how did you end up in Alaska? (fit in, rent)

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

too. Not to. As a teacher I expect you to know that.

You know....there's a reason I do special education. Lol
And I should have caught that. I think in my haste to post, I didn't proof read. At least that's going to be my excuse.

[petester]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

too. Not to. As a teacher I expect you to know that.

He's a great example of why there are so many gun toting kids running around that don't even know what a safety switch is,educators dropped the ball in such a big way.

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

I drove.

Thought about taking a boat or plane but then decided nah, I need my car. The road I was on ended up here so I just stayed. Now I collect welfare and b**** about the federal government and try not to freeze to death in the mean time.

Stereotypical Alaskan.

[phlinak]

[quote=MillerThyme;47595859]While growing up my father would talk about living in Alaska on and off, he was born in the wrong century and longed for a more ‘simple’ life.

During my junior year of high school an instructor taught how to research and write papers with the first assignment about where we want to live when on our own. The initial assignment was not about Alaska, but the following summer my interest in Alaska peaked, and began researching Alaska with my new research tools.

Landed a summer job in my early 20’s and came up for 5 months to check everything out. Upon returning to my home state is when Alaska fever set in and realized coming home was a mistake. Took me 3 years to find my way back and the night my plane landed is the night I met my wife. Have been here ever since!

Not sure about the future. Really love Alaska, but my wife who is born raised Alaskan wants to leave state and experience the lower 48 for a while. Not sure if moving our kids around is a good idea (ages 4 & 6).[/quote]

Your kids are at the right age if you're going to take the plunge.

Your wife is a rarity because almost all the Alaskan-born single women I've met had no intentions of ever leaving Alaska. They said they were born and raised here, it's all they know or want to know, and they're going to die here.

I told them more power to you.

Personally, I can't see choosing to spend the rest of my life here, so I met and married an Outside lady who can't wait until we can leave.

That's my girl.

[heathen]

I skipped college graduation to drive up here instead. I was newly single and it seemed to be a good transition point. I almost stopped in Haines on the way up since I loved it, but continued to Anchorage where I lived with a family friend for most of a summer. Decided Anchorage wasn't what I was here for so I moved to a cabin way out Knik River road and slummed it working at a gas station for a winter. In spring I found a seasonal job that actually needed my degree in Delta Junction, and I've more or less been here ever since (8 years now..). I met my wife a few years back through mutual friends in the Seattle music scene. She wanted to live in a cabin in the woods, so it was all very convenient.. Happy and settled now, with no desire for major changes, though of course the economy has me a bit concerned.

[pittsflyer]

Originally Posted by heathen

I skipped college graduation to drive up here instead. I was newly single and it seemed to be a good transition point. I almost stopped in Haines on the way up since I loved it, but continued to Anchorage where I lived with a family friend for most of a summer. Decided Anchorage wasn't what I was here for so I moved to a cabin way out Knik River road and slummed it working at a gas station for a winter. In spring I found a seasonal job that actually needed my degree in Delta Junction, and I've more or less been here ever since (8 years now..). I met my wife a few years back through mutual friends in the Seattle music scene. She wanted to live in a cabin in the woods, so it was all very convenient.. Happy and settled now, with no desire for major changes, though of course the economy has me a bit concerned.

This economy will create a lot of opportunity. For a long time much of the desirable areas of south central were locked down but we could see a lot of buying opportunities soon. We just got a home in a nice part of anchorage for CHEAP.


I suspect that recreational properties will start taking a thrashing in price as the years pass if state does not foster diversification of the economy, but I think we will see some sell offs before the state pulls its head out of its rear end which will be nice for a lot of people.

[AlaskaSue]

Our farm house in OK burned to the ground and Mom and Dad moved us 6 kids to Tx for a while for Dad's job. After about a year (1968), he had an offer to be a partner in the company for which he worked. He and Mom put it to us kids...stay where we are and build a swimming pool, move to Australia (a place they had both wanted to go), or move to Alaska (another place they wanted to go - where we knew no one and almost nothing about it). It was a unanimous vote for Alaska and we started reading everything we could find on the place. Mom started stockpiling food for the trip up, we sold the house and all 8 of us plus 2 dogs and a cat moved into a 20x8 foot travel trailer - where we lived for a year and a half during the move and our first winter up here.
Terrific 6 weeks time to move up, and we drove the Alcan Hiway before it was paved. We'd thought to move to the Glennallen area at the time, but mom became gravely ill so we ended up in Anchorage in June 1970. I'm still here, sister in North Pole, brother in Wasilla, folks have been on Kodiak Island since 1982. Everyone else comes and goes but I'm thankful every day that I get to live in this state, and my kids and grandkids feel the same way. Daddy always thought about retiring back to Oklahoma, then he'd look out his window and say, "...but why leave paradise?"

[petester]

Originally Posted by heathen

I skipped college graduation to drive up here instead. I was newly single and it seemed to be a good transition point. I almost stopped in Haines on the way up since I loved it, but continued to Anchorage where I lived with a family friend for most of a summer. Decided Anchorage wasn't what I was here for so I moved to a cabin way out Knik River road and slummed it working at a gas station for a winter. In spring I found a seasonal job that actually needed my degree in Delta Junction, and I've more or less been here ever since (8 years now..). I met my wife a few years back through mutual friends in the Seattle music scene. She wanted to live in a cabin in the woods, so it was all very convenient.. Happy and settled now, with no desire for major changes, though of course the economy has me a bit concerned.

it wasn't THAT urgent...seriiously

[pittsflyer]

Originally Posted by AlaskaSue

Our farm house in OK burned to the ground and Mom and Dad moved us 6 kids to Tx for a while for Dad's job. After about a year (1968), he had an offer to be a partner in the company for which he worked. He and Mom put it to us kids...stay where we are and build a swimming pool, move to Australia (a place they had both wanted to go), or move to Alaska (another place they wanted to go - where we knew no one and almost nothing about it). It was a unanimous vote for Alaska and we started reading everything we could find on the place. Mom started stockpiling food for the trip up, we sold the house and all 8 of us plus 2 dogs and a cat moved into a 20x8 foot travel trailer - where we lived for a year and a half during the move and our first winter up here.
Terrific 6 weeks time to move up, and we drove the Alcan Hiway before it was paved. We'd thought to move to the Glennallen area at the time, but mom became gravely ill so we ended up in Anchorage in June 1970. I'm still here, sister in North Pole, brother in Wasilla, folks have been on Kodiak Island since 1982. Everyone else comes and goes but I'm thankful every day that I get to live in this state, and my kids and grandkids feel the same way. Daddy always thought about retiring back to Oklahoma, then he'd look out his window and say, "...but why leave paradise?"

The only reason I would leave is if I just got too tired to stay and keep paying the land taxes before I was eligible for SS or tax exemptions.

[laina1980]

Originally Posted by petester

He's a great example of why there are so many gun toting kids running around that don't even know what a safety switch is,educators dropped the ball in such a big way.

Hmm more like why all these nerds keeps installing useless functions on our devices like auto corrects