Curious why people move here (Anchorage, Wasilla: environment, trip , income)

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by nitesun

Always wanted to live in Alaska. Why wouldn't you want to live there is a better question...Way less people. I like my space...

Yes I love my space. Seems so many people are moving up here it is actually getting crowded. Born here and have seen it change greatly and in many ways that most Alaskans don't like.

[karfar]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

Yeah, 'cause up here we just throw money around in the streets. Pave 'em with gold and such.

Does seem like there's an awful lot of misinformed wonderlusted people as of late... Must be spring coming.

Do you guys ever hear any follow-ups from people who talked about moving up there on this? Has anyone actually moved there, that'd be fun hearing from them.

[Rance]

One moved to Anchorage but has not posted in quite some time. Megansmom must be getting close to making their move. A couple days away I think. One i smoving to Soldotna but I have not seen a post from them lately either.

[shane_a]

no one i know lives in Alaska, and that sounds like a good enough reason for me right now. Getting away, and starting out all over again with little chance of bumping into familiar faces seems like heaven right now.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by shane_a

no one i know lives in Alaska, and that sounds like a good enough reason for me right now. Getting away, and starting out all over again with little chance of bumping into familiar faces seems like heaven right now.

But soon enough you will find out that those "not familiar faces" in most Alaska towns become very familiar within a few months

[Alaskagrl]

Yup--you can run from yourself; but you can't hide from yourself for too long, even in AK!

Don't get me wrong; I am thrilled to be living here--but it isn't something to do without preparation, no matter how dis-illusioned you are with your present situation.

And anonymity may sound good--but when your trunk conks out and you have to get to the woods to haul firewood to heat your home; that's when you realize you may not want to be a complete "loner." Reality of solitude is less romantic than the idea (and up here, frankly usually more dangerous).

I speak this way only because I had the same ideals; a few years have taught me much !

[MissingAll4Seasons]

I want to move back because when I lived there before, it was positively lovely. I'm happy that it's over 3K miles from my parents, and over 4k miles from my in-laws... and there are NO non-stop flights from either of their locations. I'm looking to get away from overcrowded civilization, away from throngs of people, and get back to the peace and solitude of nature. I want long, dark, snowy winters. I want to be awed by nature's miracles everyday, even if it is hard to survive now and then. I'd rather have a bear or moose in my yard than a solicitor or a noisy/nosey neighbor. And my husband feels pretty much the same way.

[bkyhi]

I am planning to move to Alaska later this year, hopefully in the fall but maybe sooner. Why Alaska? Because it's there. I'm looking forward to a major change. I want to experience Alaska while I'm still young and can fully enjoy it. Can't make it more plain without a LOT of words.

[Metlakatla]

It ain't a Christmas card. I've been there in the middle of the night at 50 below when the propane is freezing up and there is no other heat source and you'd better think fast or die. I've been there when my child woke up and couldn't breathe and 911 was just a recording; I've been at sea when the weather got rough an the only way to save my son's life was to put my body over his and hold on to whatever I could ...seen my dog almost killed by a moose. I left a roasting chicken (raw) outside one time for ten minutes after unloading from a trip to Wasilla....went back to get the chicken and it was gone....I had no human neighbors.

I've also spent a lot of my life absolutely enthralled--especially by the upper Susitna, and by the Tongass--


but...

it's deadly as f-all.

One simple slip and the romance is gone.

[cobolt]

Some people have to find out the hard way, Met. They're the casualties. AK is for some people, not for many. But more and more people are fascinated by it...it's definately more on the radar....so expect more of the same: some realistic, some with pie in the sky ideas. And if we all listen to Al Gore, it will be too hot to live in the -48 in a few years and then...there will be your mass exodus up North. So they'll be growing pineapples in the Mat-su and swimming in melted glacier water.....and so it goes.....