I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes Barrow so unique and thought I would make a Top Ten list to share a little piece of my world with you.
Top Ten Reasons You Should Need a Passport to Come to Barrow:
- You can’t get here without paying air-fare equivalent to traveling to another continent
- English is a second language and acceptably butchered by alcohol or poor dental hygiene
- The words “DARK” and “COLD” take on new, intense and powerful meanings
- There are only 2 seasons: Break-Up (a muddy, smelly, trash-thawing mess lasting 3 months) and Winter (the DARK and COLD other nine)
- Health Care options are comparable to a 3rd world country
- It is not uncommon to see VERY unusual fashions and shorts and t-shirts are regularly sported at any temperature above 0 degrees Fahrenheit
- Homes, automobiles and other vehicles of transportation are commonly “home grown” or “home modified” meaning there is no way they would pass any safety codes or inspections by normal
- Frozen or rotting carcasses of seal, whale, duck and caribou are standard front-porch ornaments
- The prices of goods and services appear to be stated in some form of foreign currency. (Can they really charge $25 for a gallon of Soy Milk and say it’s on sale?)
- A four-wheeler and snowmobile are commonly primary sources of transportation (even for families of 5 and especially with fuel prices expected to reach $7/ gallon by August)
When I first moved here in November, I really thought that I had moved to the surface of the moon. Since then I have discovered a few interesting things and some of them are quite wonderful. The most wonderful things have been realized in personal perspective and experience. All in all, it is an amazing place to strip all the chaos of the regular world away and discover who I am and what I want. It has been a fantastic adventure and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It is definitely not for everyone, but I am grateful for the time I have spent here.
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