An Alaskan moving around Clarksville area (Dallas: fit in, sale, real estate)

[rough alaskan girl]

So I've been trying to get information about the women's role around Clarksville, Texas. I have lived in Juneau Alaska for 32 years and I'm way done! From what I'm here from people here is that the ladies dress up (foo-foo themselves, long nails and big hair), they stay home, cook, clean and do the domestic thing. I'm I getting this right? I'm not that type, I'm the tomboy type that plays with horses and loves to get dirty with trucks. Here I do my own mechanics I don't let anyone else do my truck repairs. I live in minus zero weather most of the time, I go to work in the dark, come home in the dark during the winter and it never gets dark during the summer. I'm looking forward to finding a old fashion, cowboy town that respects women, with pastures, and FOUR SEASONS, here it's almost winter, winter, still winter and construction season. I would like more than 10 days of sun shine, I have always wanted to move to Texas. I just don't know if I would fit in with all my self sifficent stuff. I have found myself a REAL cowboy man and he lives in Texas. Am I going to have to live in a walk-in freezer? The real estate is cheaper, the men are wonderful, you have the weather I want, and the wide open spaces to spread my wings, oh and the tail gate parties sound yummy! Any women out there with advise? I would love to hear it please. Any warnings I should get? Air conditioning will be a new concept. Horses are seasonal here, if you don't have a garage my truck playing is seasonal, and outside time is seasonal, Texas sounds better. Oh what about jobs too? I have 52 miles of road in my town with no way of getting out besides floating or flying so more road would be very cool! Thank you for your time, rough alaskan girl

[GoPadge]

Well I'm a guy, but I'll toss in my $0.02 anyway. You definitely will be in for a bit of climate change. Here's the seasons are more like, Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, and Christmas Vacation.

There will always be men who have insecurity issues, or extremely old fashion values, that feel a woman's place is in the home, barefoot and pregnant. I personally don't subscribe to that notion about women. I will say that women who do choose to stay at home with their children have all of my admiration, both for sacrificing careers and for ensuring the most invested person in their children's lives is overseeing their formative years.

In any relationship there are roles that must be filled. Someone has to take care of the vehicles, the house, the yard, the cooking, the cleaning, paying the bills, etc. There is nothing wrong with either the traditional distribution of the roles or with a different distribution of the roles. As long as both parties are ok with it and all of the roles are covered, it shouldn't matter.

I do take on some of the more traditional female roles at times. I love to cook, I clean the kitchen when I'm done, I can wash the laundry without colors bleeding, fading, or being bleached out. My wife can change the oil without going to Jiffy Lube and she can mow the yard. We both take part in paying the bills and we both are fairly good at renovating.

As long as you and your cowboy agree on the roles, don't worry about everyone else.

Oh one other bit of advice, in the summer here, you're better off parking in the shade at the back of the parking lots, over parking up front. Yes the walk in the sun will be longer, but you won't risk broiling yourself when you return to your car.

[rough alaskan girl]

I feel like I will stick out like a sore thumb. I have to clean but cooking.... I don't do so well, he will do that I will do the cleaning and all the other stuff. Well at least I will have more than 10 days of sun... Thank you for the parking advice I will do that. I just might be able to get my first real tan! And also sounds like I might be living in a walk-in freezer for the first couple of years. I can still play in the dirt YEPPIE!! Thank you for your time sir, you have made a world of difference!

[ladydia]

well i say don't always believe what you hear. take a vac. come and check it out for yourself. we have seasons hear too. just depends on what it is you want. and no the ladies don't set around the house in all that. most of the ladies that i know hold a job and have from the get go. my mom held a job at factory 5 days wk 8=10 hrs day and raised 10 kids and unknown amout of grands. there are some women that are very good mech. like i said it's all on where you want to go and what you want to do. life is here as it is any where. been in alot of states its what you make of it....

[GayleTX]

I'm not far from Clarksville and my town is similar in size and culture. There is no one kind of woman (or man) here. When I go to the farm supply store I see about as many women as men picking up supplies, driving pickups, wearing boots, etc. Most farms and ranches are a family projects and everybody....men, women, girls, boys, dogs.....all do their share. Of course many of the women who mow pastures on weekends are the same women who teach school (using my own life as an example here) or work at the bank during the week....they have to work in town to support their farm habit. Many of the women do a lot of the work around the place because their husbands are commuting to work out of town to support the place. There are not a lot of people who can be full-time farmers/ranchers any more but there are some. There are lots of rodeos around this area....lots of people with horses. The largest family rodeo in the country is near my home.

Having said all that, just because a woman works outside or with animals doesn't mean she goes to town dressed in such a way that you have to study to figure out if she's a male or female. I can see that in Alaska that might be a matter of necessity just to keep warm, but it's not here. You won't need to wear a coat all that much or even anything on your head. It's probably much easier to dress a little more girly here than where you are now. So in this area the woman who wears jeans and boots at home or at the sale barn can easily be the same woman who will have her hair cut very fashionably and go in for a mani/pedi on a regular basis. We can't hide everything we've got under 5 layers of clothing!

The main thing is to just be yourself and be happy with who you are and how you look - be 'real' and things will be all right.....and it sounds like the man you've found likes you just like you are. By the way.....Jewel (the singer) grew up in Alaska and she and her Texas cowboy seem to do just fine here!

Best wishes to you in your new life here.......BTW - you might want to also put this post on the Texas board - most people in Dallas have never heard of Clarksville - it's a world apart!! (Ooops....I just noticed the OP was 9 months ago!! Probably wasted my time here, didn't I).