A love/hate relationship

Oh, Juneau. It was a good five-and-a-half year run. I didn't think we'd last in the beginning. My car catching on fire could have easily been construed as an omen. But we stuck it out and for the most part, you fit me like a glove. Will I ever take you back? I don't see you changing those negative characteristics you cling so strongly to, but stranger things have happened.

What worked:

1. I'll list my job first because I truly lucked out working in Research and Analysis. It's the perfect environment for a data junkie like me. The stories and experiences of my co-workers were priceless. Getting that job offer was what ultimately led me to settle down in Juneau. And I'll be eternally grateful for the ease with which I was able to return after a short stint elsewhere in state government. Is it time for 10:00 break yet?
2. Trails, trails, trails. I miss running Perseverance.
3. Like many aspects of the state, the issues and accompanying politics are unique in Alaska.
4. Knowing Alma would know my exact order at the Valley Restaurant every Saturday morning before I even had a chance to sit down. (Hamburger steak, hash browns, scrambled eggs, wheat toast, hot tea)
5. The Hangar, except when the grasshopper pie wasn't "in season." The mysterious "freezer issue" excuse got really old, really fast.
6. The ferries
7. With most of Alaska four hours behind the east coast, Saturday college football games started at 8:00 a.m.
8. My friends (and for those Juneau folks reading, take no offense that this one comes in at #8)
9. The PFD
10. Seward's Day and Alaska Day
11. Southeast Road Runners puts on an extensive schedule of races throughout the spring and summer. I miss the Mud Run and the East Glacier and Perseverance races the most.
12. Sitting in my usual spot against the wall at the Nickelodeon
13. Costco

And what didn't:

1. Winter sucks. Period. I don't mind the short days. I don't mind the endless, gray dreariness. But walking to and from work in the slushy slop got old quick. Hell, walking anywhere was a pain in the ass once the snow turned into a cold rain. The record snowfall of 2006-2007 forced me onto the treadmill at the JRC, which was as exciting as watching clothes tumble in the dryer. And I don't ski. Yeah, that about sums it up.
2. The downtown parking situation. Of course, I don't mind walking. So, if I ended up far from the Mendenhall (like over by the Governor's House), it wasn't a huge deal. But when it snowed, I'd have to worry about digging out my car and finding a new parking spot if I had to go out to the Valley.
3. Sarah Palin. This one is actually more of a post-Juneau thing. Living in Alaska during her vice presidential run was fascinating. However, I'm still getting the "What do you think of Sarah Palin?" question nine months after leaving Juneau. Enough! Go away!
4. The housing market is ridiculous. Rents are outrageous. Can you say, "$800 for a 300-square-foot apartment"? This isn't New York. And let's not talk about what it costs to buy a home.
5. The idea that some folks think their opinion is paramount in the community because they've lived in Juneau a long time. "Hi, I'm so-and-so. I've lived here 25 years and I'm better than you are." Wanna know what I think? If you were born in Juneau, that's not something you could have helped. If you moved there before graduating high school, that was your parents choice. And what if you moved there in early adulthood? Well, I moved there when I was 25 and, more than likely, you relocated when you were my age. Know what that means? You're bragging that you're older than I am. Okay, you win there! Go get your CBJ senior property tax exemption and leave me alone.
6. Getting caught in a sudden rain storm halfway through a run when I could have sworn I had an hour-long window of dry weather
7. Alaska Airlines' monopoly at the airport
8. JDHS sports events were always fun; however, being so far from professional and (especially) college sports events was hard.
9. The smoke from my across-the-hall neighbor seeping underneath the door to my apartment. I used an old shirt to plug the gap; but that only worked when I was home.
10. I'm ambivalent toward the cruise ship tourists. I mean, it's cool I was able to live someplace on many folks' vacation wish list. (When I tell people here I lived in Alaska, I'm either told how they have always wanted to visit or I hear all about their trip in the mid-80s.) But CBJ definitely caters more toward the cruise ship industry instead of focusing on the people who actually live there.

Wow, I'm all riled up now! I'm thinking it's because I truly do love the place. I did learn a lot about what will be important characteristics to consider when choosing a new home a few years down the road. After VISTA and grad school, all options are on the table. But after that, I'm done with moving. No really, I swear.