Most interesting facts about your beloved state (Metlakatla: house, living in)

[riceme]

Just got to PT and heard that we're supposed to get 100 MPH winds. WTF if the Ouiji Board is correct I will need someplace to park my truck where it won't get smashed. Strange weather for sure... it is super warm in town.

[nature mama]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

The same kind of jobs exist in Alaska as in the -48. Imagine that. There are teachers, attorneys, store clerks, government workers, construction workers, postal employees...the list goes on.

What do you do in WV? Sit on your porch strumming a banjo and sucking down the 'shine?

See how it feels? Alaskan residents aren't some unique curiosity. You've been watching too many shows.

That is an incredibly rude response to a reasonable question.

For example, here in the mid Atlantic if you want to live in DC or northern virginia you must have a high paying job to afford the living expenses. In DC that's usually government, or government contractors who make enough to live in that area. Anyone in IT or information security can live comfortably as well. To live the rural areas west of DC, you can have a blue collar job and still afford to enjoy yourself--as long as you are further than a comfortable commuting distance. Being within 60 miles of DC means housing will be unreasonably expensive.

What I meant by that question is what jobs are available that can allow a family to live comfortably in such an expensive state as has been said by the very people who post on this board.

While I do love the banjo, I play a mandolin. I also live in an apartment in a hippie college town, so I have no porch on which to "pick n grin". That generalization is no comparison to the simple question I asked about affording the living expenses in Alaska. Now if I said you're all seal hunting inuit peoples, then I could understand.

When I do visit, I will be sure to stay in the wilderness to avoid the human residents.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by nature mama

That is an incredibly rude response to a reasonable question.

For example, here in the mid Atlantic if you want to live in DC or northern virginia you must have a high paying job to afford the living expenses. In DC that's usually government, or government contractors who make enough to live in that area. Anyone in IT or information security can live comfortably as well. To live the rural areas west of DC, you can have a blue collar job and still afford to enjoy yourself--as long as you are further than a comfortable commuting distance. Being within 60 miles of DC means housing will be unreasonably expensive.

What I meant by that question is what jobs are available that can allow a family to live comfortably in such an expensive state as has been said by the very people who post on this board.

While I do love the banjo, I play a mandolin. I also live in an apartment in a hippie college town, so I have no porch on which to "pick n grin". That generalization is no comparison to the simple question I asked about affording the living expenses in Alaska. Now if I said you're all seal hunting inuit peoples, then I could understand.

When I do visit, I will be sure to stay in the wilderness to avoid the human residents.

It gets frustrating when we try to answer your questions and you come back with implications about why our answers can't be true or ask the same questions over again. I've given you recommendations on where to go and what time of year since you seem to be so interested in how the "real people of Alaska live," and you haven't even bothered to thank anyone for their efforts in trying to answer your questions, so I wouldn't be trying to play the rude card if I were you. Your continued insistence that Alaskans are some sort of exotic, "unique" species living extremely different lives than their -48 counterparts is offensive, and my comment about the banjo pickin' was designed to provide you with an indication of how you're coming across.

I've told you what kind of jobs are available. I've TOLD you that the federal government is Alaska's biggest employer and what other kinds of jobs people do, but you haven't wanted to listen to a damn thing anyone's said because it doesn't correspond to your fantasy. If you're that curious about what people do for work in different communities, try looking at the community profiles here.

Please do stay out in the wilderness. I know where there's a bus for rent where you can have a real Alaska experience.

[Music_Man]

I was going to suggest that bus too. Don't forget that some people make all kinds of things to sell from moose poop. The tourists just love them and the festival.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by nature mama

I'm not going anywhere. I'm buying a house in WV right now. I'm from Va, but wv feels more like home than anywhere else. Also, I hate the south. It's too hot, and I like 4 seasons. I'm too white to live that close to the equator. Lol. I have no intentions of moving to Alaska. I'm just interested in it's uniqueness. Everyone seems to have so many negative things to say about it when asked by outsiders, but many people live there and I have to wonder why. Maybe it's just a plot to keep the outsiders out the same way people in Montana do...eh? :-)

Alaska doesn't have 4 seasons.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by riceme

I do the same thing I did in -48, just for a different company, different industry.

Me too. Exact same thing.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by SarisaSMouse

I will admit, it does seem weird to us outsiders to read about how expensive everything is, how many people are on welfare, how many are homeless, but then to also read about how often everyone flies. If it's so expensive, and not everyone is surviving off the land, how do people make it?


I figured that having someone else foot the bills is half the battle -- whether that be the government or one's employer, or both. Is that the truth, though?

Sometimes flights are paid for by jobs or tribal funds if it's a business trip.
We are going on our fourth year in the bush and have taken numerous trips. With ravn Alaska every fifth trip gives one a free trip. Keep that in mind. I also would only head to town on my own dime every 6 months. Save gas money. $200 a month x 6 months = two plane tickets to anchorage.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Music_Man

I was going to suggest that bus too. Don't forget that some people make all kinds of things to sell from moose poop. The tourists just love them and the festival.

Too bad the festival was ruined by tourists. They don't have it anymore.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by nature mama

That is an incredibly rude response to a reasonable question.

For example, here in the mid Atlantic if you want to live in DC or northern virginia you must have a high paying job to afford the living expenses. In DC that's usually government, or government contractors who make enough to live in that area. Anyone in IT or information security can live comfortably as well. To live the rural areas west of DC, you can have a blue collar job and still afford to enjoy yourself--as long as you are further than a comfortable commuting distance. Being within 60 miles of DC means housing will be unreasonably expensive.

What I meant by that question is what jobs are available that can allow a family to live comfortably in such an expensive state as has been said by the very people who post on this board.

While I do love the banjo, I play a mandolin. I also live in an apartment in a hippie college town, so I have no porch on which to "pick n grin". That generalization is no comparison to the simple question I asked about affording the living expenses in Alaska. Now if I said you're all seal hunting inuit peoples, then I could understand.

When I do visit, I will be sure to stay in the wilderness to avoid the human residents.

I don't think you j set stand Alaskan wilderness. It's totally different than lower 48 wilderness. A city in Alaska is like a suburb in the lower 48. Rural -48 is like suburbs in Alaska. Wilderness in -48 is rural Alaska. Then there is the bush.

The cost to access the Alaskan wilderness will get you.

[Haolejohn]

Subsistence lifestyle is rare. Many Alaskans participate in some form of subsistence but very few actually live off the land completely. Why? Overhead costs. It's expensive to buy gas. It's expensive to heat. Wood isn't as plentiful as people think and if someone truly wanted to hear with wood alone, they'd have to spend all their free time gathering. The native populations used to practice subsistence and their whole life revolved around food and materials to prepare for winter. Large families were common to assist in the gathering. You had numerous dwellings, but things have changed.

Bush living is hard. It ain't easy. Which is why I do it with a decent paying job. This year has been tougher than previous years but that is because we didn't get a moose. Thankfully we did get plenty of fish, but half our meat this year had to be bought.