So yeah, I'm moving. I've decided Alaska is the place for me. (Anchorage: purchasing, public school)

[SaucySophia]

I have looked into cargo but it would be approx the same amount as a small box truck without the option of selling after we are through with it. We are hoping to recoup some of the cost on the sale. Also, we could always use it on a trade in when purchasing a new vehicle.

At this point I am still thinking this move will be completely out of pocket. I know that most or many of the hospitals offer relocation allowances but I can not count on that. I don't want this move to be financially painful to our family so I have to economize and think of the best way for the best cost.

Saucy

[kittymama]

Saucy,

As someone who lives in Alaska now, I've decided that I will no longer be living here as of August 2009 and will move to Texas. I live in Fairbanks rather than Anchorage. I know most people in Fairbanks can't stand Anchorage, but I would see that as an improvement, but it still isn't quite a city. My reasons for leaving Alaska are as follows:

1) Winter. I cannot stress how miserable this is. Oh, it is beautiful for your first year or two, but it gets really, really old. The first summer will seem so beautiful and wonderful with all the extra light. Winter will come. It will be romantic and beautiful. Spring will come and you will feel relieved. Each year though, that summer seems shorter and shorter while winter seems longer and longer. Actually winter is pretty much the biggest item on the list because it is that miserable. There is no job that is fun enough to want to go to in month after month of this.

2) I don't have kids yet, but of all the places I've lived, this is the LAST place I would want to raise them. My husband's family lives here and I like them, so having grandparents nearby can trump a lot of negatives. But when it boils down to it, I would never want to subject my children to the winters here. I would feel more comfortable letting them ride the subway by themselves in New York than putting them on the bus for school when it is 40 below zero. Because they do not cancel school for anything here. Not only that, but most other states at least have schools on the best schools in the nation list. Alaska doesn't have a single high school on the list.

3) The whole isolation thing. I don't care where you live in the lower 48, you can drive somewhere else when you want to. Alaska will seem like an island after awhile and you will get island fever.

4) Cost of living. You pay more to live here, but for what exactly? The quality of life and standard of living here really isn't any higher than other places and in some aspects it seems lower.

5) People seem to get sick all the time here. I've lived in college dorms and big cities and other places that gave ample exposure to germs. Yet, in the small town of Fairbanks, Alaska, it seems like something is ALWAYS going around and I get sick way more often here.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by kittymama

Saucy,

As someone who lives in Alaska now, I've decided that I will no longer be living here as of August 2009 and will move to Texas. I live in Fairbanks rather than Anchorage. I know most people in Fairbanks can't stand Anchorage, but I would see that as an improvement, but it still isn't quite a city. My reasons for leaving Alaska are as follows:

1) Winter. I cannot stress how miserable this is. Oh, it is beautiful for your first year or two, but it gets really, really old. The first summer will seem so beautiful and wonderful with all the extra light. Winter will come. It will be romantic and beautiful. Spring will come and you will feel relieved. Each year though, that summer seems shorter and shorter while winter seems longer and longer. Actually winter is pretty much the biggest item on the list because it is that miserable. There is no job that is fun enough to want to go to in month after month of this.

2) I don't have kids yet, but of all the places I've lived, this is the LAST place I would want to raise them. My husband's family lives here and I like them, so having grandparents nearby can trump a lot of negatives. But when it boils down to it, I would never want to subject my children to the winters here. I would feel more comfortable letting them ride the subway by themselves in New York than putting them on the bus for school when it is 40 below zero. Because they do not cancel school for anything here. Not only that, but most other states at least have schools on the best schools in the nation list. Alaska doesn't have a single high school on the list.

3) The whole isolation thing. I don't care where you live in the lower 48, you can drive somewhere else when you want to. Alaska will seem like an island after awhile and you will get island fever.

4) Cost of living. You pay more to live here, but for what exactly? The quality of life and standard of living here really isn't any higher than other places and in some aspects it seems lower.

5) People seem to get sick all the time here. I've lived in college dorms and big cities and other places that gave ample exposure to germs. Yet, in the small town of Fairbanks, Alaska, it seems like something is ALWAYS going around and I get sick way more often here.

Everyone has their preferences. To me, TX would be an absolute hell! I'm not a hot weather person...

If I could grow a garden during the winter (outdoors that is) I wouldn't care to have summer. Having a short summer just long enough to grow a garden is my preference given the reality of what plants need to grow. I've lived my entire life in Vermont (with some trips outside of the state). 6 months of winter, about 3 of summer (4 if September is warm but it's not always, I've had many frosts in September), the rest is spring and fall. It gets into the 80's and 90's here in the summer, sometimes over 100. I turn into a sweat-soaked sloth when it's that hot. It gets real humid here too. I could never live in the South. I look forward to being in the Interior. I've looked at the past several years' weather data for where I chose and it's excellent, not too many days in the 80's compared to here.

Alaska is an excellent state for someone who likes the outdoors or likes to be self-reliant. I hate cities, and Alaska lacks cities except for Anchorage and Fairbanks and Juneau. Lots of wilderness, good hunting and fishing (admittedly tightly regulated but that's understandable). A nice long trapping season all winter long with animals around that can't be trapped elsewhere (wolves, lynx...). Hardly any people around compared to the lower 48. Land available with no taxes or building codes/permits. It's probably a bad state for the urban new york city type who prefers the city life, I'll grant you that. As for schools, I'd never send kids to a public school, ever; if I ever have kids, they're getting home schooled. And Alaska has the best laws for homseschoolers that I know of. Oh and did I mention Alaska has the best gun laws in the country? Even beats VT by a bit, since silencers are legal in AK, and I want one for my trapline gun.

It all depends on what you want, what your lifestyle is. If AK isn't good for what you want, by all means go where you'll be happy (cuts down on crowds ). But what one person sees as negatives others see as positives.

[Siouxcia]

Originally Posted by kittymama

Saucy,

As someone who lives in Alaska now, I've decided that I will no longer be living here as of August 2009 and will move to Texas. I live in Fairbanks rather than Anchorage. I know most people in Fairbanks can't stand Anchorage, but I would see that as an improvement, but it still isn't quite a city. My reasons for leaving Alaska .....

Thanks for posting this. A different prospective is always appreciated. It's good to hear from both sides of the issue. Alaska is certainly different from anyother state in the Union and people should definitely spent some time here before spending thousands of dollars to move here only to find it's not quite what they expected. Things tend to read better then the actual living is (awkward but you know what I mean).

I'm living in SE Alaska right now on a short contract (three months with the option to extend). I really like it here but know that Angoon, Alaska is not where I want to spend the rest of my life. I'm lucky. I have a job that pays me to travel, salary, living expenses, housing, etc. I plan to travel until they don't want me.

[Manmountain]

Kittymama made a pretty negative post. Probably true and honest.
For Saucy to read that and cancel her plan(not that she would), would be a travesty.

Take Marty, Rance or Bud for instance? Happy and content souls.

Alaska makes one actualize (live in the moment). Humans are capable of SO much good and also so much evil.

Throw the baby out with the bathwater and not go live in a different country I mean State? Heck no!

Whats the worst? Saucy spends $200 more for freight than a deal somewhere?
Whats important is to DO IT.

Montana and Idaho have harsher weather than Kenai.

Just get OUT of your 401K's, your gonna lose it anyway-- Dow to 3500, oil back to $100 next year and real estate TOAST for the rest of our lives----
If your not in medical careers or high tech starbuz then plan on a big cut in wages or a layoff. Others 50% wagecut or done. In college doing business degree? forget it, plan on working in a bank? History.

What worries me is air and sea freight supplying Alakshak 97% of their consumables!!! So is Alaska self sufficient????

April 1st will be here soon

[Superbecky79]

*** Did NOT read all the posts, so please excuse any repeated info ***

We drove from Florida to Anchorage with no kids. We drove the Alcan, and it was amazing! I would do that trip any day!

Then we moved back to Florida 6 years later. It was December and there was no way I was going to drive the whole way with 2 kids. We drove to Haines, took the ferry, and continued the drive from Bellingham. I HIGHLY recommend the ferry! We had a room and it was great! They even have/had internet access on the boat we were on!

[kittymama]

I know my post was negative. I do like the people in Alaska, but I FEEL so miserable all winter, that there is NOTHING that makes it worth feeling this miserable all the time. There are people who come up here and love and embrace winter. I actually thought I would be one of those people. Just so you know, when I moved to Alaska, I had an open mind and I intended to stay here. I didn't really research it as much as I should though. See, I didn't love Alaska. I loved my husband (then fiance) and his family. So I moved here for a man, figuring it didn't matter where you lived as long as you had love in your life. But I had an open mind about winter - in fact, I even liked it when I lived in Boston, so I thought it wasn't a big deal. And unlike a lot of people who thought everyone in Alaska lives in Igloos, I looked around and thought, "these people seem pretty normal. They have McDonald's, Home Depot and they're building a Wal-Mart. I guess I can live here because it won't be too hard to live here."

I do remember when I first moved here and the realtor was showing me houses. She said there are 2 kinds of people who come to Alaska. There are those who love it so much they would NEVER live anywhere else no matter what. Then there are those who come here and make it to about their fifth winter and then decide they can't do this anymore and their house goes on the market in the spring. Until I made it to about my fifth winter, I honestly thought I could stay here. Then when the fifth winter came, I finally had enough. Now I'm on my sixth and I wouldn't do another winter for a million bucks.

[SaucySophia]

Thank you so much for the new view Kittymama. I have been to Alaska twice once in winter and once in late spring. I loved it both times. I know visiting is very different from living there but I've got to tell you I am sooooo excited about it. I want to be outdoors in the winter. Here it gets cold and wet, often with the wind chill colder than Anchorage area. We get very little snow. So, what we end up with is a miserable gray cold winter with nothing to do outdoors. I can't wait to ski and get on a snow machine again. I want my kids to have snow ball fights and sled. My kids have never been able to go sledding due to lack of snow and hills. We are a strong rather self-reliant type of family and I'm hoping that strength will enable us to live and flourish in Alaska.

I must admit moving farther from Chicago and New York City is a bummer but I'll just pay a little more to fly there occasionally. Now I'll be vacationing in Seattle and Portland maybe flying to Hawaii and California. We've never been to Hawaii, Seattle or Portland so for us it will be a new and exciting option. I've been to Cali and did not really like it but I'd be willing to visit again.

Do not fear that I will change my mind about moving. We, as a family, regard this as an amazing adventure. If it doesn't work out and we want to move in a few years, so be it. At least we had an awesome experience that we will keep with us forever. One thing I'm pretty sure of is I will NEVER EVER EVER want to move back to Indianapolis.

Update, we are still moving forward but it's a little slower due to the holidays. Right now we are waiting for some paperwork to come in from Alaska Nurse License Board. Once that's here, I'll be flying out to interview for a job.

Anyone know if kids immunization records are required for Canadian border?

Saucy

[akck]

Anyone know if kids immunization records are required for Canadian border?

No, but they are required for school.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by Manmountain

Kittymama made a pretty negative post. Probably true and honest.
For Saucy to read that and cancel her plan(not that she would), would be a travesty.

Take Marty, Rance or Bud for instance? Happy and content souls.

Alaska makes one actualize (live in the moment). Humans are capable of SO much good and also so much evil.

Throw the baby out with the bathwater and not go live in a different country I mean State? Heck no!

Whats the worst? Saucy spends $200 more for freight than a deal somewhere?
Whats important is to DO IT.

Montana and Idaho have harsher weather than Kenai.

Just get OUT of your 401K's, your gonna lose it anyway-- Dow to 3500, oil back to $100 next year and real estate TOAST for the rest of our lives----
If your not in medical careers or high tech starbuz then plan on a big cut in wages or a layoff. Others 50% wagecut or done. In college doing business degree? forget it, plan on working in a bank? History.

What worries me is air and sea freight supplying Alakshak 97% of their consumables!!! So is Alaska self sufficient????

April 1st will be here soon

I don't see KittyMama's post as negative; just her feelings and opinions. When folks ask questions I would assume (I know I do), want to hear all sides, plus and negative. We've had many friends who left Alaska due to the long winters and short summers and feelings of isolation. No perfect place, not even Alaska, otherwise we'd all be there. Every place has it's good and bad points. Alot of posters are new to Alaska so they haven't really had a good taste of what it is like being there for years. As for me, I could not take the Texas heat. I love the South but can't take the heat and humidity. I love the mountains and lakes in Alaska with the breathtaking scenery. I just don't consider it negativity when someone gives their feelings regardless what State it is.