inside/outside

Leaving Alaska recently someone asked, "How long are you going to be Outside?" Another person asked, "When will you be back Inside? Outside is anywhere that is not Alaska; inside is any place within this amazingly large state. This common Inside/Outside language has gotten me thinking about the metaphor that is more than just geographic but rhythmic and integral to my own Alaskan life. At first I thought living inside might mean being "inside" as in a prison or a cell, locked away. And living "outside" meant being free, able to choose anywhere, anything. But after living in Alaska for four short months, I'm not so sure anymore. What if there is a freedom inside, not found on the outside? What if the outside has its own burden of unquestioned conformity to demands that are not a choice at all? More to come inside/outside