ALASKA

Ok...well I am finally here.
Alaska.
The place I have been planning for the last 4 months or so to get to.

Can somebody please remind me why I'm here?

I don't mind the ice and the cold and the darkness...it's the overwhelming nothing that is here that I mind. It doesn't help the hostel is a dive. I'm craving somebody cool and close to my age to talk to-even just so I can know for sure it's not just me who feels so weird here.
I walked like half an hour to get to downtown today-half an hour through a lot of nothing. The mountains make a beautiful backdrop for the city but when a geological feature is the best part of a city then you know there are problems. I see people around my age that look alright walking about but where are they walking to??? Where does everyone hang out?
I'm thinking about going to the Moose's Tooth/Bear's Tooth tonight or in the ext few days to see what it's like there. It comes recommended by people I've talked to who have been to Anchorage. Seriously I'll start a conversation with a brick wall right now if I knew it wasn't creepy...

I can't believe I'm here for a whole week (times three, basically). I'll go to the Zoo sometime soon, and the botanical gardens...but other than that there is nothing.
Maybe I'll take a flight out somewhere for a few days. Somewhere that has locks on the doors and a not-crazy roommate. So much for this being a youth hostel, too. Ther are more people 40+ here than there are people <30yrs old.

If there wasn't so much ice on the roads I would try and hire a car so I can at least get myself around-everything is really spread out here!
I just really need to find a nice local who I can talk to and find out the ins and outs of the city from.
Fairbanks will probably be worse than this, although I am counting on it being friendlier because it's a smaller town? But the hostel will have the same problems as this one I reckon, because it is a bit out from the downtown area. But at least that one is run by a woman. The guys over here remind me of grizzly bears. So do most of the women too though...

Seriously what have I gotten myself into?!?!?
-Lisha