I was asked a few days ago what it was that I dislike so much about the Netherlands, besides the never-ending flatness and the fact that it's 'the size of a postage stamp.' I quickly assured my friend that, while I'm not such a fan of the geography here, the Dutch have been incredibly helpful and considerate since our first day here (remember our magical metro adventure with all of our crap?). I love the Dutch.
As I've previously mentioned, much of my issues with the Netherlands (and the majority of Europe, to be honest) stem from the shear number of people. There isn't the space you get in Alaska, where even the biggest cities (discounting Juneau, since there physically isn't room) have a massive footprint. In fact, the Anchorage city limits are larger than those of Minneapolis. F'real.
Don't get me wrong, you can feel like you're surrounded by people in Alaska, and it can be claustrophobic. But there is also a sense of space even within the cities that I've never found elsewhere.
The thing I miss about Alaska is the space.
When we get home, we're going to get a couple kayaks, get on a river, and (if we do it right) not see another person unless we're passing a boat ramp/put in. If we do it really right, we won't even see that. If we wanted (and I do), we could go up to the Brooks range, or the Deltas, or one of a myriad of other places and hike out in any direction for days without meeting another soul. This feeling, this amazing, invigorating, peaceful isolation, is something I can't adequately describe.
Being in the Alaskan wilderness helps me find myself.
And god knows I could use a reminder of that right about now.
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Anyway, we are now in Kalymnos for two much anticipated weeks of climbing, swimming, and having no obligations. I might get around to a thrilling update. We'll see.
