So it's been almost a week since I arrived back in the Lower 48...and really, I'm tempted to say that I arrived back in the country; because I feel that Alaska was somewhere in a foreign country! What a different world. There are SO many things back here that I was excited to see again and get used to again; but it's actually taken a long time to adjust to life here. The day we got back to Minnesota I felt like a little mole who'd been weaving my way in the dark underground. Now I'm being forced to get back to the way I used to eat, sleep, exercise, study, and .... well, everything before I left. I'm continually shocked by the amount of things I have around me in such a minimal distance. Seeing malls again that are five minutes from home, being at the Mall of America, seeing Target and Walmart and grocery stores lining every street has been very overwhelming for me. I almost don't know what to do! I feel very spoiled in a way. I know how hard it is for people to travel and get around and get access to basic necessities, especially in Barrow; here I can snap a finger and it's almost delivered on a silver platter. I don't like the feeling. It's almost as if I've turned minimalist since I've been back. There hasn't been anything I was aching to see. I thought people going out on Black Friday had lost their minds and if anyone from Barrow had heard of Black Friday, they'd surely faint. I guess I'm still trying to get used to everything here. I never, ever want to forget anything I experienced in Alaska. So far I'm golden!