I live in the US, and with the state of things I have decided to make my life more analog and disconnected this year, and for the foreseeable future. Instead of online games, I do puzzles and listen to audiobooks. Instead of doom scrolling for hours, I’ve decided I’m going to start backpacking. Instead of watching so much TV, I’ve been reading more.

All of these things are helping bring me peace. I’ve been pack training with my dog, which means doing longer day hikes with a heavy pack for each of us, and it’s just been so nice. I’m losing weight without trying (which is a good thing as I’m overweight), I’m seeing parts of my area I’ve never seen, and spending fantastic quality time with my dog. This weekend we’re doing a shakedown car camp to see how he does in my smaller backpacking tent and I am SO excited. In 3 weeks we go on our first backpacking trip with a friend, and I’m already dreaming of future trips. All of this is huge for us because I’m allergic to the sun (literally) and he (my dog) is very sensitive to heat, and allergic to wasps (we have to carry epipens for him) so deciding to spend time outdoors has taken a lot of consideration, determination and planning, but we’re doing it. I’m so excited for the adventures we’ll have, I can’t even put my emotions into words.

It’s all about who the most important prophet is, and anyone that disagrees is wrong and we hate them.

Religion is wild.

It’s about to get absolutely stupid. Like I know everyone thinks things are bonkers now, but up until this week vendors I work with, that supply electronic equipment either partially or entirely manufactured in China, were still honoring quotes created weeks ago. This week we’re being told that quotes we’ve had in the works for weeks or months are now likely going to be pulled and not honored, and that was BEFORE this additional increase. We’re talking large spend that’s likely going to be delayed indefinitely, which will almost certainly shrink the entire GDP and cause mass layoffs, and we’ll be in a depression before we know it. I wish I was being hyperbolic, but I’m watching multi million dollar spends planned for the better part of a year evaporate because quotes won’t be honored.

1 point - I’ve never sent a postcard lol

A lot of Europe is like this and I think part of the difference is social expectation with dogs. Because it’s more normal for dogs to go places, and less normal to have private yards at your home for your dog to spend time in, people in Europe tend to spend more time training their dogs to be good members of society because they basically have to. If you have to walk your dog multiple times a day for potty instead of letting it into the back yard, you’re probably more likely to make sure your dog is leash trained properly.

I also think the USA (and Canada to some extent as you’ve kind of adopted many of our values, for good or ill) are more individualistic than many European countries. In America we train our pets because WE want them trained, not because of societal expectations about dog ownership. It’s truly telling when you walk a dog that is properly leash trained and get compliments about how well trained your dog is. That a dog can walk on leash without pulling is the exception, not the norm. (This happened yesterday to me, just walking around a park path.) It’s depressing. American individualism insists, “I don’t need to train my dog, he’s perfect being the cute little terrorist that he is, and if you don’t like it, that’s your problem.” As a result, dogs aren’t allowed most places in the US because entitled dog owners are the norm, not the minority. I love dogs, and I love taking my dog places, but if I owned a business of any kind I wouldn’t allow dogs because it’s not worth the headache here.

Perhaps, but Russia is already busy with a war on their front door, I dunno that they’d want to stage one at the side door too. Sure, they’re interested, but realistically I don’t think they’ll stage a coup for it and try to force Norway out. That said, the world is upside down so who knows.

Fair. You asked where I would move to though lol. If it wasn’t for family and job tying me here in the US I would move to Longyearbyen in a heartbeat!

Svalbard

Correct