Ok, reality check time about "moving to Alaska" (Anchorage: homes, find a job)

[DannyL]

There's been several threads lately about moving to Alaska. But in all honesty, how many actually "move" and stay?
1 out of 3, 2 out of 5, 2 out of 6?

I'm not trying to diss anyone's dream here, but I think a lot of folks move up here with no concept of reality, or a real plan (or a backup plan, or a backup-backup plan).

[soldn2slavery]

As a former long-time (20 years) Alaskan, I agree that it seems a lot of people move up with unrealistic dreams. They come up in the gorgeous summer and see the breath-taking beauty and decide to move up. Then, winter hits and they lock themselves inside waiting for it to be summer again. After going through 9 months of darkness and maybe no snow or suffering through weeks of -20, they realize that Alaska is still a difficult place to live and are ready to head back home.

I've been away for more than 10 years and I still miss it almost every day. I love Anchorage, the restaurants, the music, the mountains, Cook Inlet, moose in the yard, grizzles on the bike trail, the Corsair, Double Musky, hiking Crow's Pass, biking the logging roads in Girdwood, Beluga in the inlet and Dall sheep on the cliffs, alpenglow, termination dust, fishing for grayling along the Denali Highway, spending an entire day watching Child's Glacier and waiting for a really big one to drop off, fishing the Russian River at two in the morning to avoid the really big crowds, Eklutna Lake, fishing for silvers in Montana Creek, kayaking Whittier and Seward, Norman Lowell's homestead, Fur Rondy, Mr. Whitekeys', Whale Fat Follies, the Talkeetna Bluegrass festival, the brightness of a full moon during a snowy winter night, ... .

I don't miss going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark for much of the year. Mosquitoes. Water so cold it hurts. Putting foil on my windows to block out the light during the summer. Traffic, summer and winter. Ice. Salt and sand on the streets. Over-priced housing. Never-ending road construction. Potholes and frost heaves. Combat fishing on the Russian River.

[Rance]

I think you have more "misses" than don't-misses!

[Tressa]

You pretty much spelled it out for the reason we stay up here, but Mr. Whitekeys is done no more shows, can still get a glimps of him on Friday night news. The combat fishing remains and can get ugly, the traffice is still the pits as winter comes on it get worse with folks for the lower 48's come up here and have no clue how to drive. You can alway tell the newbees to Alaska, they have foil on their windows so they can sleep in the summer months. Those of us up here for more than 30 years get use to it rapidly

[rotorhead]

But still and all, winter driving skills aren't exactly an Alaska exclusive. I'd say the folks from Green Bay and Buffalo and other places like that have pretty much got it down to a science. The problem is when you get the folks up from Texas and Arizona who only see snow when they visit Colorado to ski.

The truth be told, perhaps the worst winter drivers are the long-time Alaskan cheapskates who are too stingy to put real snow tires on their truck.

Funny how all the cars in the ditch along the Glen after the first big snow all have Alaska plates. They're the ones who waited too long to get to Johnsons Tire and switch out.

[MarkBevans]

Originally Posted by DannyL

There's been several threads lately about moving to Alaska. But in all honesty, how many actually "move" and stay?
1 out of 3, 2 out of 5, 2 out of 6?

I'm not trying to diss anyone's dream here, but I think a lot of folks move up here with no concept of reality, or a real plan (or a backup plan, or a backup-backup plan).

I haven't posted about my move, but here are our plans. We are moving to Soldotna in about 2 weeks. We have a place rented, my wife has a job as a nurse at the hospital. I will try to find a job after we arrive. It's true we have only been there in the summer, but plan on staying this winter to see what it is like. We live in Michigan now. From what I can tell other than the lack of daylight the winters don't look any colder or snowier than here. I tracked the weather everyday last winter. Soldotna on average was warmer than here. Snow fall was less there, we get lake effect snow every other day. But either way we will find out for ourselves this winter.
Back-Up Plan? We have been planning this move for 3 years. By saving our money, selling our toys, (boats, Quads, extra Car, and other things)) we have placed $60K in a bank account. I think it will take $20K to get moved and settled in up there. The other $40k is for emergencies or if we decide we just can't take the winters we can always leave.
I'm thinking we won't have to many problems though. We been through a lot of cold snowy winters. We love the outdoors, winter sports, ice fishing. The short daylight will take some getting use to.

[Rance]

RIght on Mark. Congrats on the move. I think you'll enjoy the winter months.

[JavaPhil]

Been here for about 5 years now. Not planning on moving at all. Would take a lot of money to get me to decide to relocate and even then, I'm not doing it for a "better life". I like the one I got here. Yep. Love the summer. Deal with winter, and find out what you can about getting out and living for the winter. I find after a tour up north or in the interior, a trip home to Anchorage is like a trip to Hawaii. Warm and just about sweatshirt weather. I know guys who wear t-shirts in 20-30 degree weather because it's too darn hot out.

[DannyL]

Sounds perfect Mark, and congrats on the move.

[flu189]

I can't give actual statistics, but from my experience having lived in AK for almost 22 years of the five closest families we knew who also lived in AK for at least twenty-years, only one remains and that is until retirement from a govt job and then they too will hit the ALCAN.