11 Reasons Marquette is not Alaska

To mark 11 day mark of my return to the Last Frontier, I thought I would provide a summery in 11 point, numbered form of the ways in which Marquette/Milwaukee/Wisconsin/the Midwest is not Alaska. Not trying to pass judgment on either, although my bias my become apparent as you read.

Also, apologies on the lack of Thanksgiving correspondence from Toledo. Perhaps I will lay down some prose (wouldn't poetry be exciting!?! There's an idea...) if any hilarious/insightful ideas crop up.

Without further ado, Why Marquette is not Alaska...

1. Trees. Where are the freaking trees!?! This city suffers from a severe lack of them, and now the ones that do crop up here and there are leafless. I miss pines and spruces, especially when their boughs are weighted down with snow.
2. Traffic. After driving back from Ohio on the Interstate, I've come to appreciate that we only have 3 major highways...the biggest of which only has 3 lanes.
3. Distance. Its weird to think that the nearest town to Anchorage is Eagle River, and that's 35 minutes away. I would consider Palmer/Wasilla fairly nearby, and yet they are 2 hour drives...
4. The Snow Reaction. We had our first "big" snow today (enough to muck up the streets) and no one seems happy about it. Snow is a good thing in Alaska...especially lots of fluffy snow (like Anchorage got over the weekend...much to my jealous consternation)
5. Chicago. Sigh. I am still a sucker for Chicago. It is perhaps the most beautiful sky line on earth. When you are driving along the lake and all the buildings are lit up, there is something truly special there
6. Chicago. So...I like Alaskan food. A lot. But food in Chicago is unreal. Italian Beef. Deep Dish Pizza. Hot Dogs. Perfect.
7. Nothingness. More and more, living in the city is making me appreciate the parts of Anchorage that have nothing in them. Places like Kincaid and Hilltop, where you can go in the woods and not see another person for hours are truly therapeutic for the mind and soul.
8. Local Coffee. Coffee shops just don't seem to have the social importance here that they do back home. Kaladi Brothers on Huffman seems almost like a second home to me but I just haven't been able to find a shop with the same local charm here.
9. Taco King. The restaurant that gave me food poisoning and continues to make me doubt Anchorage's public health inspector is irreplaceable in my mind.
   
10. Walking. In Anchorage, you can't walk anywhere. It's too spread out. In Milwaukee, I walk or bike everywhere. Not only is it healthy and free, it's sort of liberating to not need a car to get around.
11. Family/Friends. I have plenty of friends at Marquette that I will miss over break, but right now, I want to go to Brian's house and watch movies in the basement with everyone again. Number 11 should give you the idea that I am pretty ready to come home for a bit.

Bonus for Marquette: Basketball v. Wisconsin on Saturday. I plan to line up at 2 pm for a 7 pm game time and wait for 4+ hours in the cold to get a good seat. Not sure whether this is a plus or a minus?

One Lost out...