also his desire wasn't to become a better person. it was just to prove that a man surviving alone in the woods is better than a camping trip with a bunch of boys because he was jealous of toby. michael is not deep enough to think about becoming a better person.
"When I return, I hope to be a completely changed human being."
I kind of took this as Michael's foolish belief that going into the woods was going to lead to some sort of cathartic or meditative state (which would, in turn, make him a changed and better man). Yeah, he definitely wanted to have his own slice of camping after not being invited to the camping trip (I WISH I COULD HAVE GONE WITH RYAN ON THAT COOL RETREAT!) but Michael is also known for hilariously believing he is more intelligent than he actually is, and in this case that meant trying to do the "deep" thing and go to the woods to change himself (and survive).
Man, I laughed so hard when Dwight took the blow dart out of the toilet. Telling time in the woods was also great.