The most amazing thing

... I have seen
Can't be one, so here are 5

1. Glaciers sitting on top of Kilimanjaro

2. Wild lions in Serengeti

3. White endless mountains of Alaska and the sunrise-sunset colours there. We went there to see northern lights. But I was totally amazed by the vast whiteness of the place. Endless Yukon plains and mountains, all covered in perfect white. There was something completely soothing and refreshing about being there. One place I would love to go again and again.

4. Machu Picchu

5. Mt Rainier from many points in Seattle. I know its cliche, but to see Rainier rising about the clouds from many unexpected places in Seattle area IS amazing!

Americans just have something right!

I cannot believe I am saying or even thinking this! But America just has something right in it. Life there was nice, welcoming, comfortable. Its just something in the culture that people from anywhere in the world soon find themselves settled and comfortable and part of society. I am realizing this after I moved here. Ok, yes, 9 years vs 2 months, huge diff, still. I don't see myself ever getting that comfortable here. People around are not nice and welcoming, it feels like a 'foreign' place and I think it always will. I am not saying that I came here with expectation that Europe will be all rosy and nice, I have read history and I was expecting some hostility. But I can feel the famous - 'don't like foreigners' saying in the air here. I have not yet encountered open racism, at least not that I am aware of. But I do wonder if part of hostility I feel in environment is coming from that.

And I don't even want to talk about hiking! Again American has just nailed it. The numerous national park, especially in the north-west are just amazing. You can be in middle of everywhere and feel like nowhere! Here you hike in artificial forests, and when you pant and sweat your way up, there are people clicking heels who just came on the cable car! That would be ok, if on foot I got a chance to see and be in absolute natural beauty. But no, there are cows and smell of dung everywhere, barbed electrified fences. Not really my idea of a hike!

So in all, yeah, at this point I am regretting moving here! I miss Seattle, I miss St Helens and sight of Rainier. What the heck! I miss hiking Mt Si. Top of Si had more beauty and remoteness (yes I did say Si and remoteness), than I have seen on actual 'hikes' here. I hate this place.