As we cherish our last weeks here I am reminded of what I miss and don't miss about Anchorage. I don't miss angry, lewd bumper stickers. I don't miss car culture and how unwalkable Anchorage is. I don't miss how liability consistently gets in the way of being a compassionate human being. I don't miss the McDonaldization of many business interactions ("we can only do it this way"). I don't miss the loooong stretch of lots of dark in the winter. I don't miss malls and I don't miss catalogs--interestingly our children are not begging for certain toys or items with nearly the frequency as when catalogs were arriving in heaps at our door. I don't miss paying $3 for one unripe avocado. I don't miss reading nauseating headlines in the news. I don't miss the comodification of almost everything--advice, health, interactions with the natural world.
I do miss the subtle fresh and sweet smell of cottonwood sap beginning to flow in spring. I miss the coziness of being inside with hot cocoa and knitting. I miss decent beer, vegie burgers, good Thai food, and, I admit, Costco being nearby. I miss our friends, our Waldorf community, and being closer to family. We all miss cross country skiing and ice skating. I miss sewing, access to beautiful fabrics, and look forward to getting into it upon return. I do look forward to a safer driving culture. I miss bookstores and the Loussac library. I miss the Zen community.
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