erik is playing a smarter game than we gave him credit for, but I don't think he's playing smart. I don't think he's playing on the level of me, Parv, and Cirie. I'm not too worried about Erik strategically because I think we're one step ahead of him and I'm not sure I understand what he's doing."
(cut)
"After I pretty much reamed him at Tribal Council I think he feels crappy. I think he feels deceived, and I think he knows he made a bad decision."
(cut)
"I pretty much convinced Erik to send Parvati to Exile. I pretty much told him that Parv is over this game, she knows she's going to the final 3 cause she's in such a good position. She deceived everyone and everyone wants to take her to the final 3, that she doesn't care, and that I'm so tight with Parv that she'll help me and Erik use it. I pretty much told him I'm the biggest strategic person in this game and you're the biggest physical threat in this game, why don't we stick together and play this game together instead of fighting so hard to align with other people. I pretty much told him what happened at the last Tribal Council might happen again if you don't stick with me."
(cut)
"It was Erik's first time at a spa, and y'know, that shouldn't have surprised me, he's from Hell, like population 72, but it did surprise me. I'm like, I thought he would have at least gotten a massage before or something."
(cut)
"What a great first time at a spa. In the middle of this game, middle of Survivor, end of Survivor, getting a spa reward. I was happy for him."
(cut)
"They made us wear this paper underwear, like diapers and it was a little embarrassing, but really funny. I pretty much wore mine around, didn't have a top on. (laughs and holds her chest) Erik looked like a baby, like a big baby in his underwear. It was funny."
(cut)
"Pretty much the whole time I was with Erik I was trying to manipulate his mind. That's what I do best, manipulate the mind. I pretty much wanted to convince him Natalie was a bad person to take to the end, because she's going to get a lot of votes, #1, Alexis is on the jury and she's gonna convince a lot of people to vote for Natalie, #2, and y'know, Nat hasn't deceived anyone, she hasn't lied to anyone, except Jason. She's pretty much quote unquote riding coattails to the end almost. I pretty much convinced him Natalie was a bad choice to take, and I did it for two reasons. One, because I want to make sure him and Natalie don't get together, and don't start forming a friendship or bond or alliance or whatever, just because if one of them wins at 4, goes to the 4, and he wins immunity, then I'm gonna need him on my side. That is a true possibility. I haven't crossed out the possibility he'll win immunity and go to the final 3 and I wanna make sure he's as close to me as he can be, so he knows me and Parv are going with him. That's what he thinks right now. He, me and Parv are going to the final 3."
(cut)
"On the reward, me and Erik were talking about first impressions of people. What was his first impression of me and what was my first impression of him. I asked him what was Natalie and Alexis' first impression of me, at the beginning of this game. She hates me now. He pretty much said Natalie and Alexis were scared to death of me because I was so athletic, so muscular. I think he was trying to give me a compliment but it came out really badly. I think he called me big. I think he meant tall, but if you're a tall girl, you definitely don't like to be called big. I kind of looked at him like (sarcastic), 'Thanks, thanks a lot, you just called me fat, I'm getting really mad right now.' Erik is not...he doesn't have a way with the girls. He's very awkward, I don't think he understand what he's saying to women. I don't think he understands how it comes across. I catch Erik all the time thinking about strategy in his head, but he'll talk about it with me, so I know exactly where his head is at. He'll just say, 'Yeah, all these people on the jury will vote for me, I have a really good shot here,' not knowing I'm hearing all this and it might change my opinion of him. He doesn't do really smart things when he talks. I don't think he understands things that he says sometimes."
Erik the Day After
The experience itself was prize enough for Erik. Find out how getting to know his favorite characters from seasons past and surviving amongst them will change his life forever.
"The most fun part of playing Survivor was meeting the people and the experience itself. There's people who wanna come, who think it's fun to come into this and say hey I can win money on this or make connections off this or be famous on this, but just meeting the people, that was a lot of fun. Everyone here is their own individual person and I think they're all awesome. Just meeting the people. Of course meeting some of my idols. I've seen this show all the way through. Just meeting some of my favorites over the years. Getting to know them as people. Getting to know the favorites I thought were like Hollywood rock stars. They're just people, just like me. Getting to know them, I really enjoyed that."
(cut)
"Getting to know the favorites as regular people, it took away a little bit of the magic of these guys are rock stars, Hollywood rock stars, but it says anybody can be like them. These strong, awesome people. It just shows it's not some higher caliber of person that it takes to do this, it can be anybody, it can be anybody off the street that can become a rock star, that can become an awesome person. That gives you a different perspective on humans, a different perspective on people."
(cut)
"Being able to survive that vote right before the merge gave me a lot of confidence, gave me a lot of you can do this and have a shot at it. After that I felt every day was a blessing, every day was I was on time that wasn't necessarily borrowed, but I felt like every day I have another opportunity to live here. It was kind of a near death experience. You're almost out of the game complete, you're almost on death's door, you're almost ready to get your torch snuffed, and then every day you get another day. Every day after that I felt more alive. Enjoy this day, it could have been your last day. Every day from then on I enjoyed it more, I just had fun with it."
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"I am very proud of how far I made it in this game. I mean 36 days is not easy. It's well over halfway. I was worried, I came into the game worried I wouldn't make it past day 6 or day 7 or one of the simple days. To make it as far as I did, that's incredible I think. To make it past some of the other players who are out of the game, to go past Ozzy, Jonathan, to go past some of the other players, that's incredible I made it this far. To be the last man standing in the tribe, it might not be because of athleticism, might not be because of strategy, but I felt there was something in that, to be the last guy around. I had something going on for me socially. I'm definitely proud of where I ended up in spite of the fact I could have gone farther."
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"If I had to go through this game again, I would shut my mouth a lot more. I would close my mouth. I think I pretty much shot myself in the foot every time I opened my mouth to a different person. I needed to be more aware. I needed to be aware of what people were talking about and what they were doing when I wasn't around, or aware of what people were thinking when I wasn't around. I didn't think ahead in terms of what other people were thinking. I didn't look to another person and think what is their motivation, what are they doing, and that bit me in the ass. I kind of focused on myself towards the end, what I needed to enjoy, what I would enjoy doing, or what was beneficial for me instead of what other people's motivations are. Some of the challenges, I know the women took things very personally near the end, and I neglected that. I should have sent certain people to Exile, I should have taken certain people with me, and I just didn't think towards other people. I didn't look towards other people's motivations."
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"Yeah, I'm very naive to an extent, simply from what I've seen in my life and what I've been through. I haven't seen much. I haven't been through much in my life. What I have, I feel I understand. What I have seen and experienced first hand, I have some sense of understanding about. The things I don't yet understand, the things I don't yet know, I'm willing to learn about, I'm willing to understand. In that sense I feel I'm naive because I simply haven't seen it enough, haven't experienced it enough to know. I know the other Survivors out here have a great deal of experience under their belt. They've seen the world, they've seen a lot of things. Especially with the past Survivors, they've already experienced a lot, they've already learned tough lessons. I feel like I haven't learned a lot of lessons in my life, a lot of things the hard way, yeah, I am kind of naive. I'm hoping this experience will kinda shake a little bit of that."
