Potential Alaska move, HELP (Anchorage, Houston: living, moving to, activities)

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by HaydenRiley328i

also the biggest things i would find myself missing about a city is the convenience, i have 4 shopping centers without going more than 5 miles from home, to put in perspective i am 10 minutes from 2 Target stores a Walmart 6+ Starbucks countless restauraunts etc.

Anchorage has two Targets, three Walmarts, multiple Fred Meyer's, the Dimond Mall, the 5th Ave Mall, Tikahtnu Commons and a coffee place at every intersection. We've got Olive Garden, Chili's, Texas Roadhouse, Applebees, TGI Fridays, Red Robin, and a ton of great local restaurants.

[HaydenRiley328i]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

Not to be a downer, but... If your girlfriend is moving to Alaska whether you go or not, you might want to consider if that means something. There's no way for anonymous strangers on a forum to know.

Best of luck to you, I hope whatever you decide works out well for you.

yeah i get what you're saying, no worries. this is something she has worked for before her and i were an item and the circumstances are out of our control, she has an opportunity in AK that will better her/our life a great deal(and will allow her to use the degree she spent many hours and dollars on).. we have had all of those discussions ourselves. I am just worried solely on location as i don't want to go and ruin her experience! i am looking out for her more than anything because i want this to be the best it can and if i don't find a way i think i can enjoy it enough not to ruin it i will cut her loose and let her go solo. I am mature enough to know even if we could be forever and all of that sometimes life gets in the way and if it is meant to be it will. my mindset right now is making this opportunity the best it can be for her, and hopefully i can be involved.

in short really just searching for something about Alaska that eases my mind or i can hang on to other than her so i don't add more pressure on her, she has enough of that. trying to be the best boyfriend possible even if it means personal sacrifice. thank you for the response and kind words tho!

[Dakster]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

Anchorage has two Targets, three Walmarts, multiple Fred Meyer's, the Dimond Mall, the 5th Ave Mall, Tikahtnu Commons and a coffee place at every intersection. We've got Olive Garden, Chili's, Texas Roadhouse, Applebees, TGI Fridays, Red Robin, and a ton of great local restaurants.

Ditto to what Stafford said. And no sales tax helps you some of the higher prices up here.

I was also going to point out that I lived and moved from a large metro area with 2.6 million people in the county and 5.5 million in the "area" and that up here I live closer to a supercenter wal-mart than I was to even a small grocery store in Florida.... Alaska has 700,000 in the entire state with around 330,000 in the Anchorage area.

It's all about where you choose to rent or buy a house. As some family members of mine thought when I moved up here, we are not all living in igloos next to polar bears... Beautiful thing is that you can if you want, but you don't have to.

As far as anything in the service industries, Anchorage and the "valley" will have more opportunities than any other area in the state, just because that is where the most amount of people live. Juneau is another option, but it is not on the road system so you are "locked" in to Juneau. WHereas some of the places I deal with have Palmer/Wasilla and Anchorage locations.

As far as cold, yeah, its cold here. It isn't upper mid-west cold in Anchorage though. Regardless, You prepare for it - but for some reason +40F is much different than +40F in the east coast, especially the South. I would sugar coat it, the few days we were below zero, that is cold. When the wind picks up it's worse even if its +30F or more out. Kinda like how 80F in the desert southwest isn't as hot as 80F in Miami. But 115F is hot, I don't care if its a dry heat or not.

I wish you the best no matter what you choose to do...

[rachey_lynn]

Originally Posted by HaydenRiley328i

hey yall, so bit of a weird thread here...

so my gf has accepted a job opportunity in AK and has asked me to come with.. i have 4 months without her starting at the end of the month and then i will have to decide if i can come with her sometime in July... lets get out of the way I am a city kid in every sense, i love all things city (except traffic). now here is where it gets hard, i want to be with this girl forever, but i do not want to be in Alaska in any way at all. i honestly believe i will hate it but also would regret losing her so a bit of a lose lose situation, and admitting i'd hate it is nothing against Alaska it is gorgeous and i respect the state like crazy from afar.. it just isn't for me from what i have gathered... i don't see how i fit in there or enjoy it.. can anyone help me out? is there anyone out there that maybe didn't want to be in Alaska but did it and it worked out? it is also worth noting that i am considering this and she has told me she has always looked at Alaska as temporary to better herself and her resume but only being there 3-5 years. feel free to post anything that you believe could help even if it doesn't relate directly i really want to find a reason i can be happy there besides her i'm just having a tough time.

I am in a very similar situation, I'll be moving from Hawaii within the next 6 months. I have already resolved to move and am making an effort to find things that will make the transition easier. You mentioned going to school and earning your degree, I think that would be a very positive goal that you can focus on and would ultimately result in your happiness. I think what will go the furthest is the right attitude. If you think this is a forever kind of love, go. This would be one hell of an adventure.

"We love because it is the only true adventure." -Nikki Giovanni

[HaydenRiley328i]

Originally Posted by rachey_lynn

I am in a very similar situation, I'll be moving from Hawaii within the next 6 months. I have already resolved to move and am making an effort to find things that will make the transition easier. You mentioned going to school and earning your degree, I think that would be a very positive goal that you can focus on and would ultimately result in your happiness. I think what will go the furthest is the right attitude. If you think this is a forever kind of love, go. This would be one hell of an adventure.

"We love because it is the only true adventure." -Nikki Giovanni

that is definitely where i am at! i will regret the loss of the girl more than i would the move and i have pretty well determined that for myself... i can't believe you're leaving Hawaii!! that is my end goal i want to live there so bad! but yes of course i think if i use it as a way to better myself as well as an adventure i will not regret it, maybe i'll see you there if i move! haha

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by HaydenRiley328i

yeah i get what you're saying, no worries. this is something she has worked for before her and i were an item and the circumstances are out of our control,

This is doomed.

[rachey_lynn]

Originally Posted by mizzile

This is doomed.

I've found in life that if you believe things aren't going to work out--they won't, more often than not a positive attitude and a little bit of faith can get you through a tough situation. Surely you've never met this guy or his girlfriend and you don't know enough about their relationship to make that kind of snap judgment. I'm not saying they're destined to be together or that he should follow her as I do not know the specifics of their relationship either. An unwarranted claim such as yours is more a reflection on you than it is of the situation.

[rachey_lynn]

Originally Posted by HaydenRiley328i

that is definitely where i am at! i will regret the loss of the girl more than i would the move and i have pretty well determined that for myself... i can't believe you're leaving Hawaii!! that is my end goal i want to live there so bad! but yes of course i think if i use it as a way to better myself as well as an adventure i will not regret it, maybe i'll see you there if i move! haha

Sounds like you'll be arriving sooner than I will so lets stay in touch and you can give me the skinny as a fresh face getting acquainted with the last frontier lol. I was very weary about leaving HI at first but living here has changed me and forced me to grow into a stronger (and I believe better) person, I know moving to Alaska will have the same effect. There's something about the islands though, that has a way of becoming a part of you. I feel like I will carry the spirit of HI with me no matter what state I live in(now I sound like a crazy hippie). I know in my heart some day, perhaps when I'm old and wrinkly, I will move back to the HI. Any who now I'm just rambling, it'd be great to "know" a couple we could double with before we even get there. Count me in!

[Podo944]

Well, every choice has a price. Give up the girl, or give up your comfort. If I were you, I'd take this adventure. You're young and this is the time to stretch your experiences.

Also, while it happens to be Alaska that she's moving to for an opportunity of a lifetime, it could have been any cold state in the lower 48. Ya coulda ended up in Fargo, you betcha!

And even if it were a warm state, you'd still be in the position of feeling dependent on her until you get busy with your own career or school.

So have an open mind... Maybe do something nice like volunteering or something to get to know the community. If it doesn't work out, and she doesn't end up being your forever girl, you can always go back. At least you won't be wondering "what if" while sitting in your rocking chair years from now.

Btw, marrying my second husband involved some leaps of faith. Different situation, but the gamble paid off.

[mizzile]

Originally Posted by rachey_lynn

Surely you've never met this guy or his girlfriend and you don't know enough about their relationship to make that kind of snap judgment.

Right. The fact that she's going without him, she'd planned to go before she met him, he doesn't want to live there at all and that he's only going to not get dumped doesn't tell us anything about their relationship. Not one thing.