A question about moving to Alaska??? (how much, purchasing, living in)

[ysr_racer]

Why the heck do so many people post about moving to Alaska without ever having been there?

Ever heard of a "test drive"?

[Kimber1911]

I think a lot of the posts are from military members and family trying to get an idea of what to expect when they get here.

[Metlakatla]

The above poster is right but also....because info about other places for possible relocation purposes is the main function of this board. All of the state forums have people asking questions about places they've never been. Because of the distance and the costs involved in moving here I agree that it's best not to do so sight unseen, especially when purchasing property is involved, but that can't always be helped.

[gman6974]

Originally Posted by ysr_racer

Why the heck do so many people post about moving to Alaska without ever having been there?

Ever heard of a "test drive"?

Well, I've done it. Why? Because 4,400 miles is a hell of a test drive and I don't fly. Yea, it's safer to fly but last time I checked. There isn't any pitt stops in the air when the engine/engines break down or something else goes wrong. Sorry, I'll take my chances in my truck. Also, telling my bossman that I need two weeks off to check out the place where I want to move probably isn't a good idea. I call it taking a chance. If you mess up, well I hope you learn from you're mistakes.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

I also think that a lot of people talk about moving, when what they really want to know is what it's like to live in AK and how much of a hassle it is to get stuff there. They're still trying to figure out if it's a viable option before investing anything more than a few minutes and some cyber-bytes.

But yeah, there are people who are cautious and plan ahead a lot, and there are people who prefer to just jump right in and do it. Personally, I think both types have about equal chances if they're the right type of person (i.e. strong & adaptable). I've seen people plan everything down to last detail and still fail when things don't go according to plan. And I've seen people who come up with nothing more than a few bucks, a back pack and a few tools do just fine. It all depends on the will of the person in the end because nature doesn't care about your plans or lack of them. So as long as you have a reasonable idea of what to expect and have the minimum tools and skills to handle it, you either survive or you don't.

[Rance]

They hear fairy tales of how we get paid to live here, get visions of living in a cabin on a lake, with fish jumping and wolves howling and crystal clear streams flowing with gold. They all want to work on a crab boat and make the big bucks and get one of those Northwestern jackets.

So yeah...they wanna move here.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Hehe Rance - there's unrealistic dreamers and realistic dreamers. Unrealistic dreamers have never picked up a tool or chopped wood in their life, and believe Reality TV is real. Realistic dreamers know enough to know they don't know nearly enough, but enough to get started at least. (Gosh, I sure hope I'm the latter and not the former )

[Jerseykat]

Wait a minute Rance. Are you telling me that if I move to Alaska I'm not getting the cabin on a lake?
Not even one on a stream where the salmon leap out (past the friendly local bear) onto the grill.
And what's this about the cash? You expect me to pay to live there?
Well that's just not very hospitable.
No jackets either? (maybe ya got tee shirts?)

[lyoness]

Sorry, but I am going to hang on to the dream of the little log cabin on a lake, fairy tale or no

[stiffnecked]

It doesn't have to be a fairy tale. If you want it bad enough you'll find a way to do it.