I always longed to be one of the popular crowd. In high school, I was a shy introvert who concentrated on good grades. My only claim to fame was singing with a small jazz ensemble, but even then no one knew my name.

But, I’ve finally discovered the key to popularity as an adult.

Moving.

Yes, moving.

I lived 14 years in Russia, and only a few people came to visit. Of course, it’s complicated to visit Russia. You have to apply for a passport, a visa, and fly on Aeroflot, which we affectionately nicknamed Aeroflop. Plus, we lived on the backside of frozen Siberia, nine time zones from Moscow. If someone came to visit, it was in the summer. No one wanted to experience the thrill and chill of a Russian winter.

But then I moved ten time zones to Greece. Oh my goodness. My popularity soared. SOARED! Once I moved to Greece, everyone wanted to be my friend.

Really, why would anyone choose this…..

                    Photo by Jerry Barnwell

Over this……

Yes, the scenery is breathtaking and the food is delicious, but there is one little bitty Greek secret you won’t find in the tour books. I’ll say it quietly, so you won’t be too shocked.

You can’t flush toilet paper in Greece.

The secret is out! In the corner of each private and public bathroom, there is what we affectionately call the “potty can.” That’s where the toilet paper goes. Yes, ALL the toilet paper.

Yet, in spite of the antiquated plumbing, people still loved to visit us in Greece.

Popularity achieved!

After seven years of living in Greece, we returned to our home state of Alaska.

I wouldn’t have believed it, but our popularity spiraled to new heights.

I partially attribute this to the zillions of Alaska reality TV shows.

When people come to visit us, they always have a favorite Alaska show. They ask innumerable, and unanswerable questions about their favorite characters. The sad thing is I rarely watch those particular shows, as I’m currently living the live version. You can read my post about Alaska reality shows here.

Of course, who wouldn’t want to experience this:

But popularity comes with a price. As most Alaskans know, your summer is no longer your own. Your guest room needs a revolving door for visitors. Random outdoor gear fills our garage: fishing rods, waders, fishing nets, mosquito repellent, and bear spray. Something for each type of tourist that comes to visit. It takes bear spray to take down the more massive visitors.

Truthfully, Alaskans love to show off their state. The rugged beauty is indescribable, and we are proud of our state. We take a malicious delight in telling visiting Texans that if we divide Alaska into two states, Texas would be the third largest state.

So dear relatives, friends, and acquaintances I barely know, come to visit! We love sharing the wonders of the Last Frontier with you.

After all, our summer only lasts three months.

I have nine months of winter hibernation to recover from those three months of popularity.

I never imagined popularity would be so exhausting.