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I hear ya, but I thought all the people from CA, WA and OR moved here to Hawaii, LOL! I feel your pain, and I hear the same story from other state threads. I guess everyone is moving everywhere "'cause the grass has gotta be greener.." someplace else.
So, I ask myself "what ya gonna do, and where ya gonna go?"
Everyplace has it's good points and its bad points. I think everyone will agree, there is NO perfect place in this country, in this world. And to each their own, that's what makes the world go round.
After living here in Hawaii though, and seeing the numerous transplants cycle in and out, I have learned that it is helpful to live in a place on a trial basis FIRST for about 6 months, before committing. Especially here, since visiting here on a vacation is nothing like living here like a local.
Anyways, you probably know all this. Good Luck in your move.
Before you make the move, you need to consider exactly WHY people are moving there. As any population grows, it starts to have a city attitude. I've been all over the world and cities are all about the same. Your town is growing. You can move out of Alaska to North Dakota, Minnesota (as I did recently) Vermont, Fla or anywhere in the US or Canada and it's going to be the same. Alaska is an expensive place to live, not quite as pricey as the area of California where I lived for 20 years but still, the prices are up there. For 20 years I watched as the San Francisco Bay Area grew from two medium sized cities surrounded by small towns to an urban armpit extending for 100 miles in all directions with 7 million people all competing for the same 200 square feet of space on the interstate. I moved to a small town. The reason I moved to Minnesota is because I really hate hot weather and it's literally 100 miles from any city to speak of. Everyone knows everyone and it's peaceful. I would guess that you would be able to find a nice place in Alaska if you look around. My guess would be that you want more bang for your buck. The prices of real estate have been on the rise in AK for a few years. In CA, the house I bought in 1984 for $116K now sells for a little over a cool million. Any idea how far a million bux goes in Minnesota or North Dakota? If you can deal with heat and bugs and snakes, the south offers even cheaper real estate. If money isn't an issue, you might just try moving somewhere a little more remote.
You can blame it on Californians, or Washingtonians, or Canadians. Heck, you can even blame any one you want. If you really want to blame somebody, point the finger at the ancient Sumerians because they are the ones that invented civilization in the first place. It's just the way cities are. There's not many Californians in Moscow and it's an armpit like LA. Funny thing is the Californians, Washingtonians, and Canadians all blame the people moving in from neighboring regions for their urban blight. In about 30 years of travels, I've discovered that people are a lot more civil the further you get from civilization.
Before you start feeling the crush of urbanization you might take a trip to Europe or Hong Kong or Tokyo. They've all got some serious population crammed into a very small space. Anywhere you go you will see new people moving in. The worlds population is doubling every 50 years or so and they all need a place to live but the planet isn't growing to make space for them.
Good luck.
Two million illegal immigrants are coming into this country a year; thus they are the main cause of increasing population and overcrowdedness. The people in Texas, California, Arizona, etc. are moving more north to places like Oregon, Washington and Alaska. It is a slow migration from homeowneres dislocating to find refuge somewhere else to call home. There was a good thread about this topic in the Idaho room, where even Idaho is experiencing a huge influx of out-of staters and illegals swarming into their towns and cities, destroying their old ways of life.
HockeyGirl: I live in Ohio with my husband and two boys. We cannot wait to leave this place. The winters are so cold, the air gets sucked right out of our lungs, and the summers are beyond humid. The land is flat as far as the eye can see....
What do you like best about Alaska? What are the job opportunities like, mainly in the legal sector? How about the schools? Do many people homeschool their kids?
My husband is of Shawnee decent, and has hair to his waist. Should he expect to sneers, and looks of disdain?
Joeklr... Your words are profound and deep. I very much enjoyed reading them as they are very well written. I so like good post's. Great job.
to tkx7... this is getting off the sublect a little, but you made a great point about immigrants today. So let me give my two cents due to the fact that I started this thread. Over 100 years ago, my ancestors came to this country via Ellis Island. They stood in long lines, went by the rules, and then, when all that was required of them was done, they were allowed to become American citizens! They were handed NOTHING but an opportunity for a better life. They embraced this country and made it home. Todays immigrants are a bit different. They cross the border at their own will, ignoring the laws of this country. They come here with their hand out expecting something, and worst of all, they carry the flag of their previous country and say hey, were still (??? Whatever country they came from) and we dont want to conform to your ways. Just give us the rights you all have, but we want to do it our way!
THIS is not what America is all about and yes it even happens here in Alaska. Thanks for the forum. jamracingalaska
I hate to bust your bubble, but things here in the 48's are a lot worse then they are in AK. I grew up in AK. I am SO ready to move back to paradise (AK) I grew up in a small town between Anchor town and Fairbanks. I dont know everyone eanymore, simply because I have been gone for 5 years, 5 years too long. If you think "meth" is bad there, your really gonna hate it down here. I was back home to visit last summer and still enjoyed the people there, & still could see the differnce in attitudes and personality with AK & 48's. My step son & husband had never been there before and they both couldn't beleive how friendly people are and how amazing it was there.
I have never been so frustrated with hunting, rude people, traffic, drugs ect... in my life.....If I was there, I would stay put. Sorry things turned out to be sucky for you, & wish you luck!
.. this is getting off the sublect a little, but you made a great point about immigrants today. So let me give my two cents due to the fact that I started this thread. Over 100 years ago, my ancestors came to this country via Ellis Island. They stood in long lines, went by the rules, and then, when all that was required of them was done, they were allowed to become American citizens! They were handed NOTHING but an opportunity for a better life. They embraced this country and made it home. Todays immigrants are a bit different. They cross the border at their own will, ignoring the laws of this country. They come here with their hand out expecting something, and worst of all, they carry the flag of their previous country and say hey, were still (??? Whatever country they came from) and we dont want to conform to your ways. Just give us the rights you all have, but we want to do it our way!
THIS is not what America is all about and yes it even happens here in Alaska. Thanks for the forum. jamracingalaska
What you have stated above is true, however, it is not all they take, they do whatever they want, they etc. They are just taking advantage of the situation we have created. "We" have given the store away, we have turned a blind eye to the ones of illegal status (what border?). In other words, we, the citizens of the United States have devalued our rights by being so free with immigration rules and regulations.
What other country in the world allows citizenship just by being born on its soil? There are countries in the world that will not allow ownership of property unless you are a citizen of that country - why not us? I know of some countries that will not even allow you own a cell phone, unless you are a citizen (or legal resident alien) of that country. And BTW, I don't remember voting on mitigating any of these immigration laws/rules/regulations, did you? Only in America....
Dear Jamracingalaska, Read yer story and I too, feel your disparity. I’m quite empathetic and have not only experienced the loss of having your roots ripped right out of your own home place, but have experienced it in three different states. Like the ugly kid in the Gentle Ben TV show, I didn’t realize as a youth in Florida what a special place old Florida was. Though I’m now only in my late forties, I can reflect back to when Ron- Jon’s Surf Shop wasn’t even located on Cocoa beach, there was only one building in Port Canaveral; not the current multi zillion dollar flotilla of cruise liners. I even recall some of the first NASA space shots, riding horses on the beach, jackpot rodeos (yea Fla was a leading cattle state), fishing and not even seeing anyone all day while doing it; being able to hunt hogs, deer, duck, turkey, quail, doves and not having to draw a tag to go hunt on a paltry parcel of what is now a token piece of someone’s soon to be shopping mall. Hell, to this day you can still see the ever diminished migratory flights of water foul air- breaking over Merritt Island with an almost a “What the Bleep Now” creased in their bills. Florida went to the proverbial hell in the hand basket way before God sent hurricanes. To escape Florida I joined the military to try to get to your Alaska but settled to relocate in Idaho; another place that prior to the nineties was also a paradise. Lots of public land, affordable housing, sound logging-less fires!, an up swinging economy, Republican, pro-gun, friendly locals and now… full of anti hunting, gay liberal, granola tree huggers, gangs and gang want to bees, druggies, and for the worst change- Idafornian golden state stiff noses blowing the housing market up to the point of making it unavailable to the locals that were actually what made the state so desirable. Hell I can remember when I was teaching fly tying and fly fishing in Idaho back in the early nineties. The Movie River Run Through It all right! Their was such a flood of plastic people coming in to the state and crowding my waters that I **** near picked up a bait caster and headed back to Dixie. Well, enough of my minor ranting. Your not alone, you’re in good company amongst thousands of us that still give a ****. Currently living here in N Texas and yes it too, ain’t the same. Cheap housing with ridiculous property taxes, high crime/low wages and a sense of the local government nervousness; and they make a lot of mistakes when their not in real control. The point is that not just Alaska has changed, but America, you and even all of the good people have changed too. Yea we have a lot of problems with all of the immigrants coming in., especially here in Texas. But like a lot of people that once found paradise without creating it, contributing to its format or for the most part, we got to enjoy it while it was great, sounds like you have too. You earned that bitterness for your own personal historical comparisons, but I encourage you to enjoy your best memories. Be pro active against those that ***** your world up. Cast your monetary and non monetary ballot. I had a house built here in N Texas and when I saw the **** poor quality of the cheap mexican (not worthy of capitalization!)laborers, I said hell no and gave the keys back to the broker, at closing too! The mex framers, mex drywall and mex mason crews all lost their American jobs! The main contractor went back to Oklahoma and hopefully the broker got the hint too!, on using inferior cheap labor. Yea it cost me a little $ in escrow, but you have to be willing to fight for what is right! Jamracingalaska, their aren’t too many places left that don’t need a major overhaul, the rush out of Florida to TNN/NC/SC, mexico to Texas, California to Idaho-Montana and Wyoming, hmmm maybe Main is still ok. Anyway good luck and I can only say I whish I had your memories. I would love to be in Alaska, even now compared to any of the growing pains you would experience in the lower 48. You sound like you still have a lot to contribute back to in Alaska. Think hard about that visually green pasture in front of you, the color was deep dyed in by a greedy liberal realtor from the lower 48! .
Jamracingalaska, I feel your pain--and I'm from a (former) podunk in S. Texas. I think about leaving. Some days I long to leave. The only other place I would live is SE or S Central Alaska. So I took another trip up this summer as a reconaissance mission and found what you are talking about, all of it being basically the same reasons I want outta here! I think it probably boils down to living and defending the place you love. It sounds to me like you love Alaska. I do too.
Jamracingalaska --- it saddens me SO much to hear you are leaving Alaska. I don't live there - in fact, I live not far from where you will be moving - I will be your neighbor to the west --- in Texas. If you think AK is bad.....
Sure, living on 67 acres in Arkansas might give you a little distance from society (and all its evils) on a daily basis but you WILL have to confront it once in awhile - to get your mail, groceries, gas up your car/truck/tractor - whatever.... Im sure even the smallest, quaintest town down here is 100 times worse than where you are now. There is crime, gangs, pollution, etc here. And the scenery here isn't neary as awe inspiring as it is up there. Maybe moving to a more remote area of AK would solve your problem of 'progress' encroaching on the ideal AK life you remember so fondly? I guess its probably too late for that since you have already purchased property in Arkansas.
And if you think you're trading in 2 seasons for 4.... No, you are trading in 2 winter seasons for 2 summer seasons. Summer and Almost Summer is what I call them. See this web page for a detailed description of the daily average temps in Arkansas --- http://www.arkansas.com/helpful-info/weather/
I know I sound like a huge party pooper - I dont mean to - it's just I guess I cant see why anyone would CHOOSE to leave AK. Good luck to you. I do sincerely hope you find peace and contentment in your new home.
~Robin
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To Joeklr & tkx7
